O best of listeners, hear now a vivid account of the ancient arts of weaponry and the sacred procedures of justice, as set forth in the venerable Agni Purāṇa. First, the treatise describes the many techniques of battle, each weapon with its own distinct methods. The mace, mighty and formidable, is wielded with turns and counter-turns, the foot raised high, sudden leaps, the crushing force of a swan’s beak, and the pressing down upon the foe. The axe, fierce in combat, is marked by the deadly blow, the biting leap, the hand flung in attack, the steadfast stance, and the empty-handed feint. The mallet, O brāhmin, is used for striking, cutting, and pulverizing, as well as for leaping and striking down the adversary. The sling and the club have their own actions: exhaustion and rest, the cow-release, and maneuvers most difficult to master. The club and the mace employ the final blow, the middle strike, the reversed attack, and the ordered sequence of movements. The sword, swift and sharp, is used for seizing, cutting, killing, forceful lifting, and extending, as well as for striking down and smashing. Missiles and mechanical devices are employed to frighten, protect, and kill, with forceful lifting and extension as their hallmarks. There are techniques of abandonment, the biting attack, and the boar’s tossing; carrying and holding with one or both hands is also taught. Binding with both hands and arms, raising at the waist, striking the chest and forehead, and twisting the arms—all these are part of the warrior’s art. There is also the gentle embrace of the limbs, and the reversal of the limbs in combat. Further, one learns the upward strike, the killing blow, the cow’s urine posture, attacks from the left and right, the staff for crossing obstacles, and the Karavīra staff, all used to confuse the enemy. There are sideways bindings, the Apāmārga technique, terrible force, the Sudarshana move, and the leaps of lion, elephant, and ass. The actions of the mace and the techniques of wrestling are many: pulling, twisting, and the root holds of the arms. Warriors turn the neck, break the back in terrifying fashion, reverse and counter-reverse, and perform the slaughter of sheep and goats. They strike with the foot, smash, raise at the waist, embrace the body, mount the shoulder, and sweep the ground. They strike the chest and forehead, make their intentions clear, toss up and shake down, and move along a transverse path. Combatants may throw down from an elephant’s shoulder, turn away, follow the divine path, descend the downward path, or confuse by moving in the wrong direction. They strike with a staff, throw down, tear up the earth, bind the knees, arms, and limbs with terrifying skill. Striking from behind, with water, shining brightly, and binding the arms—such actions are performed in battle, with armor and weapons, by elephants and others. On the elephant, the best goad is held, one at the neck, two at the shoulders, two archers, and two sword-bearers are stationed. On a chariot, in battle, and on an elephant, there are three horsemen; three archers are assigned for the horse’s protection. For the archer’s protection, a shield-bearer is appointed; after worshipping the weapon with his own mantras, he should employ the treatise that bewilders the three worlds. Now, O wise one, Agni himself speaks on the sacred procedures of justice, which distinguish right from wrong. Legal procedure is said to have four feet, four bases, and four means. It is fourfold in benefit, scope, and action; it has eight limbs, eighteen sections, and a hundred branches. Disputes arise from three origins—desire, anger, and greed; there are two types of litigation: one arising from suspicion, the other from factual assertion. Two gates open through two kinds of knowledge, and two courses are declared, following either actual or deceptive grounds. Of the four feet of legal procedure, the last confirms the first; in this, dharma stands in truth, and legal procedure rests upon witnesses. Custom is the collective conduct of people, and royal command is the king’s order; because it is accomplished by four means, it is so called. It protects the four orders of life and thus is fourfold in benefit: the doer, the witnesses, the truthful, and the king himself. The agent’s scope extends to four domains: dharma, wealth, fame, and the world’s welfare. Four agents accomplish the process: the king, the person, the judges, the scripture, and the accountant and scribe. Gold, fire, and water are among its eight limbs. Three origins—desire, anger, and greed—are the root of disputes. Litigation arises either from suspicion (born of six kinds of contact) or from seeing what is due. In legal disputes, the prior statement is the claim, and the counterclaim follows; two courses are declared, based on actual or deceptive grounds. Matters of debt—what is to be given or not, by whom, where, how, and what—along with giving, receiving, and obligation, are all called debt-taking. When one deposits property in trust, without suspicion, this is called deposit. When merchants and others join together for work, the matters arising are legal issues. If one gives property properly and then seeks to take it back, this is ‘given but not returned,’ a cause for dispute. When one agrees to serve and fails to fulfill it, this is ‘failure to serve after agreement,’ another cause for dispute. The prescribed procedures for paying and receiving wages of servants are also set forth; failure to pay wages is regarded as a cause for dispute. Thus, O seeker, are the arts of battle and the procedures of justice established—each with its proper form and purpose—so that society may be protected, order maintained, and righteousness prevail.