Agni Purana

व्यसनस्थमनाख्याय हस्तेऽन्यस्य यदर्पयेत् । द्रव्यं तदौपनिधिकं प्रतिदेयं तथैव तत् ।। २५४.

If someone in distress, without declaring it, places property in another's hand, that property is considered a deposit and must be returned in the same manner.

न दाप्योऽपहृतं तत्तु राजदैवकतस्करैः । प्रेपश्चेन्मार्गिते दत्ते दाप्यो दण्डश्च तत्समम् ।। २५४.

One is not liable to return property that has been taken away by the king, gods, or thieves; but if it is later found and given back after being sought, the person must restore it and pay an equivalent fine.

आजीवन् स्वेच्छया दण्ड्यो दाप्यस्तच्चापि सोदयं । याचितावाहितन्यासे निक्षेपेष्वप्ययं विधिः ।।२५४.

If someone has taken property for their own use, they must be punished for life and must return it with interest; this rule also applies to deposits that were entrusted or pledged, whether requested or not.

अग्निरुवाच तपस्विनो दानशीलाः कुलीनाः सत्यवादिनः । धर्म्मप्रधाना ऋजवः पुत्रवविते दवीविवुतीः ।। २५५.

Agni said: Ascetics, those devoted to charity, those of noble lineage, speakers of truth, those who prioritize righteousness, the upright, and those who have sons and grandsons—

पञ्चयज्ञक्रियायुक्ताः साक्षइणः पञ्च वा त्रयः । यथाजाति यथावर्ण सर्व्वे सर्व्वेषु वा स्मृताः ।। २५५.

Those engaged in the five sacrifices, those who are witnesses—five, or three, according to their birth and class—all are considered valid in all matters.

स्त्रीवृद्धबालकितवमत्तोन्मत्ताभिशस्तकाः । रङ्गावतारिपाषण्डिकूटकृद्विकलेन्द्रियाः ।। २५५.

Women, the elderly, children, gamblers, intoxicated or insane persons, the accused, actors, heretics, forgers, and those with impaired senses—

पतिताप्तान्नसम्बन्धिसहायरिपुतस्कराः । असाक्षिणः सर्व्वसाक्षई चौर्य्यपारुष्यसाहसे ।। २५५.

The fallen, those who eat with outcasts, associates, companions, enemies, thieves, those without witnesses, and all witnesses in cases of theft, abuse, or violence—

उभयानुमतः साक्षई भवत्येकोपि धर्म्मवित । अब्रुवन् हिनरः साक्षअयमृणं सदशबन्धकम् ।। २५५.

A witness is valid if both parties agree, even if there is only one who knows righteousness; if a man does not speak as a witness, he is always bound by the debt of silence.

राज्ञा सर्वं प्रदाप्यः स्यात् षट्‌चत्वारिंशकेऽहनि । न ददाति हि यः साक्षअयं जानन्नपि नराधमः ।। २५५.

He must pay everything to the king on the forty-sixth day; the wicked man who, though knowing, does not give witness—

स कूटसाक्षइणआं पापैस्तुल्यो दण्डेन चैव हि । साक्षिणः श्रावयेद्वादिप्रतिवादिसमीपगान् ।। २५५.

He is equal in sin and punishment to false witnesses; witnesses should be made to testify in the presence of both plaintiff and defendant.

ये पातककृतां लोका महापातकिनां तथा । अग्निदानाञ्च ये लोका ये च स्त्रीबालघातिनां ।। २५५.

The worlds attained by those who commit great sins, by arsonists, and by killers of women and children—

तान् सर्व्वान् समवाप्नोति यः साक्ष्यमनृतं वदेत् । सुकृतं यत्त्वाया किञअचिज्जन्मान्तरशतैः कृतम् ।। २५५.

All these worlds are reached by one who gives false testimony; whatever merit he has gained in hundreds of previous births—

तस्तर्वं तस्य जानीहि यं पराजयसे मृषा । द्वैधे बहूनां वचनं समेषु गुणइनान्तथा ।। २५५.

Know that all of it is lost if you defeat someone by lying; when there is a division of opinion among many, the view of those with greater virtue prevails.

गुणिद्वैधे तु वचनं ग्राह्यं ये गुणवत्तराः । यस्योचुः साक्षइणः सत्यां प्रतिज्ञां स जयी भवेत् ।। २५५.

When there is a tie in virtue, the testimony of those who are more virtuous should be accepted; the one for whom the witnesses affirm a true oath is victorious.

अन्यथा वादिनो यस्य ध्रुवस्तस्य पराजयः उक्तेपि साक्षइभिः साक्ष्ये यद्यन्ये गुणवत्तराः ।। २५५.

