988 Stimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch. 24

pravartayitum—to introduce again; deham—body; imam—this; viddhi—’
please know; mayad—by Me; bhrtam—assumed.

TRANSLATION

This path of self-realization, which is difficult to understand, has now
been lost in the course of time. Please know that I have assumed this body
of Kapila to introduce and explain this philosphy to human society again.

PURPORT

It is not true that sankhya philosophy is a new system of philosophy
introduced by Kapila as material philosophers introduce new kinds of
mental speculative thought to supersede that of another philosopher. On
the material platform everyone, especially the mental speculator, tries to
be more prominent than others. The field of activity of the speculators is
the mind; there is no limit to the different ways in which one can agitate
the mind. The mind can be unlimitedly agitated, and thus one can put
forward an unlimited number of theories. Sanikhya philosophy is not like
that; it is not mental speculation. It is factual, but at the time of Kapila it
was lost.

In due course of time, a particular type of knowledge may be lost or may
be covered for the time being; that is the nature of this material world. A simi-
lar statement was made by Lord Krsna in Bhagavad-gitd. Sa kdleneha mahata
yogo nastah: “In course of time the yoga system as stated in Bhagavad-
gita was lost.” It was coming in parampara, in disciplic succession, but due
to the passage of time it was lost. The time factor is so pressing that in the
course of time everything within this material world is spoiled or lost.
The yoga system of Bhagavad-gitd was lost before the meeting of Krsna
and Arjuna. Therefore Krsna again enunciated the same ancient yoga
system to Arjuna, who could actually understand Bhagavad-gita. Similar-
ly, Kapila also said that the system of sankhya philosophy was not exactly
being introduced by Him; it was already current, but in course of time it
was mysteriously lost, and therefore He appeared to reintroduce it. That
is the purpose of the incarnation of Godhead. Yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata. Dharma means the real occupation of the living
entity. When there is a discrepancy in the eternal occupation of the living
entity, the Lord comes and introduces the real occupation of life. Any so-
called religious system that is not in the line of devotional service is called
adharma-samsthapana. When people forget their eternal relationship with
God and engage in something other than devotional service, that is called
