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
సాక్ష్యంగా అసత్యం పలికేవాడు ఆ సమస్త (దుష్ఫల)ాలను పొందుతాడు; అలాగే నీవు వందల జన్మల్లో కొద్దిగా అయినా సంపాదించిన పుణ్యం అంతా నశిస్తుంది।
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.