SB 3.33.12 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

मैत्रेय उवाच इति प्रदर्श्य भगवान्सतीं तामात्मनो गतिम् । स्वमात्रा ब्रह्मवादिन्या कपिलोऽनुमतो ययौ ॥ १२ ॥

Verse text

maitreya uvāca iti pradarśya bhagavān satīṁ tām ātmano gatim sva-mātrā brahma-vādinyā kapilo ’numato yayau

Synonyms

maitreyaḥ uvāca — Maitreya said ; iti — thus ; pradarśya — after instructing ; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead ; satīm — venerable ; tām — that ; ātmanaḥ — of self-realization ; gatim — path ; sva — mātrā — from His mother ; brahma — vādinyā — self-realized ; kapilaḥ — Lord Kapila ; anumataḥ — took permission ; yayau — left .

Translation

Śrī 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.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Maitreya said: Having shown his mother the path of the soul, Kapila, taking permission from his mother who knew the truth about her son, departed. The reason for his mother giving permission is stated. She was a brahma-vādi, one who speaks about or knows that her son was Brahman. Thus she considered that she would be protected by his will.

Purport

The mission of the appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the form of Kapila was to distribute the transcendental knowledge of Sāṅkhya philosophy, which is full of devotional service. Having imparted that knowledge to His mother — and, through His mother, to the world — Kapiladeva had no more need to stay at home, so He took permission from His mother and left. Apparently He left home for spiritual realization, although He had nothing to realize spiritually because He Himself is the person to be spiritually realized. Therefore this is an example set by the Supreme Personality of Godhead while acting like an ordinary human being so that others might learn from Him. He could, of course, have stayed with His mother, but He indicated that there was no need to stay with the family. It is best to remain alone as a brahmacārī, sannyāsī or vānaprastha and cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness throughout one’s whole life. Those who are unable to remain alone are given license to live in household life with wife and children, not for sense gratification but for cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.