Otherwise, the one whose witnesses are less virtuous is certainly defeated; even if witnesses have spoken, if others are more virtuous, their word prevails.

द्विगुणावान्यथा ब्रयुः कूटाः स्यु पूर्वसाक्षइणः । पृथक् पृथग्दण्डनीयाः कूटकृत्साक्षइणस्तथा ।। २५५.

If the later witnesses, being twice as many, speak differently, the earlier witnesses are considered false; forgers and false witnesses should be punished separately.

विवादाद् द्विगुणं दण्डं विवास्यो ब्राह्मणः स्मृतः । यः साक्ष्यं श्रावितोऽन्येभ्यो निह्नते तत्तमोवृतः ।। २५५.

In disputes, a double fine is prescribed; a Brahmin should be banished if, after being summoned to testify, he conceals the truth, being covered by darkness.

स दाप्योष्टगुणं दण्डं ब्राह्मणन्तु विवासयेत् । वर्णिनां हि बधो यत्र तत्र साक्ष्यऽनृतं वदेत् ।। २५५.

He must pay an eightfold fine, and a Brahmin should be banished; wherever a person of any class gives false testimony, imprisonment is prescribed.

यः कश्चिदर्थोऽभिमतः स्वरुकच्या तु परस्परं । लेख्यं तु साक्षिमत् कार्य्यं तस्मिन् धनिकपूर्वकम् ।। २५५.

Whatever matter is mutually agreed upon by both parties, it should be documented with witnesses, and the lender should be mentioned first.

समामासतदर्द्धाहर्न्नामजातिस्वगोत्रजैः । सब्रह्मचारिकात्मीयपितृनामादिचिह्नितम् ।। २५५.

It should be written in full, with the name, caste, lineage, and family of the debtor, as well as the names of his fellow students and relatives, and the marks of his ancestors at the beginning.

समाप्तेऽर्थे ऋणी नाम स्वहस्तेन निवेशयेत् । मतं मेऽमुकपुत्रस्य यदत्रोपरिलेखितं ।। २५५.

When the matter is concluded, the debtor should write his name in his own hand; and whatever is written here is considered the opinion of my son so-and-so.

साक्षइणश्च स्वहस्तेन पितृनामकर्पूर्वकम् । अत्राहममुकः साक्षी लिखेयुरिति र्ते समाः ।। २५५.

The witness should also write, in his own hand, his father's name and family; and here I, so-and-so, am a witness—this should be written, unless there is a valid reason not to.

अलिपिज्ञ ऋणी यः स्याल्लेखयेत् स्वमतन्तु सः । साक्षी वा साक्षइणान्येन सर्वसाक्षिसमीपतः ।। २५५.

If the debtor is illiterate, he should state his intention, and a witness or another person in the presence of all witnesses should write it.

उभयाभ्यर्थिनैतन्मया ह्यमुकसूनुना । लिखितं ह्यमुकेनेति लेखकोऽथान्ततो लिखेत ।। २५५.

This document has been written at the request of both parties, by me, the son of so-and-so; thus, at the end, the scribe should write: 'Written by so-and-so.'

विनापि साक्षिभिर्ल्लेख्यं स्वहस्तलिखितञ्च यत् । तत् प्रमाणं स्मृतं सर्वं बलोपधिकृतादृते ।। २५५.

Even without witnesses, a document written in one's own hand is considered valid evidence in all cases, except when obtained by force or fraud.

ऋणं लेख्यकृतं देयं पुरुषैस्त्रिभिरेव तु । आधिस्तु भुज्यते तावद्यावत्तन्न प्रदीयते ।। २५५.

A debt established by a written document should be paid by three persons; a pledge is to be enjoyed until it is returned.

देशान्तरस्थे दुर्ल्लेख्ये नष्टोन्मृष्टे हृते तथा । भिन्ने च्छिन्ने तथा दग्धे लेख्यमन्यत्तु कारयेत् ।। २५५.

If the document is in another country, difficult to read, lost, erased, stolen, broken, torn, or burned, another document should be prepared.

सन्दिग्धार्थविशुद्ध्यर्थं स्वहस्तलिखितं तु यत् । युक्तिप्राप्तिक्रियाचिह्नसम्बन्धागमहेतुभिः ।। २५५.

To clarify a doubtful matter, a document written in one's own hand should be supported by logical reasoning, proper procedure, marks of action, connection, and cause.

लेख्येस्य पृष्ठेऽभिलिखेत् प्रविष्टमघमर्णिनः । धनी चोपगतं दद्यात् स्वहस्तपरिचिह्नितम् ।। २५५.

On the back of the document, it should be written that the debtor has entered the debt; and the creditor, upon receiving payment, should give a receipt marked with his own hand.