Essay name: Devala-smriti (critical study)
Author:
Mukund Lalji Wadekar
Affiliation: Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda / Department of Sanskrit Pali and Prakrit
This essay represents an English study of the Devala-smriti鈥攁n ancient text attributed to sage Devala classified as belonging to the Dharma-Shastra branch of Indian literature which encompasses jurisprudence and religious law. This study deals with the reconstructed text of the Devala-smriti based on surviving references, emphasizing Devala鈥檚 unique viewpoints on social, religious, and philosophical aspects, particularly the Sankhya and Yoga philosophies.
Chapter 2 - Devala鈥攈is bio-data
26 (of 54)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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(1) His views about the nature of God, are mentioned at many places, in the Mahabharata 20 (2) He believes that the final beatitude or bliss of all
human beings, lies in the abandonment of all desires of
undertakings, resulting in the joy for oneself 21.
22 (3) He maintains that there are three lights in a Purus a
37 viz. off-spring, karma & learning. It is only these
three that are helpful to the person, when the dirty body,
bereft of life-force, is left all alone by the relatives.
This can be compared with a similar view, found in the present
23 reconstructed text
DEVALA & SANKHYA 鈼�
He was a great Sankhyacarya. He is mentioned as one of the
traditional exponents of the Sankhya philosophy
-
(1) in the Mahabharata, with 25 spiritual principles
24 25
(2) in the Brahmavaivarta purana
& (3) in the Matharavrtti, a commentary on Sankhyakarika
27 -26
Sankar膩c膩rya mentions Devala as a Dharmasutrakara, who had
accepted in his treatise, the Sankhya doctrine of Pradhana, being
the cause of theworld. Both Anandagiri & Govindananda, while
commenting upon the words 'Vedanusaribhih kaiscid sistaih'
occurring in Sankharabh膩峁a (Bh.S.2.1.4.12), mention Devala as a
1 sista, who had accepted Pradh膩nak膩ranavada, though he was a follower
of Veda. The quotations, arranged in the Moksa prakarana (III.5) of
'
