Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 37
Divya-pramāṇa-kathana
Explanation of Divine Proofs / Ordeals and Evidentiary Procedure
यद्यस्मि पापकृन्मातस्ततो मां त्वमधो नय शुद्धश्चेद्गमयोर्ध्वम्मां तुलामित्यभिमन्त्रयेत्
yadyasmi pāpakṛnmātastato māṃ tvamadho naya śuddhaścedgamayordhvammāṃ tulāmityabhimantrayet
หากข้าพเจ้าเป็นผู้ทำบาป โอพระมารดา ขอทรงนำข้าพเจ้าลงต่ำ; แต่หากข้าพเจ้าบริสุทธิ์ ขอทรงนำข้าพเจ้าขึ้นสูง—พึงสวดมนต์นี้ในพิธีชั่งน้ำหนัก (ตุลา)
Lord Agni (narrating purificatory procedures to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Use as a spoken formula during the tulā (weighing) ordeal/rite to invoke a moral-ritual verdict of purity vs. sin, framing the act as a self-submitted test under the Mother’s adjudication.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Mantra","entry_title":"Tulā-vidhi Mantra for Śuddhi (Upward/Downward Verdict)","lookup_keywords":["tulā-vidhi","śuddhi","prāyaścitta","mātṛ-mantra","ordeal"],"quick_summary":"Recite a conditional mantra during the weighing rite: if sinful, be taken downward; if pure, be raised upward—ritually externalizing conscience and karmic accountability."}
Concept: Karma is self-attested through ritual truth-testing; purity is not claimed but submitted to a higher witnessing principle.
Application: Cultivate satya (truthfulness) and inner accountability; approach expiation as self-correction rather than display.
Khanda Section: Prāyaścitta & Śuddhi-vidhi (Expiation and Purificatory Rites)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual weighing (tulā) scene: the practitioner stands before a balance, invoking the Mother as judge—downward for sin, upward for purity—amid priests and ritual vessels.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat vibrant colors, ornate borders; a large balance scale in a shrine courtyard, priest reciting mantra, devotee with folded hands, Devi as witnessing presence above, sacred fire nearby, traditional ornaments and lamps.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf highlights; central balance scale with embossed gold, Devi as radiant witness, priest holding palm-leaf/rosary, ritual kalasha and lamps, rich reds and greens, symmetrical composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate linework and soft shading; instructional depiction of tulā rite with labeled elements (scale, priest, devotee), subtle haloed Devi motif, calm temple interior.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, fine detailing; court-like pavilion with a balance scale, officiants in white, devotee reciting, marginal floral motifs, a faint divine feminine figure in the sky as witness, controlled palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: yad+yasmi → yadi asmi; pāpakṛn+mātaḥ → pāpa-kṛt mātaḥ; śuddhaḥ+ced → śuddhaḥ cet; gamayo+ūrdhvam+mām → gamaya ūrdhvam mām; tulām+iti → tulām iti.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 254 (Prāyaścitta/Śuddhi-vidhi context); Agni Purana sections on śuddhi, snāna, and prāyaścitta procedures
FAQs
It gives the mantra-instruction for the tulā (weighing) rite used as a śuddhi-parīkṣā (test/verification of purity), where the practitioner invokes a downward result if sinful and an upward result if pure.
Beyond mythology, it preserves procedural dharma-knowledge: a compact, operational rule for a specific expiatory/purificatory rite (mantra + application), illustrating the text’s coverage of ritual technology and social-religious practice.
It frames purification as truth-verification before a higher moral order: the outcome is surrendered to dharma, aiming at removal of pāpa (sin) and confirmation of śuddhi (ritual and ethical purity).