法苑珠林 91.84

91.84

唐王玄策行傳云。摩伽陀國法。若犯罪者。不加拷掠。唯以神稱之。稱人之法。以物與人輕重相似者。置稱一頭。人處一頭。兩頭衡平者。又作一符。亦以別物。等其輕重。即以符繫人項上。以所稱別物添前物。若人無罪。即稱物頭重。若人有罪則物頭輕。據此輕重以善惡科罪。剜眼截腕。斬指刖足。視犯輕重。以行其刑。若小罪負債之流等。並鎖其兩脚用為罰罪。

The travel account of Wang Xuance of the Tang dynasty says: According to the laws of Magadha, when someone commits a crime, they do not subject them to beatings or torture, but merely weigh them with a divine balance. The method of weighing a person is to place an object of weight similar to the person at one end of the balance, while the person stands at the other end. When both ends balance evenly, a talisman is also made, and its weight is likewise equalized with another object. The talisman is then tied around the person's neck, and the additional object that was weighed is added to the first object. If the person is innocent, the end with the objects will become heavier; if the person is guilty, the end with the objects will become lighter. Based on this difference in weight, punishment is assigned according to good and evil: gouging out eyes, severing wrists, chopping off fingers, or amputating feet—the punishment is carried out in accordance with the severity of the offense. For minor offenses, debtors, and the like, both their feet are shackled as punishment for their crimes.