Kapila: Founder of Samkhya and Avatara of Visnu (With a Translation of Kapilasurisamvada)

In the Hindu tradition Kapila is admired and worshipped as a philosopher, a divinity, an Avatara of Visnu and as a powerful ascetic. This book is the first monographic study of this important figure. The book deals with Kapila in the Veda, the Sramana traditions, the epics and the Puranas, in the ‘Samkhya system of religious thought and in the ritual traditions of many contemporary Hindu traditions. Kapila is an important figure in the sacred geography of India and the study of the ritual and narrative traditions of the Tirthas of Kapila is an important contribution of this book. The book also contains a translation into English of the text Kapilasurisamvada, Kapila’s teaching of Asuri, found in a few manuscripts of the southern recession of the Mahabharata. Kapila refers to pluralistic phenomenon. The Kapilas in the Hindu tradition cannot be reduced to a single figure. In general, pluralism characterises the religious traditions and religious life in South Asia, ancient, medieval, modern as well as contemporary. Openness for the greatest possible plurality is therefore often a good way to approach religion in South Asia. This is the case also with the study of Kapila. The approach of the book therefore is pluralistic.