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

66 VYAVAHĀRAMAYŪKHA
Now (begins) the method of the water ordeal
Pitāmaha (says)
Henceforward I shall declare the ancient and proper method of water
(ordeal) A wise (judge) should get a circle (of ground) prepared (cow
dunged) He should piously worship arrows with incense and lamps and a
bamboo bow with auspicious rites, flowers and incense and then carry on the
rites (connected with the ordeal)
The word dhūpadīpābhyām (with incense and lamp) is to be connected
with the words śarān sampūjayet (he should worship the arrows) And
the worship is to be performed in the (cow-dunged) circle Nārada (p. 112
v 307) speaks of the lengths of bows
A formidable bow measures 107 (aṅgulas) a middling one is declared
to be 106 in length and a feeble (of lowest length) one is known to be
105 This is the detail about bows. A clever man, placing a target at
(the distance of) 150 cubits (from himself) should discharge three arrows
with a middling bow
Saptaśatam means 'hundred and seven aṅgulas In the same way
are to be explained ṣaṭśatam and pañcaśatam Kātyāyana says
He should employ for the purpose of purification (by water ordeal)
arrows the points of which are not made of iron but of pieces of bamboo,
while the person discharging (the arrows) should discharge them forcibly
Nārada (p. 257 v 53 p 258 v 51 and p 258 v 58) says —
Having gone to a reservoir of water one should erect on its bank a
toraṇa as high as the ear (of the person performing ordeal) on a holy and
even plot of land He having his mind composed should first offer worship to
Varuṇa with fragrant sandal paste and flowers and with honey milk and
ghee. A strong man, either a Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya or Vaiśya free
from love or hatred (for the person undergoing ordeal) should be made to
stand like a post in water as deep as his navel.
Pitāmaha says —
The king should first make a person hold the post (of a sacred tree like
khadira) and stand in water facing the east and having made the person
who performs the ordeal to stand in water he (the king) should invoke
the gods and should recite mantras before the water
Devān means dharma and the rest He should perform (the rites)
beginning with the invocation of dharma and ending with the placing of the

• P. 77 (text).