57. Hārīta

Volume I: Part I pp. 543–545

Verses from Hārīta on vyavahāra deserve special treatment– some of his views set out, e. g. definition of vyavahāra, four aspects of vyavahāra, importance of writing, defects of plaint and reply, protection of long possession, when title by itself is decisive against long possession, five kinds of sureties, treatment of erring wives – his date between 400-700 A. D.

— Synopsis by P.V. Kane, from History of Dharmaśāstra

57. Hārīta

The verse quotations from Hārīta on topics of vyavahāra deserve some treatment. He defines vyavahāra as that where- by the recovery of one's own wealth and the avoidance of ( doing ) the duties peculiar to another ( caste or class ) are effected in due course of law.¹ He further says that that judicial proceeding is proper which is based on the dictates of dharmaśāstra and arthaśāstra, which is in conformity with the usages of respectable people and which is free from frauḍ² Hārīta calls upon the king to know the śāstras, the duties of the varnas and of the lowest casteṣ³ He, like Nārada, said that vyavahāra had four aspects, each succeeding one prevailing against the preceding one,⁴ viz., dharma, vyavahāra, caritra, nṛpajñā. He attached the greatest importance to writing and said that a transaction consigned to writing is effective even after great lapse of time and that he who has a writing in his hands is entitled to possession (pro-bably in cases of mortgages and pledges ).⁵ He lays down very elaborate rules about the requisites and defects of plaints, about summoning the defendant, about the contents, faults and kinds of the defendant's reply, and about the bur-den of proof.⁶ He protects long possession of property even if it originated without title provided it had lasted for three generationṣ⁷ He says that the title is the decisive factor as to various kinds of possession, viz., when possession is forcibly taken by soldiers and freebooters, when a thing is stolen or kept concealed, when it was delivered through affection and friendship or when it was lent on hire, or when it was handed over for wearing or safe custody or was borrowed through friendship.⁸ To illustrate the relation of title and possession he uses a very apt figure, viz. just as a branch cannot be seen expanding in the sky unless it is supported by the roots, so title is the root and possession is its offshoot. According to him sureties are of five kinds,⁹ abhaya ( for keeping the peace ), pratyaya ( for confidence ), dāna ( return of money or carrying out one's obligations ), upastāna ( return of money lent on pledge ) and darśana ( for appearance ). He prescribed an absolute tutelage for women as regards the giving away of the husband's wealth and allow ed only maintenance to a young widow of improper conduct.¹⁰ But Harita was humane in his treatment of even erring wiveṣ He does not allow a husband to cast adrift an adulterous wife and prescribes that she should be given food to keep body and soul together and bare clotheṣ¹¹

It appears from the above that Harita the jurist must have flourished nearly at the same time as Bṛhaspati and Kātyāyana, i. e. between 400 and 700 A. D.

स्वधनस्य यथा प्राप्तिः परधर्मस्य वर्जनम् । न्यायेन यत्र क्रियते व्यवहारः स उच्यते ॥ स्मृतित्र०. ↩
धर्मशास्रार्थशास्त्रोक्तः शिष्टाचारदिलक्षणः । छलेन च व्यपेतो यः व्यवहारः स धार्मिकः ॥ स्मृतित्र०. ↩
शास्त्राणि सर्वेषामृतु प्रकृतीनां च भूपतिः । व्यवहारस्वरूपं च ज्ञात्वा तत्सर्वेमाचरेत् ॥ स्मृति०. ↩
धर्मेण व्यवहारेण चरित्रेण नृपाज्ञया । चतुष्पाद् व्यवहारोयमुत्तरः पूर्वेबाधकः ॥ सरस्वतीविलास p. 58 ( Mysore eḍ ). Vide नारद ( Intro. chap. verse 10 ). ↩
मुदीर्णोणापि कालेन लिखितः सिद्धिमाप्नुयान् । स्मृति०; लेख्यं यस्य भवेद्धस्ते भोगं तस्य विनिश्चिनु । अपराकं on य'. II. 90. ↩
Vide मिता on या. II. 6 and 7. ↩
अन्येनापि यदुक्तं पित्रा भ्रात्राथवापि च । न तच्छक्यं पराहर्तुं तृतीये समुपगतम् ॥ स्मृति०; यद्दिनागममल्यन्तं भुक्तं पूर्वेस्त्रिभिर्भवेत् । न तच्छक्यमपाहर्तुं क्रमात्रिशुरुयागतम् ॥ मिता. on या. II. 27. ↩
भटचाटवलाद्भुक्तं हृतं गुप्तमथापि वा । स्नेहप्रणयदर्त च प्रदत्तं भाटकेन वा ॥ तथा वसनरक्षार्थं याचितं प्रणयेन वा । एवं बहुविधे भोगे आगमो निर्णयः स्मृतः ॥ न मूलेन विना शाखा अन्तरिक्षे प्ररोहति । आगमस्तु भवेन्मूलं भुक्तिः शाखा प्रकीर्तिता ॥ स्मृति०. ↩
अभये प्रत्यये दाने उपस्थानथे दर्शने । पंचस्वेव प्रकारेखु ग्राहोपि प्रतिभुर्मुः ।। स्मृतिच० । ↩
दानार्थे वा धनार्थे वा धर्मार्थे वा विशेषतः । आदाने वा विसर्गे वा न स्त्री स्वातंत्र्यर्हति ।। स्मृतिच०; विधवा यौवनस्था चेच्चारी भवति कर्कशा । आयुष्यः क्षपणार्थं तु दातव्यं जीवनं तदा ।। मिता० on या. II. 135. ↩
भार्याया व्यभिचारिण्याः परित्यागो न विद्यते । दद्यात्पिण्डं कुचेलं च अधःशय्यां च शाययेत् ।। स्मृतिच०. ↩

56. Samvarta 58. Commentaries and Nibandhas (digests)