Astrology: The Physiognomy of Men

Verse 1 (garuda.1.63.1)

॥हरिरुवाच ॥ नरस्त्रीलक्षणं वक्ष्ये संक्षपाच्छृणु शङ्कर ॥ अस्वेदिनौ मृदुतलौ कमलोदरसन्निभौ

.hariruvāca . narastrīlakṣaṇaṁ vakṣye saṁkṣapācchṛṇu śaṅkara . asvedinau mṛdutalau kamalodarasannibhau

Hari said: O Shankara, I shall now describe the characteristics of men and women; listen briefly. Feet that do not sweat, with soft soles resembling the inside of a lotus,

Verse 2 (garuda.1.63.2)

श्लिष्टाङ्गुली ताम्रनखौ सुगुल्फौ शिरयोज्झितौ ॥ कूर्मोन्नतौ च चरणौ स्यातां नृपवरस्य हि

śliṣṭāṅgulī tāmranakhau sugulphau śirayojjhitau . kūrmonnatau ca caraṇau syātāṁ nṛpavarasya hi

with joined toes, copper-colored nails, fine ankles, free of visible veins, and arched like a tortoise's back — such feet certainly belong to the finest of kings.

Verse 3 (garuda.1.63.3)

विरूक्षपाण्डुरनखौ वक्रौ चैव शिरानतौ ॥ सूर्पाकारौ च चरणौ संशुष्कौ विरलाङ्गुली

virūkṣapāṇḍuranakhau vakrau caiva śirānatau . sūrpākārau ca caraṇau saṁśuṣkau viralāṅgulī

Rough feet with pale nails, crooked and marked with visible veins, shaped like a winnowing fan, dried up, with widely spaced toes —

Verse 4 (garuda.1.63.4)

दुः खदारिद्यदौ स्याता नात्र कार्य्यां विचारणा ॥ अल्परोमयुता श्रेष्ठा जङ्घा हस्तिकरोपमा

duḥ khadāridyadau syātā nātra kāryyāṁ vicāraṇā . alparomayutā śreṣṭhā jaṅghā hastikaropamā

these bring sorrow and poverty; there is no need for doubt about this. Thighs with sparse hair, shaped like an elephant's trunk, are excellent.

Verse 5 (garuda.1.63.5)

रोमैकैकं कूपके स्याद्भूपानां तु महात्मनाम् ॥ द्वेद्वे रोम्णी पण्डितानां श्रोत्रियाणां तथैव च

romaikaikaṁ kūpake syādbhūpānāṁ tu mahātmanām . dvedve romṇī paṇḍitānāṁ śrotriyāṇāṁ tathaiva ca

One hair per pore is the mark of great-souled kings. Two hairs per pore likewise belongs to scholars and to those learned in the Vedas.

Verse 6 (garuda.1.63.6)

रोमत्रयं दरिद्राणां रोगी निर्मांसजानुकः ॥ अल्पलिङ्गी च धनवान्स्याच्च पुत्रादिवर्जितः

romatrayaṁ daridrāṇāṁ rogī nirmāṁsajānukaḥ . alpaliṅgī ca dhanavānsyācca putrādivarjitaḥ

Three hairs per pore belong to the poor; one with fleshless knees is diseased. One with a small phallus becomes wealthy but devoid of sons and the like;

Verse 7 (garuda.1.63.7)

स्थूललिङ्गो दरिद्रः स्यादुख्येकवृष्णी भवेत् ॥ विषमेस्त्रीचञ्चलो वै नृपः स्याद्वृषणे समे

sthūlaliṅgo daridraḥ syādukhyekavṛṣṇī bhavet . viṣamestrīcañcalo vai nṛpaḥ syādvṛṣaṇe same

one with a large phallus becomes poor; one with a single testicle becomes a leading man. One with uneven testicles is fickle regarding women; one with equal testicles becomes a king.

Verse 8 (garuda.1.63.8)

प्रलम्बवृषणोऽल्पायुर्निर्द्रव्यः कुमणिर्भवेत् ॥ पाण्डुरैर्मलिनैश्चैव मणिभिश्च सुखी नरः

pralambavṛṣaṇo'lpāyurnirdravyaḥ kumaṇirbhavet . pāṇḍurairmalinaiścaiva maṇibhiśca sukhī naraḥ

One with pendulous testicles is short-lived, devoid of wealth, and possesses inferior gems. Even with dull and tarnished gems, a person remains content.

