The minor law books: The minor law books (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1889)

82

NARADA.

I, 156.

merchants, other) artizans or merchants shall be wit-
nesses ; and members of an association’ among other
members of the same association ; persons living
outside among those living outside; and women
among women.
* 156. And if in a company (of artizans or guild of
merchants) or in any other association any one falls
out (with his associates), they must not bear witness
against him ; for they all are his enemies.
12. Incompetent Witnesses.
*''157. The incompetent witnesses, too, have in
this law-book been declared by the learned to be of
five sorts : under a text of law, and on account of
depravity, of contradiction, of uncalled-for deposi-
tion, and of intervening decease.
* 158. Learned Brahmans, devotees, aged persons,
and ascetics, are those incapacitated under a text of
law; there is no (special) reason given for it.
*159. Thieves, robbers, dangerous characters,

for hire shall be witnesses for other members of the same associa-
tion. Outcasts shall be witnesses for other low-caste persons.
Women shall be witnesses where two women quarrel with one
another. In all these cases, the qualities of the witnesses need
not be tested. A. Manu VIII, 68; Vasish/Z^a XVI, 30.
156. If in a company of traders any one member should con-
tract an enmity towards the other members of it, they are unworthy
to bear testimony against or about him, on account of their enmity
towards him. Here ends the chapter on witnesses, the tenth
section of the law of debt. A.
158. The reason why the persons referred to in this paragraph
are excluded seems to lie in their entire renunciation of earthly
interests, which renders them unfit to appear in a court of justice.
See Manu VIII, 65, where ‘ one dead to the world’ is mentioned
among the incompetent witnesses, and other parallel passages.