The True Equality

A concise summary of Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 3 Chapter 24

Kardama Muni consoled his wife Devahuti who was lamenting that she wasted her life in material enjoyment. He told her that her act of material enjoyment will finally elevate her to be able to give birth to the Kapila incarnation of the Supreme Lord. Kapila means one who protects even Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva.

She devoted herself to Lord Vishnu and after a long time, the Supreme Lord appeared her her womb through Kardama Muni’s semen. Fire is already present in wood, but by a certain process, fire is kindled. Similarly, God is all-pervading. He is everywhere, and since He may come out from everything, He appeared in His devotee’s semen. Just as an ordinary living entity takes his birth by taking shelter of the semen of a certain living entity, the Supreme Personality of Godhead accepts the shelter of the semen of His devotee and comes out as His son. This manifests His full independence to act in any way, and it does not mean that He is an ordinary living entity forced to take birth in a certain type of womb. Lord Nṛsiṁha appeared from the pillar of Hiraṇyakaśipu’s palace, Lord Varāha appeared from the nostril of Brahmā, and Lord Kapila appeared from the semen of Kardama, but this does not mean that the nostril of Brahmā or the pillar of Hiraṇyakaśipu’s palace or the semen of Kardama Muni is the source of the appearance of the Lord. The Lord is always the Lord.

Lord Brahma accompanied by Saraswati Devi came to the hermitage of Kardama Muni to welcome the arrival of Lord Kapila. Lord Brahma advised Kardama Muni, that he is pleased with him for following his instructions. He asked Kardama Muni to get his 9 daughters married to 9 sages to expand the progeny.

1. Kala got married to Marici

2. Anasuya got married to Atri

3. Sraddha got married to Angiras

4. Havirbhu got married to Pulastya

5. Yukta got married to Pulaha

6. Kriya got married to Kratu

7. Khyati got married to Bhrigu

8. Arundhati got married to Vasistha

9. Santhi got married to Atharvan

Lord Himself is the compiler of the Vedānta-sūtra and is the perfect knower of the Vedānta-sūtra. Similarly, the Sāṅkhya philosophy is compiled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His appearance as Kapila. There is an imitation Kapila who has a Sāṅkhya philosophical system, but Kapila the incarnation of God is different from that Kapila. Kapila the son of Kardama Muni, in His system of Sāṅkhya philosophy, very explicitly explained not only the material world but also the spiritual world.

The study of Sāṅkhya philosophy will enable people to uproot the deep-rooted desire for karma, attachment to activities. Everyone in this material world engages in achieving the fruits of his labor. A man tries to be happy by achieving the fruits of his own honest labor, but actually he becomes more and more entangled. One cannot get out of this entanglement unless he has perfect knowledge.

When the Supreme Lord appears, He brings with Him all His paraphernalia of Vaikuṇṭha; therefore His name, His form, His quality, His paraphernalia and His entourage all belong to the transcendental world. Real goodness is in the spiritual realm. Here in the material realm, the quality of goodness is not pure. Goodness may exist, but there must also be some tinges of passion and ignorance.

Kardama Muni gloried Lord Kapila as follows:

After many, many years of human suffering, all the celestial gods are now satisfied because Lord Kapila, the incarnation of the Supreme Lord, has appeared in the material realm.

Sages visualize the Lord’s feet in their meditation and gradually develop devotion to the Lord after many life times. He is honored that the Supreme Lord has appeared in his family.

Although the Supreme Lord is devoid of any material form, he appears in the material realm through his illusory energy. None of his forms are material but spiritual.

Just the appearance of Lord Kapila has satisfied all the pending desires of Kardama Muni. It is clear that when we meditate on the Lord, the Lord within our heart (Vasudeva) takes away all material desires and automatically fulfills any desires that are beneficial to us.

The Lord told Kardama Muni that he will take away all his Karmic reactions as well his wife Devahuti. Both of them will get liberated.

Kardama Muni paid his respects to Lord Kapila and then went to the forest. There he meditated on the Sri Krishna Paramatma in his heart. He saw the Supreme Lord being present in every living being and also within him. He became free of hatred and saw all living beings as equals.

He attained liberation with the highest devotion to the Supreme Lord.