व्यवहारमयूख (नीलकण्ठ भट्ट - पश्चिमी भारत की हिन्दू न्याय-संहिता एवं व्यवहार कोष)

74 VYAVAHĀRAMAYŪKHA
innocent. If he takes hold of adharma he loses (i. e. he is guilty).
In this way has been briefly declared the testing (of an accused) by
means of dharma and adharma.
Bṛhaspati* (p. 319 vv. 30-33) says —
'Dharma and adharma should be drawn on two leaves (respectively)
as white and dark. Having invoked them with mantras that infuse life
(into images¹) and with sāman hymns like the Gāyatra² and others
he should worship them with sandalwood paste and with white and dark
flowers. Having then sprinkled pañcagavya over them and having
placed them inside clay balls of equal size they (the clay balls) should
be placed unobserved in a jar. Then (the person performing this ordeal)
should quickly take out of the jar one of the balls. If dharma is drawn
then he is (to be declared) pure and should be honoured by those who
tested him.'
Now (begins) the procedure³ (in sequel of the various items in this
ordeal). Having drawn a white image of dharma and a dark one of
adharma on two leaves, having recited the mantra ām hrīm kraum
ham yam, ram, lam vam, śam ṣam sam hamso⁴, the prāṇas (life) of
dharma (may be present) here again, having recited the life of dharma
is again established here, having (ceremonially) endowed with life the painting
of dharma, with these words, 'may all the sense organs of dharma,
speech, mind, eyes, ears, smell and prāṇas (life-breaths) come here
happily dwell here long, svāhā,' and having invoked (dharma) with the
recitation of the Gāyatra sāman if it be known or if unknown, with the
recitation of the Gāyatrī mantra together with the Vyahṛtis⁵ and (the
sacred) syllable om, having worshipped dharma and adharma with a white
and a dark flower respectively having sprinkled pañcagavya (on the paint-
ings of dharma and adharma) after uttering om, having placed in two clay
balls dharma with the white flower and adharma with the dark flower he
(the judge) should place it in a fresh (unused) jar. The judge⁶ should then
perform the rites beginning with the invocation of dharma and ending with
the homa to fire and should tie on the head of the person to be cleared the
writing containing the subject-matter of dispute to the accompaniment of
(appropriate) mantra. The person to be cleared (of guilt) should say 'if
I am free from sin, may dharma come to my hand' and should take out

1. This refers to mantras that are prescribed for prāṇa-pratiṣṭhā (infusing life or
   endowing with godhead) of images. Vide notes to V. M. p. 112.
2. Vide Sāmaveda (B. I. ed. vol. V p. 601) for Gāyatra Sāman.
3. The whole of this prayoga to the end occurs verbatim in the Divyatattva of
   Raghunandana.
4. For these mystical words compare Agnipurāṇa chap. 21.
5. The Vyahṛtis are the mystic words bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ, svaḥ.
   P. 65 (text). 7 P. 37 (text).