CANTO 3 - CHAPTER 33

(1) Maitreya said: 'After the dear wife of Kardama, the mother named Devahûti, thus had heard of the words of Lord Kapila, did she, freed from the coverings of illusion and having offered Him her obeisances, recite prayers to the author in the matter of the basic principles that make up the background of liberation. (2) Devahûti said: 'It is said to be that the Unborn One [Brahmâ] who was born from the lotus flower from Your abdomen, himself meditated upon Your body lying in the water, the source of the stream of the modes of nature, that is the seed of all that is manifest in pervading the material elements, the senses, the sense-objects and the mind. (3) As indeed that very person of the universe You carry on with Your heroism to that what is divided by the interaction of the modes with the creation and everything, thereto as the non-doer making the difference of Your determination as the Lord of all living beings whose thousands of energies are inconceivable. (4) As that same person You took birth from my abdomen, o my Lord; You of inconceivable powers, of whom then this universe did rest in the belly, do, at the end of the millennium, lay Yourself down alone on the leaf of a banyan tree, as a baby licking Your toe. (5) You have assumed this body to diminish the sinful activities and give instructions on the devotion; o my Lord, for the greater power of Your avatâras, the boar incarnation and others, You indeed came in order to reveal the path of selfrealization. (6) And what again to say of seeing You, o Fortunate One, face to face, of whose hearing the chanting of the name, the offering of obeisances and the remembering, at any time even the lowest born immediately becomes eligible for performing vedic rituals. (7) O how glorious and hence worshipable is [even] the one cooking for himself only, who has the holy name on the tip of his tongue; unto You did the civilized, who studied the Vedas and have accepted Your holy name, practice austerities, did they execute fire sacrifices and bathe themselves in the sacred rivers. (8) Unto Him, You, the Highest Spirit, the Supreme Personality, Lord Vishnu carrying the name of Kapila who is the repository of the Vedas, to whom I turned inwards to listen, whom I perceived in the mind and meditated upon and by whose potency the influence of the modes vanished, I offer my obeisances.

(9) Maitreya said: 'The Supreme Lord, the Supreme Personality named Kapila, thus praised, replied, full of affection for His mother, her with words of gravity.

(10) Lord Kapila said: 'To perform by the path of this what I instructed to you, My dear mother, is very easy; very soon you will attain the supreme goal. (11) You may rest assured that concerning this instruction of Me followed by the transcendentalists, you shall reach freedom from fear while [the cycle of birth and] death is what is attained by the ones not conversant with this.

(12) Maitreya said: 'After thus instructing did that venerable Supreme Lord of the path of selfrealization, the selfrealized Kapila, take permission from His mother and left. (13) As her son told her instructing on yoga, she also fixed herself in samâdhi to be connected in yoga in that abode, the flower crown of the Sarasvatî river [Kardama's palace]. (14) Bathing regularly, turned her curly matted hair gray and did her body, clad in old clothes, grow thin of the severe austerities. (15) By the austerity of yoga had Kardama Muni, a progenitor of mankind, developed the unequaled of his home with all its paraphernalia, which was even envied by the denizens of heaven. (16) The ivory beds white as the foam of milk had gold filigree covers and the chairs and benches were made of gold and had cushions soft to the touch. (17) The walls were of pure marble inlaid with valuable emeralds and lamps shone with jewels with which also the women decorated themselves. (18) The garden of the household was beautiful with flowers and fruits, many trees with pairs of singing birds and the humming of intoxicated bees. (19) About the great care of Kardama, sang the heavenly associates there to her as she entered the pond fragrant with lotuses.

