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 9 - The distinctive features of the Devalasmriti
142 (of 165)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
810
same period of composition. This reflects upon the antiquity of the
verse-content of text like the sutra portion of it.
2) EXPIATION FOR DRINKING SUR膧 :
The expiation for drinking sura is death only for a brahmana.
But the method by which the death is to be effected, is differently
1 mentioned in various smrtis. Manu (IX. 91), Brhaspati (Praya 45),
Apastamba (1.9.25.3), Gautama (24) suggest that the wine, shining
like fire, heated upto high temperature, should be drunk by the
person drinking sura. Manu (XI. 92) Yajnavalkya (3.253), Brhaspati
(praya.46) also point out other alternatives of drinking boiling
hot urine of cow, water, milk, ghee, or liquid cowdung, until he
dies by drinking it.
2 St
But Devala has not referred to any of the above articles
for effecting death. He ordains that the brahmana, drinking sur膩,
can be purified by destroying his body by drinking red-hot liquid
of any such metal like silver, copper, tin or lead (1633). This
drinking of liquid metal, as an expiation, is not met with in the
smrtis, mentioned previously.
3) WINE ALLOWED EVEN FOR BRAHMANA DURING SACRIFICES :
The wine is completely prohibited for a brahmana & even
an expiation of ending life is suggested for him who drinks it.
Yet there is one option (1634). It is prescribed that the wine,
1 that comes, unasked (in the sacrifice) does not spoil the brahmana
belonging to the vajasaneyi recension of sukla Yajurveda. These
brahmanas, can drink the wine offered them when unasked for, d瓢ring
'
