Kapila () (7th-6th-century BCE was a Vedic sage in Hindu tradition,
His influence on Buddha and Buddhism has long been the subject of scholarly studies. There have been accusations by orthodox Buddhists that Sarvastivadins are heavily influenced by Samkhya school of philosophy.
According to the Brahmanda Purana, Kapila is described as an incarnation of Vishnu: "Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa will protect us all. The Lord of the universe has now been born in the world as Kapilācārya."
thumb|Statue of Kapila Maharshi, [[Nashik]]
thumb|Memorial Statue of the sage Kapila at the entrance gate of the [[Uchhaith|Uchchaith Bhagawati Mandir complex near Benipatti town in the Mithila region of Bihar ]]
Biography
The name Kapila appears in many texts, and likely refers to different people. The most famous reference is to the sage Kapila with his student Āsuri, who in the Indian tradition are considered the first masters of Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy. While he pre-dates Buddha, it is unclear which century he lived in, with some suggesting 6th century BCE. Others place him in the 7th century BCE. This places him in the late Vedic period (1500 BCE to 500 BCE), and he has been called a Vedic sage.
Kapila is credited with authoring an influential sutra, called Samkhya-sutra (also called Kapila-sutra), which aphoristically presents the dualistic philosophy of Samkhya. These sutras were explained in another well studied text of Hinduism called the Samkhyakarika. while Larson and Bhattacharya state kapilam in that verse means "tawny" or "reddish-brown"; as is also translated by Griffith.
The Śata-piṭaka Series on the Śākhās of the Yajurveda – estimated to have been composed between 1200 and 1000 BCE – mention of a Kapila Śākhā situated in the Āryāvarta, which implies a Yajurveda school is named after Kapila. The pariśiṣṭa (addenda) of the Atharvaveda (at XI.III.3.4)