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
ಅವನು ಪಾಪದಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ದಂಡದಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಕಪಟಸಾಕ್ಷಿಗಳ ಸಮಾನನೇ; ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ವಾದಿ–ಪ್ರತಿವಾದಿಗಳ ಸಮೀಪದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಸಾಕ್ಷಿಗಳನ್ನು ಅಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಸಾಕ್ಷ್ಯ ಹೇಳಿಸಬೇಕು।
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.