Hindu Administrative Institutions c10.s6.64

c10.s6.64

What the ancients understood by the institution of a law-suit is given in the *Agni Purāṇa*.¹ ‘A suit is determined by a reference to four things: (*chatuṣpāda*), is adjudicated with the help of four factors (*chatuṣsādhana*), has its root in the four places (*chatuṣsthānam*), proves beneficial to four classes of men (*chaturhita*), is connected with four different parties (*chaturvyāpin*), and benefits the society in a four-fold way (*chatuṣkari*). Similarly a law-suit involves the co-operation of eight persons (*aṣṭāṅga*) at the time of its trial, proceeds out of the eighteen causes of action (*aṣṭādaśapada*), is divided into a hundred subdivisions (*śataka*), owes its origin to three different sources (*triyoni*), admits of two sorts of statements (*dvyaviyoga*), is contested by two parties (*dvidvāra*), and is decided by the determination of two sorts of issue (*dvigati*).²