(20) Giving up on that most desirable of all households that was even envied by the wives of Indra, she had a sorry look on her face, being afflicted by the separation from her son. (21) With her husband who had left for the forest and the distance from her son, she, despite of her knowing the truth, grew very sad, like an affectionate cow that lost her calf. (22) That way meditating upon Him, her divine son Kapiladev, she very soon, o dear Vidura, became unattached to her fine home. (23) Meditating upon the form of the Supreme Lord as He had instructed, kept she, as her object, the whole and the parts of the smiling face of her son in her mind. (24-25) Continuously engaged in devotional service and very strong by the proper performance of the duties in renunciation resulting from the knowledge of the Absolute Truth, she then by the purification of her mind to the Great Soul whose face is seen everywhere, saw by selfrealization the distinctions of the modes of nature disappear. (26) With her mind situated in Brahman and freed in the Supreme Lord residing in all beings did the material pangs of the unfortunate condition of her individual soul disappear as she attained transcendental bliss. (27) From her trance situated in the eternal and freed from the bewilderment by the modes of material nature she then forgot about her material body just as one who has risen forgets what is seen in a dream. (28) Her body although maintained by others did not emaciate though for anxiety did not occur to her; she shone like a fire covered by the thick of smoke. (29) Absorbed in thoughts about Vâsudeva, was she, under divine protection, with her body in the full of the austerity of her yoga practice, not aware of her hair hanging loose or her garments being in disarray. (30) Thus did she, instructed by Kapila, by the path soon without fail achieve the beyond of the Supersoul finding the cessation of material existence in the Spirit of the Absolute Truth of the Supreme Lord.

(31) That palace where she attained the perfection, o brave one, was a most sacred place which in the three worlds is known under the name of Siddhapada [the refuge of perfection]. (32) The material elements of her mortal body relinquished by the practice of yoga became a river that is the foremost of all rivers, o gentle one, to which all who desire perfection resort as it confers that perfection. (33) Lord Kapila, the great yogi and Supreme Lord, himself going from that abode when he took leave of his mother, had headed in the northeastern direction. (34) Being extolled by the Siddhas, the Cânaras, the Gandharvas, munis and Apsaras, offered the ocean Him oblations and a place of residence [known and still worshiped today as Gangâ-sâgara-tîrtha, the place where the Ganges meets the ocean]. (35) There He remains in samâdhi, to ensure the deliverance of the three worlds, being worshiped by the teachers of example that practice the Sânkhya system of yoga. (36) Dear sinless one, this what I upon your inquiries told you about Kapila and His conversation with Devahûti, is of the purest. (37) Whoever hears of or whoever expounds on these confidential teachings of Kapila Muni on the union of the soul and has thus set his mind on the Fortunate One carrying the banner of Garuda, will attain the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord.

Maitreya said: 'After the dear wife of Kardama, the mother named Devahûti, thus had heard of the words of Lord Kapila, did she, freed from the coverings of illusion and having offered Him her obeisances, recite prayers to the author in the matter of the basic principles that make up the background of liberation.

S'rî Maitreya said: Thus Devahûti, the mother of Lord Kapila and wife of Kardama Muni, became freed from all ignorance concerning devotional service and transcendental knowledge. She offered her obeisances unto the Lord, the author of the basic principles of the Sânkhya system of philosophy, which is the background of liberation, and she satisfied Him with the following verses of prayer. (Vedabase)

Text 2

Devahûti said: 'It is said to be that the Unborn One [Brahmâ] who was born from the lotus flower from Your abdomen, himself meditated upon Your body lying in the water, the source of the stream of the modes of nature, that is the seed of all that is manifest in pervading the material elements, the senses, the sense-objects and the mind.

Devahûti said: Brahmâ is said to be unborn because he takes birth from the lotus flower which grows from Your abdomen while You lie in the ocean at the bottom of the universe. But even Brahmâ simply meditated upon You, whose body is the source of unlimited universes. (Vedabase)

Text 3

As indeed that very person of the universe You carry on with Your heroism to that what is divided by the interaction of the modes with the creation and everything, thereto as the non-doer making the difference of Your determination as the Lord of all living beings whose thousands of energies are inconceivable.

My dear Lord, although personally You have nothing to do, You have distributed Your energies in the interactions of the material modes of nature, and for that reason the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmic manifestation take place. My dear Lord, You are self-determined and are the Supreme Personality of Godhead for all living entities. For them You created this material manifestation, and although You are one, Your diverse energies can act multifariously. This is inconceivable to us. (Vedabase)

Text 4

As that same person You took birth from my abdomen, o my Lord; You of inconceivable powers, of whom then this universe did rest in the belly, do, at the end of the millennium, lay Yourself down alone on the leaf of a banyan tree, as a baby licking Your toe.

