- viditvārthaṁ kapilo mātur itthaṁ
- jāta-sneho yatra tanvābhijātaḥ
- tattvāmnāyaṁ yat pravadanti sāṅkhyaṁ
- provāca vai bhakti-vitāna-yogam
- (SB 3.25.31)
So Kapiladeva is the propounder of Sāṅkhya philosophy. This is original Kapiladeva. Later on, there was another Kapiladeva, so he is called the atheist Kapila. And this Kapiladeva is known as Devahūti-putra, "The son of Devahūti" Kapila. So Sāṅkhya yoga, the later atheist Kapila's Sāṅkhya yoga, is different from this Sāṅkhya yoga. The atheist Kapila's Sāṅkhya yoga is analysis of the material elements. So this analysis of material elements by the atheist Kapila is very much liked by the Western philosophers. And the Sāṅkhya yoga explained, propounded, by Devahūti-putra Kapila is practically unknown.
So this Kapila, Devahūti, son of Devahūti Kapila, His Sāṅkhya yoga means bhakti-vitāna-yogam: how bhakti, devotional service to the Lord, is expanded. That is Sāṅkhya yoga. And how it is received, that is also stated here, tattva āmnāyaṁ yad pravadanti sāṅkhyam. Āmnāyam, by disciplic succession. No philosophical speculation, but as it is received by predecessor, by tradition, āmnāyam. Tattvam āmnāyam. We cannot manufacture tattva. That is improper way of understanding the truth. Generally, the Western philosophers, they try to understand the Absolute Truth by the ascending process. There are two processes of understanding the Absolute Truth. One is called ascending process, or inductive logic, and another process is descending process, or deductive logic. So ascending process is based on speculation, and descending process is based on fact.
This evening we were talking about Bhagavad-gītā, that Bhagavad-gītā is understood by the descending process, as Kṛṣṇa said. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that this yoga system . . . Bhagavad-gītā is also yoga system. That is bhakti-yoga. Although there are description of karma, jñāna and the mystic yoga, and ultimately bhakti-yoga, but actually it is meant for bhakti-yoga, the Bhagavad-gītā. Those who are jñānīs, speculative, for them also, it is described. And those who are haṭha-yogīs, they are also described there. But ultimately, the conclusion is bhakti-yoga. Just like in the Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā the yoga system is described. The yoga system is described, that one has to go in a secluded place, and he has to sit down straight, right angular, and see the front portion of the nose, and the eyes half closed. In this way the haṭha-yoga system, or aṣṭāṅga-yoga system, is described in the Bhagavad-gītā.