63. Shrīkara
Volume I: Part I pp. 571–573
Views of Śrīkara set out – first writer to propound the view that spiritual benefit was the criterion for judging of superior rights to succession – probably a Maithila – difficult to say whether he wrote a commentary or an independent digest – flourished between 800-1050 A. D. ...
— Synopsis by P.V. Kane, from History of Dharmaśāstra
63. Shrīkara
63. Śrīkara
The Mit. on Yāj. II. 135 alludes to the view of Śrīkara and others that the widow succeeded as heir to her deceased husband's estate if it was small.1 The Smṛtisāra2 of Harinātha attributes the same view to Śrīkara and disapproves of it. On Yāj. II. 169 the Mit.3 cites the view of Śrīkara about that topic and disapproves of it. Viśvarūpa also gives two explanations of that verse of Yāj., the first of which agrees with that of the Mit. and the second is akin to Śrīkara'ṣ
The works of Jīmūtavāhana (viz. the Dāyabhāga and the Vyavahāramātṛkā), the Smṛticandrikā and the Sarasvativilāsa contain very interesting notices of Śrīkara's viewṣ Many of them were brought together by me in JBBRĀS for 1925, pp. 213-215. Śrīkara like Viśvarūpa held the view that 'duhitaraḥ' in Yāj. refers to the putrikā, he allowed the parents of a childless person to succeed together at the same time. The Dāyabhāga very severely criticizes the views of Śrīkara on the succession to re-united members, on vidyādhana and on Yāj. II. 24 (about enjoyment for 20 years ).4 Most of the views attributed to Śrīkara were also entertained by Viśvarūpa or are more antiquated than Viśvarūpa'ṣ Śrīkara was probably a writer from Mithilā and seems to have propounded the view of spiritual benefit as the criterion for judging superior rights of successioṇ The Smṛtisāra5 of Harinātha ascribes such a view to a Śrīkara-nibandha.
Whether Śrīkara wrote a commentary on a smṛti or a general digest (nibandha) it is difficult to say. The Smṛti-candrikā6 says that Sambhu, Śrīkara and Devasvāmin compiled digests of smṛtis and added their own explanations of theṃ The Smṛtyarthasāra7 of Śrīdhara asserts in the introductory verses that Śrīkaṇṭha and Śrīkarācārya filled up the gaps in the smṛtis that were scattered about (by introducing order out of chaos). Śrīkara's explanations of yajña-valkya are frequently cited by the Mit., the Dāyabhāga and otherṣ But the Mit. does not connect Śrīkara's name with Yājñavalkya as a commentator, though Viśvarūpa is express-ly so connecteḍ It appears therefore more likely that Śrīkara wrote a digest of smṛtis in which he paid particular attention to the explanation of the words of Yājñavalkya. The Rāja- nītiratnākara8 of Cāṇḍeśvara quotes the views of Śrīkara on Rājanīti, one of which is that the poor and helpless are entitled to a share of the royal wealth.
Hemādri9 quotes the view of Śrīkara on Viṣṇu and dis- approves of the faults found therein by the author of the Paṇḍita-paritoṣa.
As Śrīkara is quoted by the Mit., he is certainly earlier than 1050 A. D. As his views agree largely with Viśvarūpa's he may provisionally be regarded as nearly of the same period as Viśvarūpa'ṣ He cannot be earlier than Asahāya who is named both by Viśvarūpa and Medhātithi, though both of them are silent about Śrīkara. Hence Śrīkara must be placed somewhere between 800 and 1050 A. D. and probably flourish- ed in the 9th century.
This Śrīkara must be distinguished from another Śrīkara, the father of Śrīnātha.