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
Para mulheres, crianças, idosos, cegos, coxos, brâmanes e doentes, a ordália é pela balança (pesagem). Para um Śūdra, pode ser pelo fogo ardente; ou, alternativamente, pelo veneno—na medida de sete grãos de cevada.
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.