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History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s70: 85. The Smṛticandrikā of Devannabhaṭṭa

History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s70

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85. The Smṛticandrikā of Devannabhaṭṭa

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This is a well-known digest on Dharmaśāstra. An English translation of the portion of it which is concerned with *dāyabhāga* was published in 1867 by T. Kristnasvami Iyer at Madras. The text has been published by Mr. J. R. Gharpure (up to śrāddha) in Bombay and also in the Mysore Government Oriental series (up to āśauca). In the following Mr. Gharpure's edition has been used and the Mysore edition for āśauca section. The Smṛticandrikā is a very extensive digest. It is almost the earliest (except the Kalpataru) among digests on dharmaśāstra of which mss. have yet been discovered. The printed text deals with the topics (kāṇḍas) of *Saṁskāra*, *Āhnika*, *Vyavahāra*, *Śrāddha*, *Āśauca*. It appears that he wrote on prāyaścitta also. In the colophons of mss. of the work the name of the author is variously written as Devaṇṇa, Devaṇa, Devananda or Devagaṇa (vide I. O. cat. pp. 405-406). He is also described therein as the son of Keśavādityabhaṭṭa and as a Somayājī.

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The Smṛticandrikā quotes most profusely from numerous smṛtikāras and affords valuable assistance in reconstructing some of the smṛtis and checking mss. and editions thereof. For example, it quotes about 600 verses from Kātyāyana on *vyavahāra* and about the same number from Bṛhaspati. Among works, commentators and authors of digests named by it the following may be noted: Aparārka, Trikāṇḍī, Devarāta, Devasvāmī, Āpastambakalpabhāṣyārthakāra (Āśauca p. 84), Dhāreśvara, Dharmabhāṣya, Dhūrtasvāmī, Pradīpa, Bhavanātha, Bhāṣya on Āpastamba Dharmasūtra, Dharmadīpa or Pradīpa (Āśauca p. 63), Bhāṣyārthasaṁgrahakāra, Manuvṛtti, Medhātithi, Mitākṣarā, Vaijayantī (a lexicon), Viśvarūpa, Viśvādarśa (Āśauca p. 164), Śambhu, Śrīkara, Śivasvāmī, Smṛtibhāskara, Smṛtyarthasāra. He mentions a Bhaṭṭācārya on Āśauca (p. 1, 2), probably Śrīnivāsa, the author of Śuddhicīpikā who wrote about 1159-60 A. D. (JASB 1915 p. 334). He quotes a passage from the work of an author, whom he styles Guru (probably his own teacher or father).⁸⁰⁴ The Smṛticandrikā often critisizes these works and authors and advances its own views after considering the positions of others. Devaṇṇabhaṭṭa was a southern writer and his work is according to judicial decisions of great authority in southern India.⁸⁰⁵ But it has been held that in spite of its high authority it cannot override the Mitākṣarā even in the Madras Presidency.⁸⁰⁶

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⁸⁰⁴ ततश्च द्वादशरात्रादिष्वप्येतत्सूचितमिति गुरुणा व्याख्यातं ततश्च दशमेऽहनि यदि दिवाशौचोत्पत्तिस्तदपि द्वाभ्यामित्येतद्वेदितव्यमित्येतदन्तेन ग्रन्थेन । स्मृतिच० (आशौच p. 63).

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⁸⁰⁵ *Vide* 11 Moo. I. A. p. 487, 2 Mad. H. C. R. p. 206 at p. 209, I. L. R. 3 Mad. 290 (P. C.) at p. 302, I. L. R. 33 Mad. 439 and I. L. R. 44 Mad. 753 (P. C.) for the high authority of the स्मृतिचन्द्रिका in southern India.

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⁸⁰⁶ *Vide* I. L. R. 3 Mad. 265, 269 (barren daughter not excluded by a daughter having sons), I. L. R. 35 Mad. 152 at p. 160 for this proposition.

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The contents of the Smṛticandrikā are: various Dharmas, such as those of *varṇas*, āśramas; usages of countries; saṁskāras, garbhā- dhāna, puṁsavana, jātakarma, nāmakaraṇa, cūḍākaraṇa, upanayana, marriage, etc., duties of student-hood and holidays; daily duties such as *śauca*, *ācamana*, brushing the teeth, bathing, *saṁdhyā*, *śrauta* and *smārta* rites; duties of householder; the five daily *yajñas*; rules about taking food, forbidden food; procedure of law courts, means of proof, ordeals, the various titles of law such as deposit, partnership, *dāyabhāga*; detailed rules about śrāddha, its various kinds, persons entitled to perform śrāddhas, the brāhmaṇas proper to be invited at śrāddha etc.

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The Smṛticandrikā refers to Vijñāneśvara with great respect.⁸⁰⁷ Yet there are several interesting points on which the Smṛticandrikā differs from the Mitākṣarā. The Smṛticandrikā questions (vide note 638 above) the statement of the Mit. that unequal distribution by the father of ancestral property among his sons should not be resorted to, as it has come to be abhorred by the people. The Smṛticandrikā does not approve of the definition of *dāya* given by the Mit.⁸⁰⁸ The Smṛticandrikā does not accept Vijñāneśvara's explanation of the word ‘apratiṣṭhitā’ occurring in the sūtra of Gautama, but upholds Aparārka's explanation of it (vide note 771 above). The Smṛticandrikā favours the theory of spiritual benefit in matters of succession and therefore among daughters prefers one that has sons over another daughter who is sonless.⁸⁰⁹ It criticizes the reasons advanced by the Mit. for preferring the mother over the father as an heir to their deceased son and says that both parents succeed together.⁸¹⁰ Though the Smṛticandrikā in this way in some cases criticizes the Mit., it generally follows its lead. It holds, just as the Mit. does, that sons acquire by birth ownership in ancestral property. The author asserts that he puts forward no imaginary views but only such views as are based on (authoritative) texts.⁸¹¹

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⁸⁰⁷ व्याख्यातं चान्यथा विज्ञानेश्वरपादैः । मातरि पूर्वं प्रमीतायां ... पक्षिणीं क्षिपेदिति । स्मृतिच० (आशौच p. 64). This is a quotation from मिताक्षरा on याज्ञ. III. 20.

