Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c13.s5.25

v1.c13.s5.25

Śukrāchārya makes provisions for various kinds of ordeals, while describing what he terms the *divya* method of trial. "In the matter of decision of cases by the *divya*, fire, poison, vessel, water, virtue and vice, rice and oath—these are prescribed by the sages". He describes the fire ordeal thus: "The (accused) has to walk nine steps with a hot ball of iron in the hand or has to walk seven steps on hot charcoal, or has to take out a quantity of iron placed in hot oil by the hand, or has to lick by the tongue a very hot iron plate".¹