Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 3
Divya-pramāṇa-kathana
Explanation of Divine Proofs / Ordeals and Evidentiary Procedure
स्त्रीवृद्धबालकितवमत्तोन्मत्ताभिशस्तकाः रङ्गावतारिपाषण्डिकूटकृद्विकलेन्द्रियाः
strīvṛddhabālakitavamattonmattābhiśastakāḥ raṅgāvatāripāṣaṇḍikūṭakṛdvikalendriyāḥ
女性、きわめて老いた者、子ども、賭博者、酩酊者、狂乱者、告発または譴責を受ける者、舞台の演者、異端の徒、偽造者、ならびに諸能力の損なわれた者は、（証言などの正式な法的事柄において）不適格者とみなされる。
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.