Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 33
Divya-pramāṇa-kathana
Explanation of Divine Proofs / Ordeals and Evidentiary Procedure
तुला स्त्रीबालवृद्धान्धपङ्गुब्राह्मणरोगिणां अग्निर्ज्वलं वा शूद्रस्य यवाः सप्त विषस्य वा
tulā strībālavṛddhāndhapaṅgubrāhmaṇarogiṇāṃ agnirjvalaṃ vā śūdrasya yavāḥ sapta viṣasya vā
For women, children, the aged, the blind, the lame, Brahmins, and the sick, the ordeal is by the balance (weighing). For a Śūdra, it may be by blazing fire; or alternatively by poison, administered in the measure of seven barley-grains.
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Selecting an ordeal proportionate to social category and physical capacity (tulā for vulnerable groups; fire/poison options for others), thereby standardizing judicial tests and limiting harm.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Eligibility-based selection of ordeals (tulā, agni, viṣa)","lookup_keywords":["tulā-divya","agni-divya","viṣa-divya","strī-bāla-vṛddha","śūdra"],"quick_summary":"The text assigns the balance-ordeal to women, minors, elders, disabled persons, Brahmins, and the sick; for a Śūdra it allows fire, or poison measured as seven barley-grains."}
Concept: Dharma in adjudication includes proportionality—matching the test to the person’s capacity and status to avoid unjust injury while still pursuing truth.
Application: Policy design for evidence-testing: tiered procedures and accommodations for vulnerable persons.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Danda-niti / Legal procedures and ordeals)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A didactic court scene showing three ordeal options: a balance scale for protected groups, a brazier of blazing fire, and a small measure of poison represented by seven barley-grains, with scribes and Brahmins indicating categories (women, children, aged, disabled, Brahmin, sick, Śūdra).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, panel-like composition with three vignettes: tulā scale with a gentle scene for women/elders, blazing fire ordeal with intense reds, and a small bowl with seven barley grains for poison; Brahmins as arbiters, stylized labels via gestures, strong outlines and ritual ambiance","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style triptych, gold embellishment on the balance beam and court ornaments, fire rendered with gilded highlights, tiny barley-grains carefully dotted in gold, figures in traditional attire indicating categories through hand mudrās","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting with instructional clarity, neat depiction of scale mechanism, controlled flame brazier, measured grains in a spoon, court officials pointing, calm palette emphasizing procedural categorization","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature with a court clerk recording, realistic scale and brazier, close-up of a small dish containing seven barley grains, groups of petitioners (elder, child, blind man with staff, Brahmin) arranged to show eligibility"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्त्रीबालवृद्धान्धपङ्गुब्राह्मणरोगिणाम् = स्त्री-बाल-वृद्ध-अन्ध-पङ्गु-ब्राह्मण-रोगिणाम् (द्वन्द्व-समास, षष्ठी बहु.); अग्निर्ज्वलम् = अग्निः + ज्वलम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 254.34 (tulā procedure); Agni Purana 254.36 (oath to the balance)
FAQs
It specifies which judicial ordeal (parīkṣā)—weighing (tulā), fire, or poison—should be applied to different social and physical categories of persons, including a quantified poison measure (seven barley-grains).
Beyond theology, it preserves practical Rajadharma/Vyavahāra material—procedural rules for adjudication—showing the Purana’s compilation of governance, law, and social regulation alongside ritual and cosmology.
The ordeals are framed as dharmic instruments for सत्यनिर्णय (ascertaining truth); successful passage is treated as a form of purification and public vindication, while failure implies culpability and the karmic consequences of falsehood.