Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 37
Divya-pramāṇa-kathana
Explanation of Divine Proofs / Ordeals and Evidentiary Procedure
यद्यस्मि पापकृन्मातस्ततो मां त्वमधो नय शुद्धश्चेद्गमयोर्ध्वम्मां तुलामित्यभिमन्त्रयेत्
yadyasmi pāpakṛnmātastato māṃ tvamadho naya śuddhaścedgamayordhvammāṃ tulāmityabhimantrayet
यदि मैं पाप करने वाला हूँ, हे माता, तो मुझे नीचे ले चलो; और यदि मैं शुद्ध हूँ तो मुझे ऊपर ले चलो—ऐसा कहकर तुला-विधि में मंत्रोच्चार करे।
Lord Agni (narrating purificatory procedures to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Use as a spoken formula during the tulā (weighing) ordeal/rite to invoke a moral-ritual verdict of purity vs. sin, framing the act as a self-submitted test under the Mother’s adjudication.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Mantra","entry_title":"Tulā-vidhi Mantra for Śuddhi (Upward/Downward Verdict)","lookup_keywords":["tulā-vidhi","śuddhi","prāyaścitta","mātṛ-mantra","ordeal"],"quick_summary":"Recite a conditional mantra during the weighing rite: if sinful, be taken downward; if pure, be raised upward—ritually externalizing conscience and karmic accountability."}
Concept: Karma is self-attested through ritual truth-testing; purity is not claimed but submitted to a higher witnessing principle.
Application: Cultivate satya (truthfulness) and inner accountability; approach expiation as self-correction rather than display.
Khanda Section: Prāyaścitta & Śuddhi-vidhi (Expiation and Purificatory Rites)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual weighing (tulā) scene: the practitioner stands before a balance, invoking the Mother as judge—downward for sin, upward for purity—amid priests and ritual vessels.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat vibrant colors, ornate borders; a large balance scale in a shrine courtyard, priest reciting mantra, devotee with folded hands, Devi as witnessing presence above, sacred fire nearby, traditional ornaments and lamps.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf highlights; central balance scale with embossed gold, Devi as radiant witness, priest holding palm-leaf/rosary, ritual kalasha and lamps, rich reds and greens, symmetrical composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate linework and soft shading; instructional depiction of tulā rite with labeled elements (scale, priest, devotee), subtle haloed Devi motif, calm temple interior.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, fine detailing; court-like pavilion with a balance scale, officiants in white, devotee reciting, marginal floral motifs, a faint divine feminine figure in the sky as witness, controlled palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: yad+yasmi → yadi asmi; pāpakṛn+mātaḥ → pāpa-kṛt mātaḥ; śuddhaḥ+ced → śuddhaḥ cet; gamayo+ūrdhvam+mām → gamaya ūrdhvam mām; tulām+iti → tulām iti.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 254 (Prāyaścitta/Śuddhi-vidhi context); Agni Purana sections on śuddhi, snāna, and prāyaścitta procedures
FAQs
It gives the mantra-instruction for the tulā (weighing) rite used as a śuddhi-parīkṣā (test/verification of purity), where the practitioner invokes a downward result if sinful and an upward result if pure.
Beyond mythology, it preserves procedural dharma-knowledge: a compact, operational rule for a specific expiatory/purificatory rite (mantra + application), illustrating the text’s coverage of ritual technology and social-religious practice.
It frames purification as truth-verification before a higher moral order: the outcome is surrendered to dharma, aiming at removal of pāpa (sin) and confirmation of śuddhi (ritual and ethical purity).