Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 9
Divya-pramāṇa-kathana
Explanation of Divine Proofs / Ordeals and Evidentiary Procedure
तान् सर्वान् समवाप्नोति यः साक्ष्यमनृतं वदेत् सुकृतं यत्त्वया किञ्चिज्जन्मान्तरशतैः कृतम्
tān sarvān samavāpnoti yaḥ sākṣyamanṛtaṃ vadet sukṛtaṃ yattvayā kiñcijjanmāntaraśataiḥ kṛtam
Quem profere falsidade como testemunho incorre em todos esses (pecados e consequências); e qualquer mérito que tenhas acumulado—ainda que pequeno—ao longo de centenas de nascimentos, é destruído/perdido.
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, within a Rajadharma/Vyavahāra instruction block)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Ethics of testimony: perjury collapses accumulated merit and draws the full burden of listed sins; used to admonish witnesses and litigants.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Perjury destroys merit and incurs all sin-consequences","lookup_keywords":["अनृत-साक्ष्य","साक्ष्य-धर्म","सुकृत-नाश","पाप-समवाप्ति","कर्म-फल"],"quick_summary":"False testimony makes one partake of the entire chain of sinful consequences and annihilates merit accumulated across many births."}
Concept: Satya as a pillar of dharma; karma is cumulative across births, yet perjury can negate long-stored punya.
Application: Treat testimony as a vow (vrata-like restraint): speak only what is directly known, avoid hearsay and bias.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Vyavahara (Judicial ethics and conduct in legal procedure)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A witness about to lie in court while a symbolic heap of past merits (like a glowing store) crumbles into ash, and shadowy consequences loom behind.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, courtroom with witness at center, behind him a fading golden aura (punya) turning dark, Yama-dutas faintly in background, strong contour lines, moral allegory","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, witness with anxious face, gold-leaf ‘punya’ glow diminishing, judge-king stern, symbolic balance tipping, ornate frame","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear moral illustration: merit as a pot of light cracking, perjury as dark smoke, restrained palette, didactic clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, interior court scene with subtle allegory—scroll of merits unraveling, dark clouds behind witness, fine facial expressions and detailed textiles"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sākṣyam anṛtam→sākṣyamanṛtam; yat tvayā→yattvayā; kiñcit janma-…→kiñcijjanma- (t+j→jj).
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma/Vyavahara admonitions to witnesses; Naraka-varnana linkage of sins to realms
FAQs
It imparts Vyavahāra-vidyā (judicial procedure ethics): a witness must not give anṛta (false testimony), as perjury brings severe demerit and legal-moral culpability.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana preserves applied dharma topics such as court procedure, witness standards, and social governance (Rajadharma), functioning as a practical compendium.
Perjury is presented as a major karmic fault that can negate accumulated sukṛta (merit) across many lifetimes and causes the speaker to bear comprehensive sinful consequences.