Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 7
Divya-pramāṇa-kathana
Explanation of Divine Proofs / Ordeals and Evidentiary Procedure
स कूटसाक्षिणां पापैस्तुल्यो दण्डेन चैव हि साक्षिणः श्रावयेद्वादिप्रतिवादिसमीपगान्
sa kūṭasākṣiṇāṃ pāpaistulyo daṇḍena caiva hi sākṣiṇaḥ śrāvayedvādiprativādisamīpagān
إنه حقًّا مساوٍ لشهود الزور في الإثم وكذلك في العقوبة؛ لذلك ينبغي أن تُفحَص الشهود أو يُستَشهَد بهم بحضور المدّعي والمدّعى عليه القريبين.
Lord Agni (in dialogue, instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha on rajadharma/vyavahāra)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Courtroom procedure: examine witnesses in the presence of both parties to reduce fabrication, intimidation, and later dispute about what was said.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Witness examination in presence of litigant and defendant","lookup_keywords":["sाक्षि-परिक्षा","कूटसाक्षि","वादि-प्रतिवादि","सभास्थान","दण्ड-समता"],"quick_summary":"A judge should take testimony with both parties present; anyone enabling false testimony shares the sin and punishment of false witnesses."}
Concept: Judicial dharma requires transparent testimony; complicity in false evidence makes one morally equivalent to the perjurer.
Application: Adopt due-process safeguards: open deposition, cross-questioning, and recording in front of both parties.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Vyavahara / Judicial Procedure and Evidence)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal court where the judge orders witnesses to speak while both plaintiff and defendant stand nearby, emphasizing transparency and fear of punishment for false testimony.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat earthy palette, a dharmic king-judge seated in sabha, two litigants standing close, witnesses with folded hands, palm-leaf record, stern yet calm expressions, traditional ornaments, architectural pillars","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf highlights on the throne and jewelry, central seated judge-king with halo-like arch, two parties on either side, witnesses in front, symbolic scales of justice motif, rich reds and greens","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework, instructional courtroom tableau, labeled roles (judge, saksin, vadi, prativadi) implied by gestures, subdued colors, emphasis on orderly procedure","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed durbar interior, patterned carpets, court scribes, witnesses giving testimony before both parties, naturalistic faces, delicate borders and calligraphic cartouche"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sa→saḥ; pāpais tulyo→pāpaiḥ tulyaḥ; śrāvayet vādi-…→śrāvayed vādi-… (t/d sandhi); samīpagān is compound member -gān (from ga ‘going/being’ used adjectivally).
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma/Vyavahara sections on saksin (witnesses), danda (punishment), and sabha-vidhi (court procedure)
FAQs
Judicial procedure (vyavahāra-vidhi): witnesses must be examined so their testimony is heard in the presence of both parties; mishandling this makes the examiner complicit like a perjurer.
It preserves practical statecraft and courtroom norms (rajadharma)—a non-ritual, administrative domain—showing the text’s coverage beyond theology into governance and legal evidence.
A judge or official who enables improper testimony shares the sin and penalty of false witnesses, emphasizing karmic accountability for injustice and the sacred duty of truthful adjudication.