History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s16.t8: 23. Devala
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s16.t8
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23. Devala
v1.c6.s16.t8.1
In the Mit. there are several prose passages quoted from Devala, e. g. on Yāj. I. 120 there is a sūtra on the dharmas of the śūdra and the avocations open to him;²²¹ on Yāj. I. 128 there is a sūtra dividing householders into Yāyāvara and Śālīna and describing each of them.²²² In Aparārka and the Smṛticandrikā there are several prose quotations from Devala. On Yāj. III. 58 Aparārka quotes a long prose passage on the rules of conduct for a yati; on Yāj. III. 109 Aparārka cites a very long passage, in which Sāṅkhya and Yoga are defined, reference is made to extensive *Tantras* on the two systems and a brief résumé is given of the Sāṅkhya system, which greatly resembles the Tattvasamāsa. On Yāj. III. 227 Aparārka has a prose quotation from Devala about *patitas*. In the Smṛticandrikā (I. p. 63) there is a lengthy passage from Devala on the daily duties of the *brahmacārin*, a sūtra (I. p. 52) is quoted about *brahmacarya* for 48 years and in another place there is a prose passage about the wife's duties.²²³
v1.c6.s16.t8.2
²²¹ तानि च देवलोक्तानि। शूद्रधर्मो द्विजातिशुश्रूषा पापवर्जनं कलत्रादिपोषणं कर्षणपशुपालनभारोद्वहनपण्यव्यवहारचित्रकर्मनृत्यगीतवेणुवीणामुरजमृदङ्गवाresourceदनादीनि।
v1.c6.s16.t8.3
²²² यथा हि देवलः। द्विविधो गृहस्थो यायावरः शालीनश्च। तयोर्यायावरः प्रवरः याजनाध्यापनप्रतिग्रहऋक्थसंचयवर्जनात्। षट्कर्माधिष्ठितः प्रेष्यचतुष्पदगृहग्रामधनधान्ययुक्तो लोकानुवर्ती शालीन इति।
v1.c6.s16.t8.4
²²³ पतिशुश्रूषा सहधर्मचर्या तत्पूज्यमानपूजनम् ।
v1.c6.s16.t8.5
In the Mit., in Haradatta, Aparārka and the Smṛticandrikā there are numerous quotations in verse from Devala on ācāra, vyavahāra, śrāddha, prāyaścitta and other topics. That seems to have been an independent work. In the Ānandāśrama collection of smṛtis there is a Devalasmṛti in 90 verses dealing with purification and prāyacittas for contact with Mleñcchas. This appears to be a late compilation. Some of the verses contained therein are ascribed to other authors, e. g. verses 17-22 are ascribed to Āpastamba by Aparārka (on Yāj. III. p. 1200) and verses 30-31 are ascribed by the Mit. (on Yāj. III. 290) and Aparārka to Viṣṇu.
v1.c6.s16.t8.6
The Mahābhārata ascribes the view to Devala that in man there are three *jyotis*, viz. offspring, *karma*, and learning.²²⁴
v1.c6.s16.t8.7
²²⁴ त्रीणि ज्योतींषि पुरुष इति वै देबलोऽब्रवीत्। अपत्यं कर्म विद्या च यतः सृष्टाः प्रजास्ततः ॥ सभापर्व 72. 5.
v1.c6.s16.t8.8
Aparārka and the Smṛticandrikā cite verses from Devala on partition, inheritance, on woman's power over strīdhana. These show that Devala, the jurist, flourished about the same time as the great jurists Bṛhaspati and Kātyāyana.
Linked texts (2)
- Yājñavalkyasmṛti — Yājñavalkya, Sanskrit
- Mahābhārata — Vyāsa, Sanskrit