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
72 (of 75)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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of purusa & prakrti & hence there can be relation of enjoyer
-
& the thing, enjoyed (bhogya & bhokta). The sankhyas maintain
the purusartha to be of two kinds. (1) bhoga (enjoyment) &
(2) apavarga (emancipation from the prakrti). Devala, influenced
by these theories propounds the Dharma to be constituting
of twofold purus artha, namely abhyudaya & nihsreyasa. But from
the standpoint of Sankaracarya, there is only one principle
in reality & hence there can be no such relation of bhogya &
bhokta from the transcental point of view. He maintains that
there is no relation of artha & arthi, which suggests that there
is no scope for the purus arthavada in reality.
5 From the practical, pragmatic standpoint, the practice of
Dharma, sacrifices etc. is quite necessary for the purification
of mind & can gradually lead to the salvation, according to
Sankaracarya. Sacrifices are nitya or compulsory & not kamya
(intentional). While acc. to Devala, the sacrifices are kamya
or (intentional) & hence are optional. He seems to follow
sankhya doctrine that sacrifices cannot lead to salvation. Thus
Sankaracarya has upheld the vedic religion in high exteem, by
assigning proper scope to sacrifices, in his philosophy, while
Devala, following the Sankhyas seems to have minimized the
importance of sacrificial ritual.
According to the followers of Sankhya doctrine, there are
only two alternatives from the practical point of view
(1) Enjoy the world (i.e.bhoga, or abhyudaya etc. according to
Devala) & (2) leave it for ever
(i.e.apavarga ar nihsrevasa
acc. to Devala). But the difficulty regarding Devala's philosophical
亘 蹃賵诤 诏蹝 讴蹖丕
