Adhyaya 242

Verse 1

यव्यूहस्य ??? दुर्जयव्यूहस्य ??? भोगव्यूहस्य ??? गोमूत्रिकाव्यूहस्य ??? शकटव्यूहस्य ??? अमरव्यूहस्य ??? सर्वतोभद्रव्यूहस्य ??? अथ द्विचत्वारिंशदधिकद्विशततमो ऽध्यायः पुरुषलक्षणं अग्निर् उवाच रामोक्तोक्ता मया नीतिः स्त्रीणां राजन् नृणां वदे लक्षणं यद्समुद्रेण गर्गायोक्तं यथा पुरा

“(The formations called) Yavavyūha, Durjayavyūha, Bhogavyūha, Gomūtrikāvyūha, Śakaṭavyūha, Amaravyūha, and Sarvatobhadra-vyūha … (have been set forth). Now begins the two-hundred-and-forty-second chapter, ‘Marks of a Man (Physiognomy).’ Agni said: ‘O King, I have already taught the nīti (science of polity) as spoken by Rāma; now I shall describe the bodily marks of women and men, as the lore of physiognomy was formerly taught by Samudra to Garga.’”},{

Verse 2

समुद्र उवाच पुंसाञ्च लक्षणं वक्ष्ये स्त्रीणाञ्चैव शुभाशुभं एकाधिको द्विशुक्रश् च त्रिगन्भीरस्तथैव च

Samudra said: “I shall describe the bodily marks of men, and likewise those of women—both auspicious and inauspicious. Among these classifications are the ‘one-in-excess’, the ‘two-semened’, and likewise the ‘three-deep’ types.”

Verse 3

त्रित्रिकस्त्रिप्रलम्बश् च त्रिभिर्व्याप्नोति यस् तथा त्रिबलीमांस्त्रिविनतस्त्रिकालज्ञश् च सुव्रत

O Suvrata: he is called ‘Tritrika’ and ‘Tripralamba’; and he who pervades the threefold (the three worlds/states) is likewise so named. He is ‘Tribalimān’ (possessed of threefold strength), ‘Trivinata’ (threefold-humbled/submissive), ‘Trikālajña’ (knower of the three times), and ‘Suvrata’ (of excellent vows).

Verse 4

पुरुषः स्यात्सुलक्षण्यो विपुलश् च तथा त्रिषु चतुर्लेखस् तथा यश् च तथैव च चतुःसमः

A man should be well-marked with auspicious signs, broad-built, and—on the three (lines/regions)—possessing four lines; he should also be renowned, and likewise ‘fourfold-even’, that is, with four parts proportionate and balanced.

Verse 5

चतुष्किष्कुश् चतुर्दंष्ट्रः शुक्लकृष्णस्तथैव च चतुर्गन्धश् चतुर्ह्रस्वः सूक्ष्मदीर्घश् च पञ्चसु

He is described as having four limbs/parts, four fangs, and as being both white and black; possessing four kinds of odor, four kinds of shortness, and—among the five (features/parts)—being subtle and long.

Verse 6

षडुन्नतो ऽष्टवंशश् च सप्तस्नेहो नवामलः दशपद्मो दशव्यूहो न्यग्रोधपरिमण्डलः

“Sixfold elevated, eight-stemmed, sevenfold rich in unctuousness, ninefold spotless; ten-lotused, tenfold arrayed in vyūha—such is the nyagrodha (banyan) with a perfectly rounded spread.”

Verse 7

चतुर्दशसमद्वन्द्वः षोडशाक्षयश् च शस्यते धर्मार्थकामसंयुक्तो धर्मो ह्य् एकाधिको मतः

A metre is recommended in which the two halves are even and each consists of fourteen syllables; and in another form it is praised as having sixteen syllables. When a composition is joined with dharma, artha, and kāma, dharma is held to be predominant by one degree.

Verse 8

तारकाभ्यां विना नेत्रे शुक्रदन्तो द्विशुक्लकः गम्भीरस्त्रिश्रवो नाभिः सत्त्वञ्चैकं त्रिकं स्मृतं

The eyes are said to be without pupils; the teeth are semen-white; there is a double whiteness; the voice is deep; the navel has three folds/whorls; and the vital essence (sattva) is described as one, while the triad is remembered as threefold.

Verse 9

अनसूया दया क्षान्तिर्मङ्गलाचारयुक्तता शौचं स्पृहा त्वकार्पण्यमनायासश् च शौर्यता

Freedom from envy, compassion, forbearance, adherence to auspicious and proper conduct, purity, rightful aspiration, generosity (non-miserliness), ease without strain, and valor—these are the stated virtues.

Verse 10

चित्रिकस्त्रिप्रलम्बः स्याद्वृषणे भुजयोर्नरः दिग्देशजातिवर्गांश् च तेजसा यशसा श्रिया

A man who bears the mark called citrika and has the feature termed tripralamba—especially when such marks occur on the scrotum or on the arms—surpasses people distinguished by direction, region, birth, and social grouping, through his radiance, fame, and prosperity.

Verse 11

व्याप्नोति यस्त्रिकव्यापी त्रिबलीमान्नरस्त्वसौ उदरे बलयस्तिस्रो नरन्त्रिविनतं शृणु

That man whose torso is broad across its three regions and who bears three distinct folds (lines) is so described; now hear of the man whose abdomen displays three creases—the threefold bodily formation.

Verse 12

देवतानां द्विजानाञ्च गुरूणां प्रणतस्तु यः धर्मार्थकामकालज्ञस्त्रिकालज्ञो ऽभिधीयते

He who, bowed in humility, is reverent toward the gods, the twice-born (dvija), and the teachers, and who knows the proper timing for dharma, artha, and kāma, is called a knower of the three times—past, present, and future.

