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
23 (of 75)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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G The Yoga, as expounded by Devala is a true Yoga. It is not hathayoga. He speaks of properly turning away of mind from the objects. There is no suppression or forceful restraint of mind, nor does he speak of blindly controlling the senses. If there is blind control of senses, the mind, yet, may wonder among the sense-objects. Hence according Devala, there should be in reality, the turning away of mind from sense-objects (cf.Bhagavadgit膩, 3/6-7). (B) AUXILIARIES OF YOGA : PRANAYAMA (BREATH-CONTROL) : Devala explains the breath-control to be of three kinds kumbha, recana & p奴ra峁嘺 (2395-2399). The extant Yogas奴tra & the commentator Vyasa do not mention these terms, while explaining the concept of pranayama. The terms svasa, pravasa & gativiccheda 鈥� * are employed in the Yogas奴tra 59 (2/49) & three kinds of pr膩n膩y膩ma is indicated in the phrase bahyabhyantarastambhav峁泃ti岣� in the Yogasutra (2/50). The Yogasutra (1/34) mentions the terms pracchardana & vidh膩rana. The Sankhyasutra (3/33) 62 also uses 60 61 similar terms but the terms, kumbha, recana, p奴rana etc. used by
Devala are not found in the above works. Devala does not follow
any of these works. He has borrowed these terms from the ancient
i
but lost works of Sankhya-Yoga. The Visnu pur膩na鲁 (V/10/14),
the Brhadyogiyajnavalkya smrti (8/9-10 & 19-21) & Vacaspati
(on Yogas奴tra II.50) mention above three terms
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