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 10 - Philosophical aspect of the Devalasmriti
2 (of 75)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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SECTION: I 835 1) RELEVANCE OF PHILOSOPHICAL EXPOSITION:
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The last prakarana of the third adhyaya contains the exposi-
tion of philosophical topics, relating to the Sankhya and Yoga
philosophy. The elucidation of the theoretical & practical aspects
of philosophy is also found in some other smrtis like those of
Manu (Ch. I & XII) Yajnavalkya (III.4) etc. The great epic
Mahabharata also contains a separate section, in which moksa
(the fourth human goal) is elaborately treated. The extensive
digests like the Krtyakalpataru, the Viramitrodaya etc. that
deal with practically all aspects of human life, have a
separate section, that expaciates the moksadharma. Even Hemadri
intended to deal with all the four human aims, as the very
name of his extensive digest (caturvargacintamani) suggests.
Thus the writers on Dharmasastra have given great importance
also to the philosophical discussion, as the moksa is also one
of the four human goals. The treatment of philosophical topics
is indispensible in a smrti-work, that embodies the elucidation
of the complete or entire rules of piety (dharma) of human
beings. Yajnavalkya鹿 (1.8) maintains that realization of self
through the practice of Yoga is the supreme Dharma. He also
prescribes (I.101) the study of spiritual text etc. for the
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perfection of japayajna. Vasistha (1.1) 3 points out that
dharmajij帽膩s膩 (desire to know Dharma i.e. exposition of Dharma)
is for the emancipation of purusa.
Especially, in the present text, the discussion of philoso-
phical topics is quite relevant, as Devala (2201) expounds
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