Shloka 45
Purusha-Strī-Lakṣaṇa (Samudrika-śāstra): Marks of Kingship, Wealth, Longevity, and Conduct
निः स्वाश्च कुनखैस्तद्वद्विवर्णैः परतर्ककाः / ताम्रैर्भूपा धनाढ्याश्च अङ्गुष्ठैः सयवैस्तथा
niḥ svāśca kunakhaistadvadvivarṇaiḥ paratarkakāḥ / tāmrairbhūpā dhanāḍhyāśca aṅguṣṭhaiḥ sayavaistathā
Mittellose sind an missgestalteten Nägeln zu erkennen; ebenso streitsüchtige Wortkämpfer an verfärbten, bunten Nägeln. Könige tragen kupferrote Nägel, und Reiche haben am Daumen Zeichen wie Gerstenkörner.
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: External bodily markers (especially nails) are read as indicators of one’s karmic condition and social destiny—poverty, contentiousness, royalty, wealth.
Vedantic Theme: Prārabdha-karma expresses through the body (śarīra) and circumstances; the world is a field where karma becomes legible.
Application: Use such teachings as reflective prompts (self-audit of habits and tendencies) rather than fatalism; cultivate virtues that counter poverty of character (contention, greed) and support dharmic prosperity.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.65: contiguous verses on hand/nail marks and their results (saṃudrika-lakṣaṇa style).
FAQs
This verse presents physical markers (nails and thumb-signs) as outward indicators associated with one’s condition and tendencies, implying karmic and behavioral correlations.
By linking traits like poverty, contentious argumentation, rulership, and wealth with visible bodily features, it frames karma as something that can manifest tangibly in one’s embodied life.
Cultivate truthful, non-contentious speech and disciplined conduct; the verse cautions that persistent quarrelsome tendencies and neglect of dharma are not merely mental habits but shape one’s life outcomes.