23. Devala
Volume I: Part I pp. 279–284
Devala frequently occurs in the Mahābhārata, and is notably referred to by Śaṅkarācārya as a figure relying on Sāṅkhya tenets. It is understood that a *dharmasūtra* attributed to Devala once existed, indicating his early significance in the tradition. Leading commentaries and legal treatises, such as the Mitākṣarā, Kalpataru, and Smṛticandrikā, among other works, incorporate numerous quotations in verse ascribed to Devala. These verses extensively cover diverse aspects of dharma, encompassing ācāra, vyavahāra, and śrāddha. However, this collection of quoted material is generally considered to be a later compilation. Similarly, the *Devalasmṛti*, a text of approximately ninety verses focused primarily on purifications, is also deemed a late work. The jurist Devala, whose contributions are thus evident across different textual strata, is believed to have flourished approximately at the same time as other prominent legal authorities like Bṛhaspati and Kātyāyana.
— Synopsis by P.V. Kane, from History of Dharmaśāstra
23. Devala
23. Devala
The name Devala as that of a sage frequently occurs in the Mahābhārata and is closely connected with Asita. Vide Sabhāparva 59. 9-11, Śalya 50 and Śāntiparva 230. In Sabhā ( 72. 5 ) it is stated that Devala declared that a man has three lights viz. sun, actions and correct knowledge. In the Gītā also ( in X. 13 ) Arjuna says ‘all the sages, the Devarṣi Nārada, Asita, Devala and Vyāsa speak of you as done in X. 12’. Śaṅkarācārya in his bhāṣya on Vedāntasūtra I. 4. 28 states that the Sāṅkhya system is nearer to Vedānta than other systems like the atomic theory, since it espouses the doctrine of the non-difference between cause and effect and adds that some writers of Dharmasūtras such as Devala do rely on it in their workṣ So Devala-dharmasūtra was not only earlier than Śankarācārya, but was also regarded as early as ( if not earlier than ) the sūtras based purely on logic or the atomic theory. In vol. V (of Hiṣ of Dh.) pp. 380–81, 1439 ṇ 2363, 1445, 1458 note 2390, 1458 note 2398 some passages have already been cited from Devala (as quoted in works on Dharmaśāstra ). They will not be repeated here. But a few more passages quoted from Devala by the Mit. , Aparārka, Kalpataru and others will be set out or referred to. In the first edition also some references were given where passages of Devala are referred to but hardly any quotations in Sanskrit from Devala-dharmasūtra were set out. It may be stated here that early extant commentators like Viśvarūpa and Medhātithi do not quote prose passages from the Devala Dharmasūtra relating to Sāṅkhya and Yoga. But Aparārka quotes profusely from Devala (about 130 verses and prose passages 15 times ). Some of the prose passages may be pointed out. On p. 72 a long prose passage is cited about the rules to be observed by one who has decided to be a perpetual student.
In the Mit. there are several prose passages quoted from Devala, e. g. on Yaj. I. 120 there is a sūtra on the dharmas of the śūdra and the avocations open to him; 2 on Yaj. I. 128 there is a sūtra dividing householders into Yāyāvara and Śālina and describing each of theṃ3 In Aparārka and the Smṛticandrikā there are several prose quotations from Devala. On Yaj. III. 58 Aparārka quotes a long prose passage on the rules of conduct for a yati ; on Yaj.4 III. 109 Aparārka cites a very long passage, in which Sāṅkhya and Yoga are defined, reference is made to extensive Tantras on the two systems and a brief résumé is given of the Sāṅkhya system, which greatly resembles the Sāṅkhya-kārikā and the Tattvasamāsa. On Yāj. III. 227 Aparārka has a prose quotation from Devala about patitas. In the Smṛticandrikā (I. p. 63) there is a lengthy passage from Devala on the daily duties of the brahmacārin, a sūtra (I. p. 52) is quoted about brahma-carya for 48 years and in another place there is a prose passage about the wife's dutieṣ5
Śaṅkarācārya6 (in his bhāṣya on Vedāntasūtra I. 4. 28) states that Devala, author of a Dharmasūtra, accepted the Sāṅkhya tenet of Pradhāna being the cause of the worlḍ Devala is very profusely quoted in the several kāṇḍas of the Kalpataru of Lakṣmīdhara e. g. he is quoted 40 times in Śrāddha, 21 times in Vyavahāra of which only two are in prose, 22 times on Brahmacārī, 32 times on Mokṣa, 27 times in Niyatakāla, 35 times in Gṛhastha. In the Tīrthakāṇḍa (pp. 249 ff) rivers from Sarasvatī to Godāvarī, Kāverī, Tāmraparṇī are mentioneḍ On p. 72 of Śrāddhakāṇḍa there are two verses in which Manu is named as an authority on Śrāddhakalpa. On Dānakāṇḍa (pp. 5–9) there is one sūtra and 36 verses in explanation of that sūtra and the verses are quoted on eight kinds of brāhmaṇas (on pp. 30–32). In Vyavahāra ou p. 393 there are two verses of Devala, in the 2nd of which the opinion of Manu on asvāmya (non-ownership) of women and slaves is mentioned viz. ‘patyau jīvati nāriņām daśānām svāmini sthite tadvan-niyatam-asvāmyam sarvārtheṣvabravin Manuḥ'. Compare Ādiparva 83. 21, Udyogaparva 33. 64 and Manu VIII. 416.