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⁸⁰⁸ न च दायशब्देन यद्धनं स्वामिसंबन्धादेव निमित्तादन्यस्य स्वं भवति तदुच्यत इति दायादिशब्दनिरूपणार्थं मिताक्षरायामुक्तं युक्तम् । एवं हि पत्युः स्वं पतिसंबन्धादेव निमित्तात्पत्नीस्वं भवतीति तस्यापि दायत्वापत्तिः । ततश्च अदायाः स्त्रिय इति श्रुतिविरोधो दुर्वारः स्यात् । अस्मन्मते तु विभागार्हं स्वं स्वामिसंबन्धादेव निमित्तादन्यस्य स्वं भूतं दायशब्दार्थ इति विभागानहं पत्नीस्वं न दायः । स्मृतिच० II. pp. 267-268.

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⁸⁰⁹ एवं च दुहितृषु संतानमुखेनादृष्टोपकारसंबन्धेनासन्नता । स्मृतिच० II. p. 295.

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⁸¹⁰ चशब्देन सूचितस्य दौहित्रस्यानन्तरमेव मातापितरौ समसमये धनभाजौ तयोरवान्तर-क्रमन्यायाभावादित्यवगन्तव्योऽभिप्रायः । अन्यैः पुनरन्यथोत्प्रेक्षितम् । पिता सपत्नी-पुत्रेष्वपि साधारणः &c. स्मृतिच० II. p. 297; vide note 638 above for the full quotation.

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⁸¹¹ सर्वलोकहितार्थाय क्रियते स्मृतिचन्द्रिका ॥ स्वाभिप्रायेण हि मया न किंचिदिह लिख्यते। किं तु वाचनिकं सर्वमत्रो ग्राह्यैव निर्मयः ॥ Intro. verses.

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As the Smṛticandrikā names the Mit., Aparārka and Smṛtyarthasāra, its upper limit cannot be placed earlier than 1150 A. D. Their Lordships of the Privy Council say in *Buddhasingh vs Laltusingh*⁸¹² that Devanandabhaṭṭa is supposed to have been a contemporary of Aparārka. But this supposition is not quite correct. Since Aparārka is quoted several times as an authority to be preferred even to the Mit., it looks more probable that there is some distance of time between Aparārka and Devaṇṇabhaṭṭa. Hemādri quotes the views of the Smṛticandrikā probably oftener than those of any other *nibandhakāra*. In one place⁸¹³ he does not approve of the explanation given by the Smṛticandrikā of a verse occurring in the Mahābhārata about a man with male issue performing śrāddha on the thirteenth *tithi*. In another⁸¹⁴ place Hemādri refers to the view of the Smṛticandrikā on the question whether the *śrāddha* on *amāvāsyā* is optional with śrāddha in dark half. Therefore it follows that the Smṛticandrikā must have been composed at least a generation earlier than Hemādri, i. e. before 1225 A. D. The Smṛticandrikā is frequently quoted by the Sarasvatīvilāsa, the Vīramitrodaya and other digests.

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⁸¹² L. R. 42. I. A. 208 at p. 223.

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⁸¹³ यत्तु महाभारते दानधर्मेषु-ज्ञातीनां तु भवेच्छ्रेष्ठः कुर्वन् श्राद्धं त्रयोदशीम् । नापरं तु युवानोस्य प्रमीयन्ते नरा गृहे ॥ -इति पुत्रमरणरूपस्य दोषस्यापस्तम्बायुक्तस्य निराकरणं कृतं तदपि नात्यन्तरुचम् । ... यस्त्ववश्यं न म्रियन्त एवेति स्मृतिचन्द्रिकाकारस्य व्याख्यानं तद्युक्तम् । चतुर्वर्ग० (काल) vol. III. 2. p. 482; the स्मृतिच० does quote the text of the महाभारत and remarks ' अवश्यं निश्चितं न म्रियन्त इत्यर्थः ' p. 369.

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⁸¹⁴ यन्निगमस्मरणं-अपरपक्षे यदहः संपद्येताममावास्यायां विशेषेणेति तत् पृथक्त्वेपि उभयपक्षाविरोधीति न विकल्पे प्रमाणमिति स्मृतिचन्द्रिकाकारः । चतुर्वर्ग० III. 2. 461; the स्मृतिच० does contain the text quoted and remarks, अतो यत्कश्चिदुक्तममावास्याश्राद्धमपरपाक्षिकेण श्राद्धेन विकल्प्यत इति तदपास्तम् । II. p. 399.

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Several authors composed works styled Smṛticandrikā, e. g. there is a Smṛticandrikā of Śukadeva-miśra (I. O. cat. p. 471 No. 1549), another by Āpadeva (Mitra's Notices, vol. VI, p. 301), another by Vāmadevabhaṭṭācārya (Mitra's Notices, vol. IX, p. 137).

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