A princess who served her ascetic husband for years, then asked her own son the question of her life — and was freed by his answer.
Appears in
Kapila teaches his mother — Skandha 3, adhyayas 21-33 — A mother whose husband has gone to the forest asks her own son how to be free, and he answers with Sankhya and devotion.
Embodies
Who is a teacher — A son teaches his mother, a madman teaches a king, and an ascetic learns from a pigeon, a python and a courtesan.
Devotion as the highest dharma — The Bhagavatam's own thesis (1.2.6): the highest dharma is devotion with no motive, which nothing can interrupt.
Questions to explore
Why did Devahuti ask Kapila to free her from attachment?
What became of Devahuti after Kapila left?
What does Devahuti's story say about women and liberation in the Bhagavatam?
