Hari-kathaArticlesKAPILA - TEACHER OF THEISTIC SĀṄKHYA PHILOSOPHY

KAPILA – TEACHER OF THEISTIC SĀṄKHYA PHILOSOPHY

The Harmonist
[June 1930, 444 Caitanya-Era. Vol 28. Pg. 6-11]

Brahmā asked Kardama to live and multiply. He accordingly went to the secluded bank of the Sarasvatī, worshiped the Supreme Lord for a long time and was able to see Nārāyaṇa and Lakṣmī the Transcendental Couple, riding on Garuḍa, Kardama said with reverence, “Lord, I have now all my desires fulfilled. I am ordered by my father to procreate the human species and take this opportunity to meditate on three. It is true that it is not commendable to worship Thee for the fulfillment of our desires; still I take recourse to this means only. I know it for certain that Thou conferest Thy best favors on him who lifts his hands in prayer, no matter whether he desires some boon for himself or is without any selfish motive.”

Nārāyaṇa replied, “It is not, necessary to ask for anything. I love the devotees dearly and fulfill all their wants. I have already arranged everything. Manu and his wife Śatrupā will come to you shortly and bestow their beautiful daughter Devahūti on you. A part of Myself shall be born as your Son and hallow this world. Dedicate your all to Me and you will be free from sin and attain unto Me.” With this Nārāyaṇa left him.

In due time several daughters and a Son were born to him. At the time of the Son’s birth auspicious signs became perceptible and Brahma said to his son Kardama, “You have discharged your duty and have got as your Son One Who will teach the Truth. He shall be called Kapila.”

He then congratulated Devahūti on having the Supreme Lord as her Son and went away.

Kardama thought that it was high time that he should retire to the forest and give himself up to the contemplation of God. Devahūti became aware of it and asked him what would be her duty and informed him that she would be in a helpless state if he left her. Kardama consoled her saying that she need not be anxious as the Lord had owned her as His mother and advised her to receive instructions from Him and she would be free from all bondage. Kardama then approached Kapila and prayed that he might not again be attracted by the lures of the world.

Kapila said, “The path of Truth has, in course of time, become blocked and obscured, I have appeared to clear it. Always meditate on Me. See the self-manifested Over soul in your heart and you will be free from fears and miseries. I will confer transcendental knowledge on My mother and she will be free from the fears of death!”

Kardama started for the woods meditating on Him alone and Kapila and Devahūti remained in their hut on the Bindu Sarovara.

One day Devahūti went to her Son and said, “My Lord, I am weary of supplying objects of enjoyment to mind; still it has not been satiated. It is incessantly driving me towards the darkness of misery. It is Thou alone That can’t help me. I am sure I shall be freed now that Thou hast come. Thou art the Lord of all. Extricate me from the mire of worldliness and infatuation and favor me with the true knowledge of myself.”

He was pleased at her sincerity and said, “Mother, the mind is the cause of both bondage and deliverance. Let the mind be steeped in mundane matters and you are bound hand and foot. Concentrate it in God and you are free. It is the company of self-realized souls and listening to their chanting and joining them in their devotional performances that bring the real good. Then only do the world’s temptations fail. The greatness of the devotees knows no bounds. Attachment to the world binds, while attachment to the devotees frees. They direct all their efforts and exertions towards My pleasure and do not hesitate to sever their connection with those who are nearest and dearest to them if they go against their service to My in any way. They meditate on Me incessantly and enjoy chanting My glory day and night. They are beyond the reach of misery. Touch with such devotees alone can impart devotion to Kṛṣṇa. When you associate with devoted persons you hear nothing else than talk about Me. They sing My glory in endless ways and your mind is naturally diverted from the world and directs its course towards Me. If you practice it without cessation your mind will be free form dross and all your functions will be directed towards the attainment of My holy Feet and as the consequence you will attain My holy Feet even in this life.”

Devahūti said, “I am but a dull woman. Explain the devotional principles clearly and let me know my duty.”

Kapila said, “Mother, the individual soul does, by nature, crave for touch with the Over soul; but His illusory energy keeps him screened and entangled in the meshes of worldly attractions. It is association with self-realized souls alone that removes the screen and disentangles the unfortunate wretch, who is thus favored with unalloyed devotion which is far superior to liberation. The real devotees never desire for salvation. They direct all their efforts to My service. They always long to look at My Form at transcendental Beauty and do not even turn towards salvation which offers itself at their feet. They serve My eternally in Vaikuṇṭha. The highest objects of salvation is subject to decay but My devotees reside in a region where time has no influence and decay and destruction are unknown. So strong and unalloyed devotion to Me is the highest object of human achievement. Mother, betake yourself to the path of devotion.”

