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

FIRE ORDEAL 61
If the foot of the person to be cleared be more than sixteen angulas in
length, * then the intervening space (between two circles) would be less
than sixteen angulas; if the foot of the person to be cleared be less than
sixteen angulas, then inside the circle of sixteen angulas another circle
of the length (i e diameter) of his own foot should be drawn As to
what Nārada reads after the words ' ' in this way two hundred angulas ' ,
viz 'forty more of the ground calculated in angulas' (Nārada 1 286),
that has to be interpreted as leaving out of calculation that part of the
ground that is covered by the space intervening between the eighth and
ninth circles, as (that space) was not to be traversed (by the person
performing the ordeal) Similarly the reading of Kalpataru ¹ '(plus)
twenty-four (angulas) is declared to be the allotment of ground' has
to be interpreted as stating the extent of angulas after omitting (from
calculation) the first circle in which (the person undergoing the ordeal)
has to stand
In each circle are to be placed kus'as as laid down by the śāstras
and the settled rule is that the person performing the ordeal should
plant his foot on them
In the Mitākṣarā and the Madanaratna (we read) 'he should offer into
fire ghee 108 times as a propitiatory rite' and Vijñānes'vara says that this
homa should be accompanied with the mantra 'agnaye pāvakāya svāhā'
(oblation to fire, the purifier) Nārada says (p 109 vv 288-289) :
A person who is a blacksmith by very birth (caste), who is clever in
kindling fire and who has seen the procedure (of fire ordeal) on other
occasions should heat in fire a ball of iron till it becomes red hot and
emits sparks and should guard it (from profane touch)
Pitāmaha says
He should heat in fire on all sides an iron ball of eight angulas and
weighing fifty palas ² having made it even and without edges
† The Kālikāpurāṇa says .
The king should give to the person charged a rounded iron piece
weighing fifty palas and twelve angulas long and, blown redhot.
S'ankha--likhita declare that the (iron) ball is to weigh sixteen palas 'or
having held in his folded hands an (iron) ball of sixteen palas, covered

1. This oft-quoted work was composed by Laksmidhara under the Kanoj ruler
   Govindacandra (1104-1155 A D.) Vide History of Dharmas'āstra pp 315-318.
2. Each pala weighed 320 guñjas according to the Līlāvatī. Vide notes to V. M
   p 104 According to Raghunandana, 20 palas were equal to 66 tolas, five māṣas and four
   guñjas and 12 guñjas were equal to one māṣa and eight māṣas equal to one tola. Vide
   notes to V. M p 111.

• P. 70 (text), † P. 71(text),