Verse 9 (garuda.1.63.9)

निः स्वाः सशब्दमूत्राः स्युर्नृपा निश्शब्दधारया ॥ भोगाढ्याः समजठरा निः स्वाः स्युर्घटसन्निभाः

niḥ svāḥ saśabdamūtrāḥ syurnṛpā niśśabdadhārayā . bhogāḍhyāḥ samajaṭharā niḥ svāḥ syurghaṭasannibhāḥ

The urine of poor people falls with a sound; that of kings falls in a silent stream. One rich in enjoyments has a level belly; the poor have a belly like a pot,

Verse 10 (garuda.1.63.10)

सर्पोदरा दरिद्राः स्यू रेखाभिस्चायुरुच्यते ॥ ललाटे यस्य दृश्यन्ते तिस्त्रो रेखाः समाहिताः

sarpodarā daridrāḥ syū rekhābhiscāyurucyate . lalāṭe yasya dṛśyante tistro rekhāḥ samāhitāḥ

and those with a serpent-like belly are poor. Now the lifespan told by lines: he on whose forehead three well-composed lines are seen,

Verse 11 (garuda.1.63.11)

सुखी पुत्रसमायुक्तः स षष्टिं जीवते नरः ॥ चत्वारिंशच्च वर्षाणि द्विरेखादर्शनान्नरः

sukhī putrasamāyuktaḥ sa ṣaṣṭiṁ jīvate naraḥ . catvāriṁśacca varṣāṇi dvirekhādarśanānnaraḥ

is happy and blessed with sons, and lives sixty years. When two lines are seen, a man lives forty years.

Verse 12 (garuda.1.63.12)

विंशत्यब्दं त्वेकरेखा आकर्णान्ताः शतायुषः

viṁśatyabdaṁ tvekarekhā ākarṇāntāḥ śatāyuṣaḥ

One line gives twenty years; lines reaching to the ears grant a hundred years of life.

Verse 13 (garuda.1.63.13)

सप्तत्यायुर्द्विरेखा तु षष्ट्यायुस्तिसृभिर्भवेत् ॥ व्यक्ताव्यक्ताभी रेखाभिर्विंशत्यायुर्भवेन्नरः

saptatyāyurdvirekhā tu ṣaṣṭyāyustisṛbhirbhavet . vyaktāvyaktābhī rekhābhirviṁśatyāyurbhavennaraḥ

Two lines give seventy years of life; three lines give sixty. With lines both clear and unclear, a man's life becomes twenty years;

Verse 14 (garuda.1.63.14)

चत्वारिंशच्च वर्षाणि हीनरेखस्तु जीवति ॥ भिन्नाभिश्चैव रेखाभिरपमृत्युर्नरस्य हि

catvāriṁśacca varṣāṇi hīnarekhastu jīvati . bhinnābhiścaiva rekhābhirapamṛtyurnarasya hi

and forty years does one live whose lines are faint. With broken lines, a man's death comes untimely.

Verse 15 (garuda.1.63.15)

त्रिशूलं पट्टिशं वापि ललाटे यस्य दृश्यते ॥ धनपुत्र समायुक्तः स जीवेच्छरदः शतम्

triśūlaṁ paṭṭiśaṁ vāpi lalāṭe yasya dṛśyate . dhanaputra samāyuktaḥ sa jīveccharadaḥ śatam

He on whose forehead a trident or a spear-shaped mark is seen lives a hundred years, blessed with wealth and sons.

Verse 16 (garuda.1.63.16)

तर्जन्या मध्यमाङ्गुल्या आयूरेखा तु मध्यतः ॥ संप्राप्ता या भवेद्रुद्र ! स जीवेच्छरदः शतम्

tarjanyā madhyamāṅgulyā āyūrekhā tu madhyataḥ . saṁprāptā yā bhavedrudra ! sa jīveccharadaḥ śatam

The life-line that runs from between the forefinger and middle finger and reaches across — O Rudra, one who has it lives a hundred years.

Verse 17 (garuda.1.63.17)

प्रथमा ज्ञानरेखा तु ह्यंगुष्ठादनुवर्त्तते ॥ मध्यमामूलगा रेखा आयूरेखा अतः परम्

prathamā jñānarekhā tu hyaṁguṣṭhādanuvarttate . madhyamāmūlagā rekhā āyūrekhā ataḥ param

The first line, the knowledge-line, runs from the thumb. The line running from the base of the middle finger, beyond that, is the life-line.

Verse 18 (garuda.1.63.18)

कनिष्ठिकां समाश्रित्य आयूरेखा समाविशेत् ॥ अच्छिन्ना वा विभक्ता वा स जीवेच्छरदः शतम्

kaniṣṭhikāṁ samāśritya āyūrekhā samāviśet . acchinnā vā vibhaktā vā sa jīveccharadaḥ śatam

Reaching as far as the little finger, the life-line extends. Whether it be unbroken or divided, one who has it attains a hundred years of life.

Verse 19 (garuda.1.63.19)

यस्य पाणितले रेखा आयुस्तस्य प्रकाशयेत् ॥ शतवर्षाणि जीवेच्च भोगी रुद्र ! न संशयः

yasya pāṇitale rekhā āyustasya prakāśayet . śatavarṣāṇi jīvecca bhogī rudra ! na saṁśayaḥ

Whoever has such a line in the palm of the hand — it reveals his lifespan. O Rudra, he lives a hundred years, enjoying life fully, without doubt.

Verse 20 (garuda.1.63.20)

कनिष्ठिकां समाश्रित्य मध्यमायामुपागता ॥ षष्ठिवर्षायुषं कुर्य्यादायूरेखा तु मानवम्

kaniṣṭhikāṁ samāśritya madhyamāyāmupāgatā . ṣaṣṭhivarṣāyuṣaṁ kuryyādāyūrekhā tu mānavam

A life-line reaching to the little finger by way of the middle finger grants a man sixty years of life.