Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 49
Divya-pramāṇa-kathana
Explanation of Divine Proofs / Ordeals and Evidentiary Procedure
व्यसनं जायते घोरं स शुद्धः स्यादसंशयम् सत्यवाहनशस्त्राणि गोवीजकनकानि च
vyasanaṃ jāyate ghoraṃ sa śuddhaḥ syādasaṃśayam satyavāhanaśastrāṇi govījakanakāni ca
إذا نزلت بالمتَّهَم/المشارك نازلةٌ مروِّعة، عُدَّ مطهَّرًا بلا ريب. (ومما يُستعمل في المحن/الأدوات) المركبةُ الحاملةُ للصدق والأسلحة، وكذلك بقرةٌ وبذورٌ وذهبٌ.
Lord Agni (teaching sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional dialogue)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Judicial ordeal logic: if a severe calamity occurs during/after the test, the person is deemed purified; lists ordeal implements/items (vehicle, weapons, cow, seeds, gold) used as proofs.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Divya-pramāṇa: signs of purification and ordeal implements","lookup_keywords":["divya-pramāṇa","vyavahāra","śuddhi","śastra","go-bīja-kanaka"],"quick_summary":"In ordeals used for adjudication, a dreadful mishap is taken as decisive proof of purification/innocence; the text also enumerates typical ordeal media such as weapons, cow, seeds, and gold."}
Weapon Type: Weapons (śastrāṇi) as ordeal media
Concept: Epistemology of proof in vyavahāra: divine ordeal as a truth-revealing mechanism; outcome interpreted as dharmic verdict.
Application: In historical-legal study: classify ordeals and their evidentiary logic; in ritual-legal reenactment scholarship: map items to specific divya types (weapon, cow, gold, seed).
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Law, Oaths, Evidence, and Forensic Tests)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal court conducts a divine ordeal: weapons and ritual items (cow, seeds, gold) are displayed; the accused undergoes the test as judges observe.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized royal hall, dharma-judges seated, accused near arranged śastra and ritual tray with bīja and kanaka, cow at side, dramatic but sacred tone","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate court scene with gold embellishment on weapons and ornaments, symbolic cow and gold on a platter, emphasis on dharma authority","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear instructional depiction of ordeal items labeled visually: weapon rack, seed bowl, gold pieces, cow tether, judges with palm-leaf records","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed durbar with qazi-like judges, accused, attendants holding weapons, cow and trays of seeds and gold, fine textiles and architecture"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्यादसंशयम् → स्यात् + असंशयम्; सत्यवाहनशस्त्राणि → सत्य-वाहन-शस्त्राणि (समाहार-द्वन्द्व); गोवीजकनकानि → गो-वीज-कनकानि (समाहार-द्वन्द्व)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 254 (Divyāni pramāṇāni—ordeals as proofs)
FAQs
It states a jurisprudential rule used in satya-parīkṣā (truth-testing/ordeal): if a severe mishap occurs in the course of the procedure, the person is deemed śuddha (cleared), and it lists typical ordeal-objects such as weapons, cow, seeds, and gold.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical governance material—legal procedure, evidentiary customs, and purification determinations—showing how dharma literature integrates ritual concepts (śuddhi/satya) into administrative and judicial practice.
The verse links truth (satya) with purification (śuddhi): the outcome of the ordeal is treated as a dharmic indicator of innocence, framing legal clearance as both a social judgment and a religiously grounded purification.