TEXT 17
jnana-vijnana-yogena
karmanam uddharan jatah
hiranya-kesah padmaksah
padma-mudra-padambujah
SYNONYMS
jnanaof scriptural knowledge; vijnanaand application; yogenaby means of mystic yoga; karmanamof material actions; uddharanuprooting; jatahthe roots; hiranya-kesahgolden hair; padma-aksahlotus-eyed; padma-mudramarked with the sign of the lotus; pada-ambujahhaving lotus feet.
TRANSLATION
By mystic yoga and the practical application of knowledge from the scriptures, Kapila Muni, who is characterized by His golden hair, His eyes just like lotus petals and His lotus feet, which bear the marks of lotus flowers, will uproot the deep-rooted desire for work in this material world.
PURPORT
In this verse the activities and bodily features of Kapila Muni are very nicely described. The activities of Kapila Muni are forecast herein: He will present the philosophy of Sankhya in such a way that by studying His philosophy people will be able to uproot the deep-rooted desire for karma, fruitive 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, or devotional service.
Those who are trying to get out of the entanglement by speculation are also doing their best, but in the Vedic scriptures we find that if one has taken to the devotional service of the Lord in Krsna consciousness, he can very easily uproot the deep-rooted desire for fruitive activities. Sankhya philosophy will be broadcast by Kapila Muni for that purpose. His bodily features are also described herein. Jnana does not refer to ordinary research work. Jnana entails receiving knowledge from the scriptures through the spiritual master by disciplic succession. In the modern age there is a tendency to do research by mental speculation and concoction. But the man who speculates forgets that he himself is subject to the four defects of nature: he is sure to commit mistakes, his senses are imperfect, he is sure to fall into illusion, and he is cheating. Unless one has perfect knowledge from disciplic succession, he simply puts forth some theories of his own creation; therefore he is cheating people. Jnana means knowledge received through disciplic succession from the scriptures, and vijnana means practical application of such knowledge. Kapila Munis Sankhya system of philosophy is based on jnana and vijnana.

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