The Supreme Lord Śri Hari is the ultimate Cause. Some foolishly hold that Nature is the ultimate cause. They are wrong. The Personal God Who is different from prakṛti (Nature) is the ultimate Cause. It is He Who impregnates her with material energy. First comes forth mahā-tattva, the first sprout, as it were, of this world. Thenceforth come the different material objects. Earth, water, fire, air and either are the five elements (mohābhota); smell, liquidity, form, touch and sound are the five connectives (tanmātrās); eye, ear, nose, tongue and skin are the five organs of sense. The mouth, the land, the feet, the anus and the generative organs with the five organs of physical activity, the mind, the intellect, the perverted ego and nature added to them, form what is called the 24 tattvas or categories. The puruṣa or personal God is the 25th. The three attributes sattva, rajas and tamas, or purity, activity and stupor make the number twenty eight.”

“The puruṣa may be either God or the individual soul. Prakṛti or Nature has attributes whereas the Supreme Being or puruṣa is not burdened with them. By dint of His inconceivable powers He resides in the body of the jīva and is known as Paramātmā. He remains unaffected by the qualities of physical Nature as the sun that casts its reflections on water. An infinitesimal portion of His pure essence is called jīva who is liable to be affected by the qualities of Nature. This jīva, devoid of all mundane attributes as he is by nature, imagines himself to be endowed with the triple material qualities of sattva, rajas and tamas and becomes thereby subject to mundane joys and sufferings.”

“When by touch with self-realized souls he becomes re-instated in his original position he comes to know that he is independent of all mundane affinities. Assiduous devotion to Me alone can maintain him in My eternal service.”

“Mother, let me delineate the process of serving Me by one who is free from the domination of Illusory Energy. The pure devotees contemplate on the Paramātmā’s dark beautiful Form with the conch, the disc, the club and the lotus and see His own Form. Unalloyed devotion enables the devotees to see the form of Godhead as he is, viz., the beautiful adolescent Śri Kṛṣṇa. Śiva deserves the Name of Benefaction because he holds on his lead the Ganges who flows from the holy Feet of the Supreme Lord.”

“Devotion is either mixed with quality (saguṇa) or unadulterated by such quality (nirguṇa). Those who hanker after something else than Kṛṣṇa may have mixed devotion while the spontaneous play of the un-obscured conscious principle of the single-hearted devotees constitutes unalloyed devotion. These latter shun the desire for liberation from suffering as they shun the devil and want nothing but exclusive and eternal service of the Divinity. This sincere devotion is called unalloyed or pure devotion. The pure devotees sing My glory, serve the self-realized souls, behave sincerely, worship My divine Form, overcome their natural longing for creature comforts, listen to discourses on Hari, respect their superiors, imbibe friendship with the pure devotees and by means of other devotional practices attain Me without much ado.

“Those who indulge in malice and at the same time make a show of worshipping Me, practice the external forms these devotional activities in vain. One should worship My divine form till one has attained the capacity for realizing My presence in all beings as well as in one’s own heart.

“This material world teems with millions of individual souls of whom man is the greatest. Those men who dwell in the land of Bhārata and hold in high esteem the system of communal organization of spiritual amelioration based on distinctions of aptitude and circumstances and are disposed to serve God are the highest class of men. The brāhmaṇas who possess the knowledge of the Great Unknowable and are their teachers of religion form the highest class. Among the Brahmans those who are thoroughly well versed in the spiritual Scriptures are the greatest. Those brāhmaṇa who possessing the knowledge of the Vedas follow constantly the principles of religion are the highest. Those who have dedicated their all to Godhead are superior to all others. There is none superior to one who is devoted to Godhead. He stands above all and known no fall.

“One devoid of devotion is the creature of sorrow, want and anxiety. He may enjoy temporary pleasures, but is bound to be miserable in the long run. In the womb of the mother the soul averse to Godhead suffers excruciating pain and cries in agony sincerely imploring God to relieve him of his sufferings by re-installing him in His eternal service. But just after his birth he consigns all these to oblivion and as the result he has to appear again and again in this world. It is the devotee alone who can have true felicity.”

With this Kapila took leave of His mother, went northwards and became invisible to the mortal eye.

Śri Viṣṇu imposed Himself on Kapila, instructor of unalloyed devotion. We must distinguish Him from the Kapila who is the propounded of atheistic sāṅkhya philosophy. Divine superimposition on individual Souls is of two kinds:—

  • Imposition of the Lord Himself, e., g, Kapila, Ṛṣabha.
  • Imposition of the Divine Power, e., g, Nārada, Vyāsa, Pṛthu, Brahma and Sanaka.

He is whom a particular energy of power of the Divinity manifests itself is called “Imbued with the Divine Power”. In this manner devotion manifested itself in Nārada, in Pṛthu the governing power, in the four Sanas Knowledge, in Brahma the creative power. These regard themselves as so many servants of the Lord.

In superimposition of the Lord Himself the Divine energy manifests itself more perfectly and the individual soul regards himself as identical with Godhead.

Kapila and Ṛṣabhadeva regarded themselves under Divine superimposition as the Supreme Lord Himself.

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