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

57 VYAVAHĀRAMAYŪKHA
pleased to save, according to the dictates of dharma, him who is now
under suspicion. You surpass in truth gods, demons and mortals, oh
lord, your word is true in making clear what is pure and sinful The
sun, the moon ( the same verse as above at p 50 )
Pitāmaha says
A worthy brāhmaṇa proficient in astronomy should examine the time
The time of five vināḍīs ¹ should be calculated by those who are
experts in measuring the time of examination by ordeals. The king
should appoint as superintendents ( over the calculation of time ) worthy
brāhmaṇas who speak out as they see who are learned pure not covetous
All the superintendents ( the brāhmaṇas ) declare to the king the puri-
fication ( by ordeal ) or otherwise
Vināḍyah means 'palas' in accordance with the smṛti
The period required for ( repeating ) ten long letters is called prāṇa
and vināḍikā is equal to six prāṇas
Nārada ( p 207 v 283 ) says
If the person weighed in the balance is seen to go up ( i e to be
lighter than what he formerly weighed ) there is no doubt that he is in-
nocent but a man who weighs the same or goes down ( i e weighs
more ) would not be innocent
Vṛddhi means going up hāni means going down Pitāmaha says :
The man whose guilt is light weighs the same while he whose guilt
is great goes down ( weighs more )
*Guilt is ( said to be ) light when the offence is the first one and not done
of set purpose, but where by the very words of the writing put on the head
( of the person weighed ) it is ascertained that it was a first offence and
committed without set purpose and where the only question was whether he
was a guilty person if after undergoing the ordeal he weighs the same, the
ordeal has again to be gone through since it is impossible ( in such a case )
to infer ( from the fact of the same weight in both cases ) that the guilt
was light Hence Bṛhaspati ( p 317 v 19 ) says
He who weighs the same as before should be weighed again and he
who goes up ( weighs less ) becomes victorious
Kātyāyana mentions other reasons for again going through the ordeal
The person should be again weighed when the scales snap or the ( beam
of the ) balance breaks or the ropes give way and when there is a doubt
about the innocence ( of the man )

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1 A vināḍī ( or pala ) is built thus time spent in reciting 60 long syllables, 60
Vināḍīs make a Ghaṭī or Ghaṭikā the prāṇa was to ...
P 51 (text)