Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 3
Divya-pramāṇa-kathana
Explanation of Divine Proofs / Ordeals and Evidentiary Procedure
स्त्रीवृद्धबालकितवमत्तोन्मत्ताभिशस्तकाः रङ्गावतारिपाषण्डिकूटकृद्विकलेन्द्रियाः
strīvṛddhabālakitavamattonmattābhiśastakāḥ raṅgāvatāripāṣaṇḍikūṭakṛdvikalendriyāḥ
মহিলা, বৃদ্ধ, শিশু, জুৱাৰী, মদ্যপায়ী, উন্মাদ, অভিযুক্ত, অভিনেতা, পাষণ্ড, জালিয়াতি কৰা লোক আৰু বিকলাঙ্গসকল সাক্ষীৰ বাবে অযোগ্য।
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Court governance: identifying categories commonly treated as legally incompetent/disqualified for formal testimony due to perceived vulnerability, bias, unreliability, or social role conflicts.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Asākṣin/Anadhikārin (Disqualified Persons for Testimony)","lookup_keywords":["asākṣin","strī","bāla","mattā","unmatta","kūṭakṛt"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates persons treated as disqualified in formal legal matters: women, very old, children, gamblers, intoxicated, deranged, censured/accused, stage-performers, sectarians, forgers, and those with impaired faculties."}
Concept: Nyāya requires competent cognition and freedom from strong disqualifying pressures; the polity must filter testimony to protect truth-finding.
Application: Establish competency checks (sobriety, mental soundness, sensory capacity, absence of proven forgery) before recording testimony.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Vyavahara (Social & Legal Governance: eligibility, testimony, and disqualified persons)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A court clerk reads out a list of disqualified witnesses while various figures—child, very old person, gambler with dice, intoxicated man, deranged person, actor with costume, sectarian ascetic, forger with false seal, and a person with impaired senses—stand aside, barred from the witness area.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: segmented frieze showing each disqualified type in traditional attire; central judge gestures ‘no’; warm reds/ochres, stylized eyes, lamp-lit sabhā setting.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate court with gold work; the judge points to a scroll listing disqualifications; small vignettes around the border depict gambler, drunk, actor, forger; embossed gold highlights on jewelry and pillars.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: didactic composition with clear linework; labeled figures (bāla, vṛddha, mattah, unmatta, kūṭakṛt) arranged like an instructional chart beside a court scene; subdued elegance.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: lively grouping of character types at the edge of a durbar; dice, wine cup, theatrical mask, forged document seal; fine detailing, pastel architecture, floral margins."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दीर्घसमासाः—पदानि समासविग्रहेण पृथक्कृतानि; मत्तोन्मत्त = मत्त + उन्मत्त; कूटकृद् + विकलेन्द्रियाः = कूटकृत् + विकल + इन्द्रियाः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Vyavahāra topics on sākṣya-doṣa (defects of testimony), daṇḍa (penalties), and sabhā-vidhi
FAQs
It gives a legal-technical classification of persons considered unfit/disabled for formal judicial functions (especially credible testimony and procedural competence) in vyavahāra (jurisprudence).
By preserving dharmaśāstra-style governance content—court procedure, reliability standards, and social-legal categories—alongside the Purana’s ritual, theological, and practical sciences.
It supports dharma by protecting truth in adjudication; avoiding unreliable testimony reduces injustice (adharma) and the karmic burden that arises from false judgment and social harm.