Makaranda Madhukar Anand Mahendale Festshrift

Author(s): M A Dhaky, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

Page 263

252
Hukam Chand Patyal
Makaranda
These practises become authoritative with the observance of the sistas
(HDS. III. 82, 843-4). 3.0. Resumé
From the foregoing discussion we are led to the following considerations argumenti causa :
1) The sistas are those who possess all virtues, knowledge of the Vedas and other sāstras.
2) The conduct of the sistas (ģistācāra) is even above Śruti and Smrti.
3) The sistas are the refuge of the Vedas and also of all creatures in the universe. The religious practices become authoritative because of observence of the sistas. The sistācāra is the very touchstone for knowing whether an act is in consonance with what the scriptures require us to do.* .
Annotations : 1. It appears that Väyu P. 1.59.33 and Matsya P. 145. 34 derive sista from śis - 'to
remain'. Hence śistācāra by these Purānas is understood to be the conduct of life for those who remained i.e. survived) after the Manvantara. This Puranic etymology does not appear to be convincing. The correct etymology is sas - (sis - to teach') + -ga-. Śistāḥ khalu vigatamatsarā nirahamkārāh kumbhidhānya alolupā dambhadarpalebhamoha-krodhavivarjitāḥ / dharmeņādhigato yeşāṁ vedas saparibmhanah / sistās tad anumānajñāḥ śrutipratyakşahetava iti // Baudh DS. 1. 1. 5-6. Baudh DS. 1. 1. 6 is found in Manu Sm. 12. 109 and Väsi DS. 6. 43 (with some variants). Cf. Mahā Bh. iii. 174. 10 (on vi. 3. 109) which also gives more or less the same type of description of the śistas as is found in
Baudha DS. * Paper read at the Xth World Sanskrit Conference held at Bangalore, January 3-9,
1997.