The Sṃ C. quotes Devala 86 times on Āhnika, 71 times on Śrāddha, 26 times on Vyavahāra. On p. 22 of Kalpataru on Śrāddha occurs the verse 'Mānavah śrāddhakalpoyam Manunā samudāhṛtaḥ'. On pp. 272-273 of the Brahmacārī-kāṇḍa there is a long prose passage on 'brahmacārīdharma', while on pp. 208-210 of Śrāddha-kāṇḍa twenty-two verses are quoted from Devala on 'piṇḍavidhāna'. On pp. 811-12 of Vyavahāra-kāṇḍa there is a prose passage on four anulomas and 6 pratilomas and four verses explaining them and stating that the son of a brāhmaṇa from a kṣatriya wife are assimilated to the father; on p. 7 of Mokṣakāṇḍa there is a blending of the Sāṅkhya with advaita doctrines; on p. 100-101 of the same kāṇḍa the Sāṅkhya doctr.ne of 'Mūlaprakṛti', seven prakṛtivikṛtis, 16 vikāras is set out at length.
In the Mit., in Haradatta. Aparārka and the Smṛticandrikā there are numerous quotations in verse from Devala on ācāra. vyavahāra, śrāddha, prāyaścitta and other topicṣ That seems to have been an independent work. In the Ānandāśrama collection of smṛtis there is a Devalasmṛti in 90 verses dealing with purification and prāyaścittas for contact with Mlecchaṣ This appears to be a late compilatioṇ Some of the verses contained therein are ascribed to other authors, e. g. verses 17-22 are ascribed to Āpastamba by Aparārka ( on Yāj. III. p. 1200 ) and verses 30-31 are ascribed by the Mit. (on Yāj. III. 290) and Aparārka to Viṣṇu.
It is to be noted that verses 82-90 at the end of this Devalasmṛti are the same as Yāj. III. 315-324 ( with slight variations ). Devala himself is named in verses 25 and 72 and Vyāsa in verse 68.
The Dharmasūtra of Devala, to judge from the quotations in the Kṛtyakalpataru, Aparārka, Smṛticandrikā and other early digests, appears to have been an extensive one and to have dealt with most of the topics that are discussed in the Dharmasūtras of Gautama, Āpastamba, Baudhāyana, Hārita and Yoga. The above works contain large prose extracts from it on topics of dharmaśāstra. A few examples may be cited here. In the Brahmacāri-kāṇḍa of the Kalpataru on pp. 30 and 100 there are prose passages on the Vedāṅgas and itihāsa and on pp. 272–73 a long prose passage on the duties and other observances of a brahmacārin; in the Śrāddha-kāṇḍa there is a very long prose passage (covering one page) on the persons to be avoided in Śrāddha (pp. 78–79), but most of the other quotations are in verse; in the Gṛhastha-kāṇḍa (p. 119) occurs a long prose passage on the seven pākayajñas, seven haviryajñas and seven soma-yajñas; on pp. 254–255 a long prose passage on Kṣatradharma and on pp. 304, 309, 312 prose passage on hiṁsā, anṛta (falsehood) and steya (theft) respectively. In the Niyatakāla section (p. 142), the setting up of sacred smārta fire after marriage is provided in a prose passage; in the Vyavahārakāṇḍa (pp. 811–812) there is a prose passage naming four kinds of anuloma castes, six pratiloma castes and 6 anturāla castes and on p. 834 of the same kāṇḍa are set out in prose the duties binding on all men including cāṇḍālaṣ It is clear that the Devala Dharmasūtra was not all in prose; it contained numerous verses also; for example, on pp. 387–393 of the Gṛhastha-kāṇḍa in a prose passage referring to sinful taunts of three kinds (viz. mental, vocal and bodily) several verses are quoted describing separately the doṣas of these three kindṣ Therefore, the Devala Dharmasūtra contained verses also. But the present author is not prepared to hold that the several hundred verses ascribed to or quoted from Devala in several works (e.g. Aparārka quotes about 120 verses from Devala) and in other digests are part of the Devala Dharmasūtra; many of them are very probably taken from a Devalasmṛti in verse. Hardly any other Dharmasūtra deals with Yoga and its technical terms like prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā at such length as Devala does (vide H. of Dh. Vol. V. pp. 1380–81, notes 2263–64 ) for Sāṅkhya technique, p. 1409 ṇ 2314 on definit.on of Yoga, p. 1435 note 2356 (on prāṇa and apāna), p. 1439 note 2363 on prāṇāyāma, p 1445 ṇ 2375 on pratyāhāra ), p. 1447 ṇ 2380 (on Dhāraṇā), 1453 (ṇ 2390 on Siddhis), p. 1458 ṇ 2398 (on ahaṅkāra and mamatva). It may be noted that prose quotations from Devala are only a few (namely those on Yāj. I. 126, III. 58 and 256), while about two dozen verses of Devala are quoted on several other verses of Yāj. It would be a great service if some scholar put together in one volume all the passages of Devala occurring in Kalpataru, Aparārka, and other early nibandhas with notes about parallel passages &c.
The Mahābhārata ascribes the view to Devala that in man there are three jyotis, viz. offspring, karma, and learning.7
Aparārka and the Smṛticandrikā cite verses from Devala on partition, inheritance, on woman's power over strīdhana. These show that Devala, the jurist, flourished about the same time as the great jurists Bṛhaspati and Kātyāyana.