As the Supreme Personality of Godhead, You have taken birth from my abdomen. O my Lord, how is that possible for the supreme one, who has in His belly all the cosmic manifestation? The answer is that it is possible, for at the end of the millennium You lie down on a leaf of a banyan tree, and just like a small baby, You lick the toe of Your lotus foot. (Vedabase)

Text 5

You have assumed this body to diminish the sinful activities and give instructions on the devotion; o my Lord, for the greater power of Your avatâras, the boar incarnation and others, You indeed came in order to reveal the path of selfrealization.

My dear Lord, You have assumed this body in order to diminish the sinful activities of the fallen and to enrich their knowledge in devotion and liberation. Since these sinful people are dependent on Your direction, by Your own will You assume incarnations as a boar and as other forms. Similarly, You have appeared in order to distribute transcendental knowledge to Your dependents. (Vedabase)

Text 6

And what again to say of seeing You, o Fortunate One, face to face, of whose hearing the chanting of the name, the offering of obeisances and the remembering, at any time even the lowest born immediately becomes eligible for performing vedic rituals.

To say nothing of the spiritual advancement of persons who see the Supreme Person face to face, even a person born in a family of dog-eaters immediately becomes eligible to perform Vedic sacrifices if he once utters the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or chants about Him, hears about His pastimes, offers Him obeisances or even remembers Him. (Vedabase)

Text 7

O how glorious and hence worshipable is [even] the one cooking for himself only, who has the holy name on the tip of his tongue; unto You did the civilized, who studied the Vedas and have accepted Your holy name, practice austerities, did they execute fire sacrifices and bathe themselves in the sacred rivers.

Oh, how glorious are they whose tongues are chanting Your holy name! Even if born in the families of dog-eaters, such persons are worshipable. Persons who chant the holy name of Your Lordship must have executed all kinds of austerities and fire sacrifices and achieved all the good manners of the Aryans. To be chanting the holy name of Your Lordship, they must have bathed at holy places of pilgrimage, studied the Vedas and fulfilled everything required. (Vedabase)

Text 8

Unto Him, You, the Highest Spirit, the Supreme Personality, Lord Vishnu carrying the name of Kapila who is the repository of the Vedas, to whom I turned inwards to listen, whom I perceived in the mind and meditated upon and by whose potency the influence of the modes vanished, I offer my obeisances.

I believe, my Lord, that You are Lord Vishnu Himself under the name of Kapila, and You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Brahman! The saints and sages, being freed from all the disturbances of the senses and mind, meditate upon You, for by Your mercy only can one become free from the clutches of the three modes of material nature. At the time of dissolution, all the Vedas are sustained in You only. (Vedabase)

Text 9

Maitreya said: 'The Supreme Lord, the Supreme Personality named Kapila, thus praised, replied, full of affection for His mother, her with words of gravity.

Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kapila, satisfied by the words of His mother, towards whom He was very affectionate, replied with gravity. (Vedabase)

Text 10

Lord Kapila said: 'To perform by the path of this what I instructed to you, My dear mother, is very easy; very soon you will attain the supreme goal.

The Personality of Godhead said: My dear mother, the path of self-realization which I have already instructed to you is very easy. You can execute this system without difficulty, and by following it you shall very soon be liberated, even within your present body. (Vedabase)

Text 11

You may rest assured that concerning this instruction of Me followed by the transcendentalists, you shall reach freedom from fear while [the cycle of birth and] death is what is attained by the ones not conversant with this.

My dear mother, those who are actually transcendentalists certainly follow My instructions, as I have given them to you. You may rest assured that if you traverse this path of self-realization perfectly, surely you shall be freed from fearful material contamination and shall ultimately reach Me. Mother, persons who are not conversant with this method of devotional service certainly cannot get out of the cycle of birth and death. (Vedabase)

Text 12

Maitreya said: 'After thus instructing did that venerable Supreme Lord of the path of selfrealization, the selfrealized Kapila, take permission from His mother and left.

S'rî Maitreya said: The Supreme Personality of Godhead Kapila, after instructing His beloved mother, took permission from her and left His home, His mission having been fulfilled. (Vedabase)

Text 13

As her son told her instructing on yoga, she also fixed herself in samâdhi to be connected in yoga in that abode, the flower crown of the Sarasvatî river [Kardama's palace].

