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XI, 25.
THE DUTIES OF A KING.
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19. His administration of justice (shall be regulated by) the Veda, the Institutes of the Sacred Law, the Angas, and the Purâna.
20. The laws of countries, castes, and families, which are not opposed to the (sacred) records, (have) also authority
21. Cultivators, traders, herdsmen, money-lenders, and artisans (have authority to lay down rules) for their respective classes.
22. Having learned the (state of) affairs from those who (in each class) have authority (to speak he shall give) the legal decision.
23. Reasoning is a means for arriving at the truth.
24. Coming to a conclusion through that, he shall decide properly.
25. If (the evidence) is conflicting, he shall learn (the truth) from (Brâhmanas) who are well versed in
19. The Angas, i.e. the six auxiliary branches of learning mentioned above, VIII, 5. My best copy inserts 'the Upavedas after the Angas. But the words upavedâh and dharmasastrâni, the institutes of law,' are probably interpolations. For the latter are already included by the term Anga, as part of the Kalpa.
20. Âpastamba II, 6, 15, 1; Manu VII, 203 ; VIII, 41, 46; Yagñavalkya I, 342. The sacred) records, i.e. the Vedas and the rest.'-Haradatta.
22. Having learned, i.e. having heard and considered, from them, i.e. from men of those classes, according to their authority, i. e. from those who in each class are authorised to give decisions, the (state of) affairs, i.e. the peculiar customs, the legal decision must be given in accordance with that which they declare to be the rule in their community.'-Hararlatta.
23. Manu VIII, 44; XII, 105-106; Macnaghten, Mitakshara II, 8, 8. Haradatta remarks, that this Sätra refers to the case where the spokesmen of a guild may be suspected of partiality.
25. Manu XII, 108-113. According to Haradatta this Sûtra refers to particularly difficult cases.
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