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History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s49: 62. Śrīkara

History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s49

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62. Śrīkara

v1.c6.s49.1

The Mit. on Yāj. II. 135 alludes to the view of Śrīkara and others that the widow succeeded as heir to her deceased husband's estate if it was small.⁵⁵⁸ The Smṛtisāra⁵⁵⁹ of Harinātha attributes the same view to Śrīkara and disapproves of it. On Yāj. II. 169 the Mit.⁵⁶⁰ cites the view of Śrīkara about that topic and disapproves of it. Viśvarūpa also gives two explanations of that verse of Yāj., the first of which agrees with that of the Mit. and the second is akin to Śrīkara's.

v1.c6.s49.2

⁵⁵⁸ एतेनाल्पधनविषयत्वं श्रीकरादिभिरुक्तं निरस्तं वेदितव्यम् ।

v1.c6.s49.3

⁵⁵⁹ न च स्वल्पबलत्वे ( धनत्वे ? ) पत्नी दुहितर इति बहुधनत्वे भ्रातॄणामप्रजा इति वचनमिति श्रीकरमतमुचितम् । स्मृतिसार I. O. cat. No. 301, folio 128a.

v1.c6.s49.4

⁵⁶⁰ अथाविदितदेशान्तरं गतः कालान्तरे वा विपन्नस्तदा मूलसमाहरणशक्तेर्विर्केतारमदर्शयित्वैव स्वयमेव तद्धनं मालिकस्य समर्पयेत् । तावतैवासौ शुद्धो भवतीति श्रीकराचार्येण व्याख्यातं तदिदमनुपपन्नम् । मिताक्षरा, the स. वि. p. 307 ( Mysore ed. ) quotes these very words ' अथाविदित ... समर्पयेदिति श्रीकररुचिकादय आहुः । विज्ञानेश्वरस्तु &c. '

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The works of Jīmūtavāhana (viz. the Dāyabhāga and the Vyavahāramātṛkā), the Smṛticandrikā and the Sarasvatīvilāsa contain very interesting notices of Śrīkara's views. Many of them were brought together by me in J B B R A S for 1925, pp. 213-215. Śrīkara like Viśvarūpa held the view that 'duhitarah' in Yāj. refers to the *putrikā*, he allowed the parents of a childless person to succeed together at the same time. The Dāyabhāga very severely criticizes the views of Śrīkara on the succession to re-united members, on *vidyādhana* and on Yāj. II. 24 (about enjoyment for 20 years).⁵⁶¹ Most of the views attributed to Śrīkara were also entertained by Viśvarūpa or are more antiquated than Viśvarūpa's.

v1.c6.s49.6

⁵⁶¹ Vide व्यवहारतत्त्व p. 47 where श्रीकर is the first of a host of writers who held, following Yāj. II. 24, that adverse possession for twenty and ten years in the case of immoveable and moveable property respectively conferred ownership.

v1.c6.s49.7

Śrīkara was probably a writer from Mithilā and seems to have propounded the view of spiritual benefit as the criterion for judging superior rights of succession. The Smṛtisāra⁵⁶² of Harinātha ascribes such a view to a Śrīkara-nibandha.

v1.c6.s49.8

⁵⁶² Vide स्मृतिसार (I. O. cat. No. 301, folio 147 a) मृतसन्तानाभावे तत्पितृसन्ततेस्तद्धनं तदभावे च तत्पितामहसन्ततेः ... इति त्रयाणामुदकं कार्यमित्यादिना दर्शितम् । एतदूर्ध्वं त्रयाणामपि जन्मजनकक्रमेणैव पूर्ववत्सन्निधानादर्थग्राहितेति सपिण्डाभावे सकुल्यानां धनभागितेति अनन्तरः सपिण्डाद्यः इत्यादिना दर्शितम् ।

v1.c6.s49.9

Whether Śrīkara wrote a commentary on a smṛti or a general digest (nibandha) it is difficult to say. The Smṛticandrikā⁵⁶³ says that Śambhu, Śrīkara and Devasvāmin compiled digests of smṛtis and added their own explanations of them. The Smṛtyarthasāra⁵⁶⁴ of Śrīdhara asserts in the introductory verses that Śrīkaṇṭha and Śrīkarācārya filled up the gaps in the smṛtis that were scattered about (by introducing order out of chaos). Śrīkara's explanations of Yājñavalkya are frequently cited by the Mit., the Dāyabhāga and others. But the Mit. does not connect Śrīkara's name with Yājñavalkya as a commentator, though Viśvarūpa is expressly so connected. It appears therefore more likely that Śrīkara wrote a digest of smṛtis in which he paid particular attention to the explanation of the words of Yājñavalkya. The Rājanītiratnākara⁵⁶⁵ of Caṇḍeśvara quotes the views of Śrīkara on rājanīti, one of which is that the poor and helpless are entitled to a share of the royal wealth.

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⁵⁶³ ये पुनः स्मृतिसमुच्चयकाराः शम्भुश्रीकरदेवस्वाम्यादयः संस्मृत्युद्धरविषमविषम गयेः शिष्टाचारां मन्यमाना उद्धारादिविषयाणि स्मृतिवाक्यानि विचारयितुं ग्रन्थविस्तरञ्चक्रिरे । स्मृतिच० (व्य० section p. 266).

v1.c6.s49.11

⁵⁶⁴ श्रीकण्ठश्रीकराचार्यैः श्रुतिस्मृतिपुराणगैः । स्मृतिशास्त्रेष्वनेकेषु विप्रकीर्णेष्वनेकधा । अनुष्ठानोपकारार्थं स्मृतिच्छिद्रं प्रयत्नतः । पुराणन्यायमीमांसासाङ्गवेदैः प्रपूरितम् ॥ स्मृत्यर्थसार (D. C. ms. No. 44 of 1870-71 copied in संवत् 1495 has these verses).

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⁵⁶⁵ 'राजधने दीनानाथादिसकलप्राणिनामंशित्वं बहुनायकत्वाद्राज्याविनाशश्चेति युक्तिरिति गोपाललक्ष्मीधरश्रीकरादयः।' राजनीतिरत्नाकर pp. 40-41 (ed. by Jayasval).

v1.c6.s49.13

Hemādri⁵⁶⁶ quotes the view of Śrīkara on Viṣṇu and disapproves of the faults found therein by the author of the Paṇḍita-paritoṣa.

v1.c6.s49.14

⁵⁶⁶ अत्र श्रीकरः प्राह । यदा गतकाले अमावास्याद्वयं भवति तदा मिथुनादितरेष्वाषाढीभावात् ।... अत्र च पण्डितपरितोषकृता दूषणमभिहितम् । अनुपपन्नमेतत् ।... तेन श्रीकराणां मतमेव साधु । चतुर्वर्ग० III. 2, pp. 900-903.

v1.c6.s49.15

As Śrīkara is quoted by the Mit., he is certainly earlier than 1050 A. D. As his views agree largely with Viśvarūpa's, he may provisionally be regarded as nearly of the same period as Viśvarūpa's. He cannot be earlier than Asahāya who is named both by Viśvarūpa and Medhātithi, though both of them are silent about Śrīkara. Hence Śrīkara must be placed somewhere between 800 and 1050 A. D. and probably flourished in the 9th century.

v1.c6.s49.16

This Śrīkara must be distinguished from another Śrīkara, the father of Śrīnātha.

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