[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Polity, law and society](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity) › [State and Government in Ancient India](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.altekar-1949) › c19.s1.47 # State and Government in Ancient India c19.s1.47 State and Government in Ancient India c19.s1.47 - **Language:** English ### [c19.s1.47](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.altekar-1949.c19.s1.47) just and the innocent. The Smṛiti ordeals were not quite irrational. It was only when no other evidence was available, that a party was permitted to establish his case by an ordeal. In the fire ordeal as described in \*Yājñavalkya\*. II. 103, seven green leaves of \*palāśa\* were placed on the palm of the party and then, after the recitation of the Mantras, which prayed God Fire to protect the party if he was innocent, a red hot iron ball was placed on the palm of his hand and the party was required to take seven steps and then throw out the ball. His hand was then covered and tied in a piece of cloth, and if after three days, no injury was noticed, he was pronounced to be in the right. An age which believed in divine intervention naturally did not regard this procedure as irrational. The ordeals by water, poison and weighment were of the same nature and allowed reasonable chance to an innocent man to come out successful. For want of space we cannot describe them in details. - [Previous: c19.s1.46](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.altekar-1949.c19.s1.46) - [Next: c19.s1.48](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.altekar-1949.c19.s1.48) - [Up: c19.s1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.altekar-1949.c19.s1) ## Linked texts (1) - [Yājñavalkyasmṛti](https://indike.org/pramana/in.niti.dharma.yajnavalkya.2.103) — Yājñavalkya, Sanskrit --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.altekar-1949.c19.s1.47](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.altekar-1949.c19.s1.47) · Pramāṇa