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Sage Kapila is one of those great saints of Hindu Pantheon, involved in the renaissance of the Vedic period. He is considered as one of the descendants of Manu, who was the grandson of Lord Brahma. Sage Kapila stands distinct among the other Sages and saints of India. He was even regarded as the Incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
He was considered as the advocate of the Sahmhaya system, which propagates the supremacy of Vedic philosophies. According to the great text “Bhagavadgita”, it suggests that the Sage Kapila was a recluse, and was associated with other Saints and Siddhas. He is not only renowned in Hinduism, but also in Buddhism. Several of his texts had a close resemblance to Buddhist texts. He laid emphasis on His where his students were those who built the city of Kapilavastu.
The parents of Sage Kapila, according to Bhagavata Purana are Sage Kardama and Devahuti. Sage Kardama was a hermit and performed severe austerities. Devahuti was a princess and married him, after serving him for a long time. With his yogic powers, Sage Kardama created seven flying palaces. Princess Devahuti first conceived nine daughters, and after several years, she was again pregnant. When Lord Krishna came to visit them, he said that the child would be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Sage Kapila and the festival of Makar Sankranti has a close connection, which celebrates the descent of river Ganges. Ocen King Sakara performed “Ashwamedha Yaga”, a ritual which bestows massive powers. The horse will be worshipped and would be sacrificed. Each time, the king performs the ritual, Lord Indra stole the horse and was causing a hurdle.
To prevent Lord Indra from stealing the horse, they hid it safely in the hermitage of Sage Kapila. Later, King Sagara had sent his sixty thousand of his grandson to bring back the special horse. When the sons reached, they found the horse had vanished from the spot. They dug the earth very deeply. When they were digging, it caused a great disturbance for Sage Kapila, but they never bothered about it. Disturbed by them, Sage Kapila's anger grew a lot, and he burned the Grandsons. When King saga begged for redemption, Sage Kapila told that it could be fetched, only if they bring back the Ganges to earth, and her mercy would bless the wrecked souls.
Sage Kapila was the strong advocate of Vedic religion and emphasized the supremacy of Vedas. His students were instrumental in establishing Kapilavastu, a hermitage that teaches about Vedic Sciences. Many Buddhist consider him that he was again incarnated as Lord Buddha again. His Sankhya philosophy, emphasizes the concept of the universal world. In many discourses, he laid the emphasis on the connection between the universe, soul and the body.
It is through the teachings of sages like Kapila, the emphasis is laid on the connection between the creator, and the creation. It is clear that every soul needs to be purified, and should reach the perfect salvation, and unite along with the power of the cosmos. It is important to note that many saints like Patanjali are the followers of Sankhya philosophy. Many other saints like Vivekananda praise him as the world’s best psychologist.