Shloka 37
Kapila’s Advent: Brahmā’s Confirmation, the Marriage of the Nine Daughters, and Kardama’s Renunciation
एष आत्मपथोऽव्यक्तो नष्ट: कालेन भूयसा । तं प्रवर्तयितुं देहमिमं विद्धि मया भृतम् ॥ ३७ ॥
eṣa ātma-patho ’vyakto naṣṭaḥ kālena bhūyasā taṁ pravartayituṁ deham imaṁ viddhi mayā bhṛtam
This path of self-realization—subtle and hard to grasp—has been lost in the long course of time. Know that I have assumed this body as Kapila to revive it and explain this philosophy again to human society.
It is not true that Sāṅkhya philosophy is a new system of philosophy introduced by Kapila as material philosophers introduce new kinds of mental speculative thought to supersede that of another philosopher. On the material platform, everyone, especially the mental speculator, tries to be more prominent than others. The field of activity of the speculators is the mind. There is no limit to the different ways in which one can agitate the mind, and thus one can put forward an unlimited number of theories. Sāṅkhya philosophy is not like that; it is not mental speculation. It is factual, but at the time of Kapila it was lost.
FAQs
This verse explains that the subtle path of ātma-realization becomes obscured by the long influence of time (kāla), and that the Lord restores it by appearing and teaching it again.
In the narrative of Canto 3, Kapila appears to teach Devahūti the true process of liberation; He states here that His incarnation is meant to revive the forgotten path of spiritual realization.
It encourages seekers to rely on authentic śāstra and realized teachers when spiritual practice becomes confused, and to consciously revive daily sādhana—hearing, reflection, and devotion—to stay on the true path.