As instructed by her son, Devahûti also began to practice bhakti-yoga in that very âs'rama. She practiced samâdhi in the house of Kardama Muni, which was so beautifully decorated with flowers that it was considered the flower crown of the River Sarasvatî. (Vedabase)

Text 14

Bathing regularly, turned her curly matted hair gray and did her body, clad in old clothes, grow thin of the severe austerities.

She began to bathe three times daily, and thus her curling black hair gradually became gray. Due to austerity, her body gradually became thin, and she wore old garments. (Vedabase)

Text 15

By the austerity of yoga had Kardama Muni, a progenitor of mankind, developed the unequaled of his home with all its paraphernalia, which was even envied by the denizens of heaven.

The home and household paraphernalia of Kardama, who was one of the Prajâpatis, was developed in such a way, by dint of his mystic powers of austerity and yoga, that his opulence was sometimes envied by those who travel in outer space in airplanes. (Vedabase)

Text 16

The ivory beds white as the foam of milk had gold filigree covers and the chairs and benches were made of gold and had cushions soft to the touch.

The opulence of the household of Kardama Muni is described herein. The bedsheets and mattresses were all as white as the foam of milk, the chairs and benches were made of ivory and were covered by cloths of lace with golden filigree, and the couches were made of gold and had very soft pillows. (Vedabase)

Text 17

The walls were of pure marble inlaid with valuable emeralds and lamps shone with jewels with which also the women decorated themselves.

The walls of the house were made of first-class marble, decorated with valuable jewels. There was no need of light, for the household was illuminated by the rays of these jewels. The female members of the household were all amply decorated with jewelry. (Vedabase)

Text 18:

The garden of the household was beautiful with flowers and fruits, many trees with pairs of singing birds and the humming of intoxicated bees.

The compound of the main household was surrounded by beautiful gardens, with sweet, fragrant flowers and many trees which produced fresh fruit and were tall and beautiful. The attraction of such gardens was that singing birds would sit on the trees, and their chanting voices, as well as the humming sound of the bees, made the whole atmosphere as pleasing as possible. (Vedabase)

Text 19:

About the great care of Kardama, sang the heavenly associates there to her as she entered the pond fragrant with lotuses.

When Devahûti would enter that lovely garden to take her bath in the pond filled with lotus flowers, the associates of the denizens of heaven, the Gandharvas, would sing about Kardama's glorious household life. Her great husband, Kardama, gave her all protection at all times. (Vedab a se)

Text 20:

Giving up on that most desirable of all households that was even envied by the wives of Indra, she had a sorry look on her face, being afflicted by the separation from her son.

Although her position was unique from all points of view, saintly Devahûti, in spite of all her possessions, which were envied even by the ladies of the heavenly planets, gave up all such comforts. She was only sorry that her great son was separated from her. (Vedabase)

Text 21:

With her husband who had left for the forest and the distance from her son, she, despite of her knowing the truth, grew very sad, like an affectionate cow that lost her calf.

Devahûti's husband had already left home and accepted the renounced order of life, and then her only son, Kapila, left home. Although she knew all the truths of life and death, and although her heart was cleansed of all dirt, she was very aggrieved at the loss of her son, just as a cow is affected when her calf dies. (Vedabase)

Text 22:

Verily meditating upon Him, her divine son Kapiladev, she very soon, o dear Vidura, became unattached to her fine home.

O Vidura, thus always meditating upon her son, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kapiladeva, she very soon became unattached to her nicely decorated home. (Vedabase)

Text 23:

Meditating upon the form of the Supreme Lord as He had instructed, kept she, as her object, the whole and the parts of the smiling face of her son in her mind.

Thereafter, having heard with great eagerness and in all detail from her son, Kapiladeva, the eternally smiling Personality of Godhead, Devahûti began to meditate constantly upon the Vishnu form of the Supreme Lord. (Vedabase)

Text 24-25:

Continuously engaged in devotional service and very strong by the proper performance of the duties in renunciation resulting from the knowledge of the Absolute Truth, she then by the purification of her mind to the Great Soul whose face is seen everywhere, saw by selfrealization the distinctions of the modes of nature disappear.

She did so with serious engagement in devotional service. Because she was strong in renunciation, she accepted only the necessities of the body. She became situated in knowledge due to realization of the Absolute Truth, her heart became purified, she became fully absorbed in meditation upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and all misgivings due to the modes of material nature disappeared. (Vedabase)

Text 26:

With her mind situated in Brahman and freed in the Supreme Lord residing in all beings did the material pangs of the unfortunate condition of her individual soul disappear as she attained transcendental bliss.

