Agni Purana

धन्विनो रक्षणार्थाय चर्मिणन्तु६ नियोजयेत् । स्वमन्त्रैः शस्त्रमभ्यर्च्य शास्त्रान्त्रैलोक्यमोहनं ।। २५२.

For the protection of the archer, one should appoint a shield-bearer; having worshipped the weapon with his own mantras, he should use the treatise that bewilders the three worlds.

अग्निरुवाच व्यवहारं प्रवक्षअयामि नयानयविवेकदं । चतुष्पाच्च चतुःस्थानश्चतुःसाधन उच्यते ।। २५३.

Agni spoke: I will explain legal procedure, which distinguishes right from wrong; it is said to have four feet, four bases, and four means.

चतुर्हितश्चतुर्व्यापी चतुष्कारी चकीत्तर्यते । अष्टाह्गोऽष्टादशपदः शतशाखस्तथैव च ।। २५३.

It is fourfold in benefit, fourfold in scope, fourfold in action, and thus is described; it has eight limbs, eighteen sections, and a hundred branches as well.

त्रियोनिर्द्व्यभियोगश्च द्विद्वारो द्विगतिस्तथा । धर्मश्च व्यवहारश्च चरित्रं राजशासनं ।। २५३.

There are three origins, two types of litigation, two gates, and two courses; dharma, legal procedure, custom, and royal command.

चतुष्पाद्व्यवहाराणामुत्तरः पूर्वसाधकः । तत्र सत्ये स्थितो धर्मो ब्यवहारस्तु साक्षिषु ।। २५३.

Of the four feet of legal procedure, the last confirms the first; in this, dharma stands in truth, and legal procedure rests upon witnesses.

चरित्रं सङ्‌ग्रहे पुंसां राजाज्ञायान्तु शासनं । सामाभ्युपायसाध्यत्वाच्चतुःसाधन उच्यते ।। २५३.

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.

चतुर्णामाश्रमाणाञ्च रक्षणात्स चतुर्हितः । कर्त्तारं साक्षइणश्चैव सत्यान्राजानमेव च ।। २५३.

Because it protects the four orders of life, it is fourfold in benefit; the doer, the witnesses, the truthful, and the king himself.

व्याप्नोते पादगो यस्माच्चतुर्व्यापी ततः स्मृतः । धर्मस्यार्थस्य यशसो लोकपङक्तेस्तथैव च ।। २५३.

Because the agent extends to four domains, it is known as fourfold in scope: dharma, wealth, fame, and the world’s welfare.

चतुर्णाङ्करणादेष चतुष्कारी प्रकीर्त्तितः । राजा स पुरुषः सभ्याः शास्त्रं गणकलेखकौ ।। २५३.

Because it is accomplished by four agents, it is called fourfold in action: the king, the person, the judges, the scripture, and the accountant and scribe.

हिरण्यमग्निरुदकमष्टाङ्गः समुदाहृतः । कामात् क्रोधाच्च लोभाच्च त्रिभ्यो यस्मात् प्रवर्त्तते ।। २५३.

Gold, fire, water—these are called the eight limbs; because it arises from desire, anger, and greed, from these three it proceeds.

त्रियोनिः कीर्त्यते तेन त्रयमेतद्विवादकृत् । द्व्यभियोगस्तु विज्ञेयः शङ्कातत्त्वाभियोगतः ।। २५३.

Three origins are thus described, and these three cause disputes; two types of litigation are to be known: arising from suspicion and from factual assertion.

शङ्काषड्‌भिस्तु संसर्गात्तत्त्वषोढ़ादिदर्शणात् । पज्ञद्वयाभिसम्बन्धाद्‌द्विद्वारः समुदाहृतः ।। २५३.

Suspicion arises from six kinds of contact, and factual assertion from seeing what is due; because of the connection of two kinds of knowledge, two gates are declared.

पूर्ववादस्तयोः पक्षः प्रतिपक्षस्त्वनन्तरः । भूतच्छलानुसारित्वाद्‌द्विगतिः समुदाहृता ।। २५३.

Of the two, the prior statement is the claim, and the counterclaim follows; because of following actual or deceptive grounds, two courses are declared.

ऋणन्देयमदेयञ्च येन यत्र यथा च यत् । दानग्रहणघर्मश्च ऋणादानमिति स्मृतम् ।। २५३.

Debt, what is to be given, what is not to be given, by whom, where, how, and what; giving, receiving, and obligation—this is called debt-taking.

