A brahmin, the Bodhisatta. When the sons of Okkāka went into voluntary exile and were looking for a spot on which to found a city, they came upon Kapila in his hermitage in Himavā by the side of a lake. He was versed in the science of earthquakes (bhūmicāla), and was, therefore, acquainted with the qualities associated with various sites. He knew that any city built on the site of his hermitage would become the capital of Jambudīpa and that its inhabitants would be invincible. He therefore advised them to found a settlement there. They followed his advice and named the settlement Kapilavatthu after him (q.v.) A hermitage was built near it for the use of Kapila. DA.i.259 f; MT.132 f; SnA.ii.353; see also Mtu.i.348 ff.