नारद–असित (देवल) संवादः — भूतप्रभवाप्यय, इन्द्रिय-गुण-विवेक, क्षेत्रज्ञ-तत्त्व
तां नियुक्तामदीनात्मा सत्त्वस्थ: संयमे रत: । ज्ञानवान् नियताहारो ददर्श कपिलस्तथा
tāṁ niyuktām adīnātmā sattvasthaḥ saṁyame rataḥ | jñānavān niyatāhāro dadarśa kapilas tathā ||
Bhishma said: Kapila—noble-minded, established in purity (sattva), devoted to self-restraint, disciplined in knowledge, and moderate in food—then saw that cow, who had been appointed for Tvaṣṭā’s purpose.
भीष्म उवाच
The verse presents the ideal ethical posture of a sage: steadiness in sattva, commitment to self-restraint, moderation in consumption, and clarity of knowledge. Such inner discipline enables right perception and right response to duties and beings encountered.
Bhishma describes Kapila encountering and observing a cow that has been assigned for Tvaṣṭā’s purpose. The description foregrounds Kapila’s virtues—purity, restraint, wisdom, and regulated diet—before the narrative proceeds to the implications of that encounter.