Shloka 12
Kapila’s Devotional Sāṅkhya: Sādhu-saṅga, Bhakti-yoga, and Fearlessness in the Supreme Shelter
मैत्रेय उवाच इति स्वमातुर्निरवद्यमीप्सितं निशम्य पुंसामपवर्गवर्धनम् । धियाभिनन्द्यात्मवतां सतां गति- र्बभाष ईषत्स्मितशोभितानन: ॥ १२ ॥
maitreya uvāca iti sva-mātur niravadyam īpsitaṁ niśamya puṁsām apavarga-vardhanam dhiyābhinandyātmavatāṁ satāṁ gatir babhāṣa īṣat-smita-śobhitānanaḥ
មૈត្រេយៈបាននិយាយថា—ក្រោយព្រះអម្ចាស់បានស្តាប់បំណងបរិសុទ្ធឥតមលិនរបស់មាតាព្រះองค์សម្រាប់ការយល់ដឹងអាត្មា ដែលជាសំណួរជួយបង្កើនការលោះលែងរបស់មនុស្ស ព្រះองค์បានអនុមោទនានៅក្នុងព្រះហឫទ័យ។ បន្ទាប់មក ដោយព្រះមុខភ្លឺដោយញញឹមស្រាល ព្រះองค์បានពន្យល់ផ្លូវរបស់សាធុអ្នកប្រាថ្នាស្វ័យសាក്ഷាត។
Devahūti has surrendered her confession of material entanglement and her desire to gain release. Her questions to Lord Kapila are very interesting for persons who are actually trying to get liberation from material entanglement and attain the perfectional stage of human life. Unless one is interested in understanding his spiritual life, or his constitutional position, and unless he also feels inconvenience in material existence, his human form of life is spoiled. One who does not care for these transcendental necessities of life and simply engages like an animal in eating, sleeping, fearing and mating has spoiled his life. Lord Kapila was very much satisfied by His mother’s questions because the answers stimulate one’s desire for liberation from the conditional life of material existence. Such questions are called apavarga-vardhanam. Those who have actual spiritual interest are called sat, or devotees. Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. Sat means “that which eternally exists,” and asat means “that which is not eternal.” Unless one is situated on the spiritual platform, he is not sat; he is asat. The asat stands on a platform which will not exist, but anyone who stands on the spiritual platform will exist eternally. As spirit soul, everyone exists eternally, but the asat has accepted the material world as his shelter, and therefore he is full of anxiety. Asad-grāhān, the incompatible situation of the spirit soul who has the false idea of enjoying matter, is the cause of the soul’s being asat. Actually, the spirit soul is not asat. As soon as one is conscious of this fact and takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he becomes sat. Satāṁ gatiḥ, the path of the eternal, is very interesting to persons who are after liberation, and His Lordship Kapila began to speak about that path.
FAQs
This verse praises Devahuti’s request as “apavarga-vardhanam”—a question that increases liberation—showing that sincere inquiry into spiritual truth, especially bhakti, uplifts everyone.
Kapiladeva, the refuge of saints, inwardly approved His mother’s blameless desire for liberating knowledge and, pleased by her devotion and sincerity, responded with a gentle, compassionate smile.
Ask with humility and a genuine desire to transform your life—questions aimed at devotion, detachment, and service—rather than curiosity or debate; such inquiry becomes beneficial for you and inspiring for others.