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
76 (of 165)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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worships & circumambulates them, his life is not diminished. These
verses in the text are identical with those in the Naradasmrti
(prakirnaka 54/55).
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2) MUTRAPURIS AVIDHI
ANSWERING CALLS OF NATURE
DIRECTION TO BE FACED :
According to Devala, while answering the calls of nature,
one should always face towards the north in the morning & the
south in the evening, while it should always be avoided, during
the two twilights. Thus two directions only are allowed by Devala,
while Yama prescribes that one should face the west in the morning
5 (purvahna), the east in the afternoon, the north at the noon &
the south, during the night. Thus there is explicit disagreement
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路 between the two.
鉁�
According to the Krtyakalpataru Brah. (p.149 & 150), the
following solution can be suggested. In accordance with the statement
of Devala, in the morning time (i.e.pr膩ta岣� or purvahna of three
Mahurtas
that is the first part of the fivefold division of
the day) & in the sayahna (the last three muhurtas of the day),
one may face the north & south respectively, but at the remaining
time of the day (i.e.in the remaining part of purvahna, other than
prata岣� of three muhurtas & in the aparahna), one should follow
the statement of Yama & face west and east respectively. The
v墨ramitrodaya (Ahn.p.29) remarks that in the opinion the Krtyakalpa-
taru, the statement of Devala is from the standpoint of the fivefold
division of the day, while that of Yama is from the point of view
of threefold division only.
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