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History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s42: 55. Saṁvarta

History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s42

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55. Saṁvarta

v1.c6.s42.1

Saṁvarta occurs as a Smṛtikāra in the list of Yājñavalkya. He is cited on all topics of dharma by Viśvarūpa, Medhātithi, the Mit., Haradatta, Aparārka, the Smṛticandrikā and a host of other writers. Viśvarūpa quotes either wholly or in part about twenty verses of Saṁvarta on evening *sandhyā-vandana*, on the duties of a yati and on the prāyaścittas for theft, adultery of various kinds, deadly sins. Medhātithi quotes verses of Saṁvarta on Manu V. 88 and XI. 116. The Mit. quotes him on prāyaścitta and aśauca (Yāj. III. 6, 17, 19 etc.). Aparārka had a large work before him and quotes about 200 verses.

v1.c6.s42.2

A few of the views of Saṁvarta on topics of vyavahāra may be noted here. According to him oral testimony when in opposition to writing was to be discarded.⁴⁹² This is in striking agreement with section 92 of the Indian Evidence Act. He says that if houses and fields are being enjoyed (by one person as against another) when the king is there (i. e. when the central government is strong and there is no anarchy), then it is possession that counts and not mere writing (i. e. possession will be protected and not mere paper title without possession).⁴⁹³ He lays down that no interest was to be allowed if not stipulated for in certain cases, viz., on strīdhana (when used by the husband), on interest, on deposit (as long as it is not lost or deteriorated) and in suretyship.⁴⁹⁴ He enumerates ten wrongs (*aparādhas*) of which the king was to take cognisance *suo motu* without any private person's complaint, viz., restraint of the defendant (before judgment), obstruction of the public road, women conceiving in adultery, becoming rich without any ostensible means, destruction of a meeting-hall and of trees and crops, kidnapping of maidens, sinning Brāhmaṇas, champerty and maintenance, destruction of the roads where tolls are to be paid, the danger of robbers, rape, injury to cows and Brāhmaṇas.⁴⁹⁵ He prescribed that disputes were not be investigated on the full moon and new moon day, and on the 14th and 8th *tithis*.

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⁴⁹² लेख्ये लेख्यक्रिया प्रोक्ता वाचिके वाचिकी मता । वाचिके तु न सिध्येत्सा लेख्यस्योपरि या क्रिया ॥ लेख्यस्योपरि यत्साक्ष्यं कृतं तदभिधीयते । अधर्मस्य हि तद् द्वारमतो राजा विवर्जयेत् । वाचिकंयद्धि सामर्थ्यमक्षराणां विहन्यते । क्रियाणां सदनःशः स्यादनवस्था च जायते ॥ अपरार्क pp. 691-92.

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⁴⁹³ भुज्यमाने गृहक्षेत्रे विद्यमाने तु राजनि । भुक्तिर्यस्य भवेत्तस्य न लेख्यं तत्र कारणम् ॥ परा. मा. III. p. 146.

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⁴⁹⁴ न वृद्धिः स्त्रीधने लाभे निक्षेपे च यथास्थिते । संदिग्धे प्रातिभाव्ये च यदि न स्यात्स्वयं-कृता ॥ स्मृतिच० (व्य. p. 57).

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⁴⁹⁵ आसेधं पथि भङ्गं च यश्च गर्भः पतिं विना । स्वयमान्वेषयेद्राजा बिना चैव विवादिन। ॥ यस्य दृश्यस्य ( ? ) संप्राप्तिर्न दृश्येतागमः कचित् । स्वयं ... दिना ॥ सभाभङ्गं तरुच्छेदं सस्यव्याघातमेव च । स्व... ॥ कन्यापहारकं पापं विप्रे च पतितं तथा । परार्थ-वादसंयुक्तं स्वयं राजा विचारयेत् ॥ षड्भागकरशुल्कैार्थे मार्गभेदकमेव च । स्वराष्ट्र-चौर्यभीतिं च परदारानिमर्शनम् ॥ गोब्राह्मणनिहन्तारं सस्यानां चैव घातकम् । दशैतान-पराधांश्च स्वयं राजा विचारयेत् ॥ स्मृतिच० , परा. मा. III. 44-45.

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In Jīvānanda's collection (part I, pp. 584-603) and in the Ānandāśrama collection (pp. 411-424) there is a smṛti of Saṁvarta in 227 and 230 verses respectively. It purports to have been declared to Vāmadeva and other sages by Saṁvarta. Its main contents are:—that is the religious country where the black deer roam about, rules of conduct for a Brahmacārin, prāyaścittas for various lapses on the part of a student, duties of householder, eulogy of liberality, duties of forest hermit and saṁnyāsin, prāyaścittas for various sins and actions. Saṁvarta is sometimes cited as an authority (verses 38, 123). He recommends the marriages of girls at the age of eight (verse 67) and condemns marriage with a maternal uncle's daughter (verse 157).

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In a few Mss. (e. g. I. O. cat. No. 1367) the Saṁvartasmṛti comprised is different from the printed Saṁvarta.

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The printed smṛti appears to be an epitome of a portion of the original smṛti of saṁvarta. Many of the verses in the printed texts are found in Aparārka. For example Aparārka p. 49 = Saṁvarta verse 6; Aparārka p. 693 = Saṁvarta verses 107-108; Aparārka p. 1053 = Saṁvarta verses 111-113; Aparārka p. 1094 (eight verses out of which five) = Saṁvarta verses 130-134. The pāda of Saṁvarta which Viśvarūpa quotes (ardhāstamitabhāskarām) on Yāj. I. 25 occurs in verse 6 of the printed text. This shows that the printed smṛti preserves very ancient material, the authenticity of which is vouched for by so early a writer as Viśvarūpa.

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The Mit. quotes a Bṛhat-Saṁvarta (on Yāj. III. 265, 288).

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A Svalpa-Saṁvarta is quoted in Harinātha's Smṛtisāra.

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