स्वद्रव्यं यत्र विश्रम्भान्निक्षिपत्यविशङ्कितः । निक्षएपन्नामतत् प्रोक्तं व्यवहारपदम्बुधैः ।। २५३.

Where one deposits his own property in trust, without suspicion; this is called deposit, as named by the experts in legal procedure.

वणिक्प्रभृतयो यत्र कर्म सम्भूय कुर्वते । तत्सम्भूयसमुत्थानं व्यवहारपदं विदुः ।। २५३.

Where merchants and others join together to perform work; the arising from such joint action is known as a legal matter.

दत्त्वा द्रव्यञ्च चसम्यग्यः पुनरादातुमिच्छति । दत्त्वाप्रदानिकं नाम तद्विवादपदं स्मृतम् ।। २५३.

When one gives property properly and then wishes to take it back; this is called 'given but not returned,' and is regarded as a cause for dispute.

अभ्युपेत्य च शुश्रूषां यस्तां न प्रतिपद्यते । अशुश्रूषाब्युपेत्यैतद्विवादपदमुच्यते ।। २५३.

When one agrees to serve and does not fulfill that service; this is called 'failure to serve after agreement,' and is named as a cause for dispute.

भृत्यानां वेतनस्योक्तादानादानविधिक्रिया । वेतनस्यानपाकर्म तद्विवादपदं स्मृतम् ।। २५३.

The prescribed procedure for paying and receiving wages of servants; failure to pay wages is regarded as a cause for dispute.

निक्षिप्तं वा परद्रव्यं नष्टं लब्ध्वा प्रहृत्य वा । विक्रीयते परोक्षं यत् स ज्ञेयोऽस्वामिविक्रयः ।। २५३.

When someone finds lost or deposited property belonging to another, or takes it by force, and sells it secretly, that is to be known as the unauthorized sale of another's goods.

विक्रीय पण्यं मूल्येन क्रेत्रे यञ्च न दीयते । विक्रीयासम्प्रदानन्तद्विवादपदमुच्यते ।। २५३.

When an item is sold for a price but the payment is not given to the seller, that is called a dispute regarding the non-delivery after sale.

क्रीत्वा मूल्येन यत्पण्यं क्रेता न बहु मन्यते । क्रीत्वा मूल्येन यत् पण्यं दुष्क्रीतं मन्यतेक्रयी ।। २५३.

When a buyer, after purchasing an item for its price, is dissatisfied with it, or considers the purchased item to be defective, that is a dispute concerning a wrongful sale.

पाखण्डनैगमादीनां स्थितिः समय उच्यते । समयस्यानपाकर्म तद्विवादपदं स्मृतम् ।। २५३.

The established rules among heretics, merchants, and others are called agreements; violation of such agreements is regarded as a matter for dispute.

सेतुकेदारमर्य्यादाविकृष्टाकृष्टनिश्चयाः । शेत्राधिकारे यत्र स्युर्विवादः क्षेत्रजस्तु सः ।। २५३.

Where there are disputes about boundaries, embankments, field limits, or the distinction between cultivated and uncultivated land, that is called a dispute concerning land.

वैवाहिको विधिः स्त्रीणं यत्र पुंसाञ्च कीर्त्त्यते । स्त्रीपुंसंयोगसंज्ञन्तु तद्विवादपदं स्मृतम् ।। २५३.

Where the marriage rules for women and men are discussed, that is known as a dispute regarding the union of man and woman.

विभागोर्थस्य पैत्रस्य पुत्रैर्यस्तु प्रकल्प्यते । दायभागमिति प्रोक्तं विवादपदमुच्यते ।। २५३.

When sons divide ancestral property for the purpose of partition, that is called a dispute regarding inheritance.

सहसा क्रियते कर्म्म यत् किञ्चित् बलदर्पितैः । तत् साहसमिति प्रोक्तं विवादपदमुच्यते ।। २५३.

Whatever act is done suddenly by those filled with force or arrogance, that is called a violent act and is a matter for dispute.

देशजातिकुलादीनामाक्रोशत्यङ्गसंयुतम् । यद्वचः प्रतिकूलार्थं वाक्पारुष्यं तदुच्यते ।। २५३.

Any speech, accompanied by insults about country, caste, or family, that is hostile in meaning, is called verbal abuse.

परगात्रेष्वभिद्रोहो हस्तपादायुधादिभिः । अग्न्यादिभिश्चोपघातैर्दण्डपारुष्यमुच्यते ।। २५३.

Assault on another's body with hands, feet, weapons, or by means such as fire, is called physical abuse.