Her mind became completely engaged in the Supreme Lord, and she automatically realized the knowledge of the impersonal Brahman. As a Brahman-realized soul, she was freed from the designations of the materialistic concept of life. Thus all material pangs disappeared, and she attained transcendental bliss. (Vedabase)

Text 27:

From her trance situated in the eternal and freed from the bewilderment by the modes of material nature she then forgot about her material body just as one who has risen forgets what is seen in a dream.

Situated in eternal trance and freed from illusion impelled by the modes of material nature, she forgot her material body, just as one forgets his different bodies in a dream. (Vedabase)

Text 28:

Her body although maintained by others did not emaciate though for anxiety did not occur to her; she shone like a fire covered by the thick of smoke.

Her body was being taken care of by the spiritual damsels created by her husband, Kardama, and since she had no mental anxiety at that time, her body did not become thin. She appeared just like a fire surrounded by smoke. (Vedabase)

Text 29:

Absorbed in thoughts about Vâsudeva, was she, under divine protection, with her body in the full of the austerity of her yoga practice, not aware of her hair hanging loose or her garments being in disarray.

Because she was always absorbed in the thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, she was not aware that her hair was sometimes loosened or her garments were disarrayed. (Vedabase)

Text 30

Thus did she, instructed by Kapila, by the path soon without fail achieve the beyond of the Supersoul finding the cessation of material existence in the Spirit of the Absolute Truth of the Supreme Lord.

My dear Vidura, by following the principles instructed by Kapila, Devahûti soon became liberated from material bondage, and she achieved the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as Supersoul, without difficulty. (Vedabase)

Text 31

That palace where she attained the perfection, o brave one, was a most sacred place which in the three worlds is known under the name of Siddhapada [the refuge of perfection].

The palace where Devahûti achieved her perfection, my dear Vidura, is understood to be a most sacred spot. It is known all over the three worlds as Siddhapada. (Vedabase)

Text 32

The material elements of her mortal body relinquished by the practice of yoga became a river that is the foremost of all rivers, o gentle one, to which all who desire perfection resort as it confers that perfection.

Dear Vidura, the material elements of her body have melted into water and are now a flowing river, which is the most sacred of all rivers. Anyone who bathes in that river also attains perfection, and therefore all persons who desire perfection go bathe there. (Vedabase)

Text 33

Lord Kapila, the great yogi and Supreme Lord, himself going from that abode when he took leave of his mother, had headed in the northeastern direction.

My dear Vidura, the great sage Kapila, the Personality of Godhead, left His father's hermitage with the permission of His mother and went towards the northeast. (Vedabase)

Text 34

Being extolled by the Siddhas, the Cânaras, the Gandharvas, munis and Apsaras, offered the ocean Him oblations and a place of residence [known and still worshiped today as Gangâ-sâgara-tîrtha, the place where the Ganges meets the ocean].

While He was passing in the northern direction, all the celestial denizens known as Caranas and Gandharvas, as well as the munis and the damsels of the heavenly planets, prayed and offered Him all respects. The ocean offered Him oblations and a place of residence. (Vedabase)

Text 35

There He remains in samâdhi, to ensure the deliverance of the three worlds, being worshiped by the teachers of example that practice the Sânkhya system of yoga.

Even now Kapila Muni is staying there in trance for the deliverance of the conditioned souls in the three worlds, and all the âcâryas, or great teachers, of the system of Sânkhya philosophy are worshiping Him. (Vedabase)

Text 36

Dear sinless one, this what I upon your inquiries told you about Kapila and His conversation with Devahûti, is of the purest.

My dear son, since you have inquired from me, I have answered. O sinless one, the descriptions of Kapiladeva and His mother and their activities are the purest of all pure discourses. (Vedabase)

Text 37

Whoever hears of or whoever expounds on these confidential teachings of Kapila Muni on the union of the soul and has thus set his mind on the Fortunate One carrying the banner of Garuda, will attain the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord.

The description of the dealings of Kapiladeva and His mother is very confidential, and anyone who hears or reads this narration becomes a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is carried by Garuda, and he thereafter enters into the abode of the Supreme Lord to engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. (Ved a base)