Verse 13

उरो ललाटं वक्त्रञ्च त्रिविस्तीर्णो विलेखवान् द्वौ पाणी द्वौ तथा पादौ ध्वजच्छत्रादिभिर्युतौ

The chest, forehead, and face should be made threefold broad, with auspicious lines clearly delineated. The two hands and likewise the two feet should be furnished with marks such as the banner and parasol, and other favorable emblems.

Verse 14

अङ्गुल्यो हृदयं पृष्ठं कटिः शस्तं चतुःसमं षण्णवत्यङ्गुलोत्सेधश् चतुष्किष्कुप्रमाणतः

The measures of the fingers, the region of the heart (chest), the back, and the waist are prescribed as equal in fourfold proportion. The total height is stated to be ninety-six aṅgulas, measured as four kiṣkus.

Verse 15

द्रंष्ट्राश् चतस्रश् चन्द्राभाश् चतुःकृष्णं वदामि ते नेत्रतारौ भ्रुवौ श्मश्रुः कृष्णाः केशास्तथैव च

I tell you: the four tusks are moon-bright; and there are four things that are black—namely, the pupils of the eyes, the eyebrows, the moustache/beard, and likewise the hair.

Verse 16

नासायां वदने स्वेदे कक्षयोर्विडगन्धकः ह्रस्वं लिङ्गं तथा ग्रीवा जङ्घे स्याद्वेदह्रस्वकं

When a fecal odor is present in the nose, mouth, sweat, and armpits, and there is shortening (diminution) of the genital organ as well as of the neck, then the shanks (lower legs) too become shortened—this condition is termed vedahrasvaka.

Verse 17

सूक्ष्माण्यङ्गुलिपर्वाणि नखकेशद्विजत्वचः हनू नेत्रे ललाटे च नासा दीर्घा स्तनान्तरं

The finger-joints should be fine and well-proportioned; the nails, hair, and teeth should be bright, and the skin clear. The jaws, eyes, and forehead should be well-formed; the nose should be long, and the space between the breasts well-defined.

Verse 18

वक्षः कक्षौ नखा नासोन्नतं वक्त्रं कृकाटिका स्निग्धास्त्वक्केशदन्ताश् च लोम दृष्टिर्नखाश् च वाक्

The chest and armpits, the nails, the raised and well-formed nose, the face, and the nape of the neck; and also smooth skin, hair, and teeth; body-hair, the gaze, the nails, and the voice—these are the bodily features to be examined as signs.

Verse 19

जान्वोरुर्वोश् च पृष्ठस्थ वंशौ द्वौ करनासयोः नेत्रे नासापुटौ कर्णौ मेढ्रं पायुमुखे ऽमलं

At the knees and thighs are two principal tubular channels situated along the back; there are two instruments for action and for speech; there are the two eyes, the nostrils, the ears; and the penis and the anus—these are the stainless openings of the body.

Verse 20

जिह्वोष्ठे तालुनेत्रे तु हस्तपादौ नखास् तथा शिश्नाग्रवक्त्रं शस्यन्ते पद्माभा दश देहिनां

For embodied beings, ten features are praised as lotus-like: the tongue and lips; the palate and eyes; the hands and feet; the nails; the tip of the penis; and the face (mouth/visage).

Verse 21

पाणिपादं मुखं ग्रीवा श्रवणे हृदयं शिरः ललाटमुदरं पृष्ठं वृहन्तः पूजिता दश

The ten to be worshipped are: the hands and feet, the face, the neck, the ears, the heart, the head, the forehead, the belly, the back, and the broad region (chest/shoulders).

Verse 22

प्रसारितभुजस्येह मध्यमाग्रद्वयान्तरं उच्छ्रायेण समं यस्य न्यग्रोधपरिमण्डलः

Here, the “nyagrodha-parimaṇḍala” (banyan-circle measure) is that measure in which, when the arms are fully outstretched, the distance between the tips of the middle fingers equals the person’s height.

Verse 23

पादौ गुल्फौ स्फिचौ पार्श्वौ वङ्क्षणौ वृषणौ कुचौ कर्णौष्ठे सक्थिनी जङ्घे हस्तौ बाहू तथाक्षिणी

These parts are: the feet; the ankles; the buttocks; the sides (flanks); the groins; the testicles; the breasts; the ears and the lips; the thighs; the shanks (lower legs); the hands; the arms; and likewise, the eyes.

Verse 24

चतुर्दशसमद्वन्द्व एतत्सामान्यतो नरः विद्याश् चतुर्दश द्व्यक्षैः पश्येद्यः षोडशाक्षकः

In general, this should be understood as a set of fourteen paired equivalents. One who perceives the mantric “vidyās” as fourteen, arranged in two-syllable units, is thereby a knower of the sixteen-syllabled mantra/vidyā.

Verse 25

रूक्षं शिराततं गात्रमशुभं मांसवर्जितं दुर्गन्धिविपरीतं यच्छस्तन्दृष्ट्या प्रसन्नया

When the body is dry and the veins stand out, when it appears inauspicious and devoid of flesh, and when it has a foul smell and an abnormal (distorted) condition—yet the person presents it with a calm, pleased look—this is counted among the ominous prognostic signs.

Verse 26

धन्यस्य मधुरा वाणी गतिर्मत्तेभसन्निभा एककूपभवं रोम भये रक्षा सकृत् सकृत्

For the fortunate man, speech is sweet; his gait resembles that of an intoxicated elephant. If a single hair arises from one pore, it becomes a protection in times of fear—again and again.