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
86 (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)
751
in a silver (pisaca) & a copper (udumbara) plate is highly praised,
as destroying all sins & leading to the Highest State.
MANDALA FOR BHOJANA :
Devala (657) declares that the four varnas should make square,
triangle, circle & crescent figures below the plate with water as a
mandala. All strength of that food is taken away by the spirits &
鈥� goldins, when the mandala is not made below the plate (658). Some
other smrtis (e.g. Atri V.1 do not prescribe the crescent figure,
W
18 in case of a sudra, but they enjoin only the sprinkling of water
below the plate.
FOOD OF SOME SUDRAS CAN BE PARTAKEN EVEN BY BRAHMANAS :
The food of the following five persons of sudra caste could
be partaken even by the Brahmanas. They are one's own servant,
barbar, cowherd, potter & farmer, according to Devala (686). Other
19 smrtis like Yajnavalkya (1.168), Parasara (11.20), Yama (20),
Visnu (57/17) also enumerate the sudras, whose food could be partaken.
Devala enumerates only five such persons, but Yajnavalkya (I.168)
& others enumerate five & add one more i.e. yascatmanam nivedayet
(whosoever surrenders himself as a dependent). The servant cowherd,
cultivator, barbor these four are common. Family-friend (kulamitra
mentioned by them is absent in Devala's enumeration and the potter,
mentioned by Devala is not found in the other smrtis. Moreover,
the author specifically adds 'sva' in the beginning with 'd膩s a
which may indicate that other persons also related with on self are
20 bhojyanna & not others (Cf.K.K. N.,p.263).
2)
