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
19 (of 165)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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687
But Devala mentions anulomas to be four. The other Smrtikaras
like Manu, Yajnavalkya, Gautama mention them to be six as mentioned
previously. In fact, there can be six anulomas viz. 3 by the Brahmana
in 3 lower var峁嘺s, 2 by the Ksatriya in two lower var峁嘺s, one by the
vaisya in the sudra woman. But Devala's mention of four only is
also proper, because the off-spring by the union of higher Varna
male, with the next lower var峁嘺 woman, is called Savarna. Hence
three of them become Savarna & the remaining three are given specific
names (298-300). This treatment of Devala is identical with that of
10 Kautilya' (III.7.21-25).
4) ANULOMAS 膧VARNYA :
11 There are three views' regarding the status of the progeny,
born from the anuloma marriages of the higher varna male with the
woman of the next lower varna. (I) One view, as maintained by
Manu (X.6) 12 is that the status of the child is lower than that of
13 the father, but higher than that of the mother. The child becomes
similar to its father, but not of the same varna. (II) The second
view is that the progeny is equal in its status to its father
Cf.Kautilya III.7.21 Narada (stri.) 106. (III) The third view
is that the offspring belongs to the varna of his mother. (Vsn.S,
***
14 Thus pitrsadrsatva, pitrsavarnya & matrsavarnya
these three views are found about anulomas avarnya. Devala follows
the view of the matrsavarnya in case of s奴dra when he states
1 .16/2)
that the son born of a sudra woman by the vaisya male is called
sudra only. While in case of the other two savarnas he seems to
follow the view of pitysavarnya. This is quite identical with
talpana's
