Shloka 49
Kāraṇānvēṣaṇam: The 32 Marks of Hari, Defects (Doṣas), Death-Omens, and Hari’s Omnipresence in Social & Household Life
भगे नेत्रे च हस्ते च स्तने कुक्षौ तथैव च / भारत्यपेक्षया पञ्चभिर्न्यूना त्वस्ति लक्षणैः
bhage netre ca haste ca stane kukṣau tathaiva ca / bhāratyapekṣayā pañcabhirnyūnā tvasti lakṣaṇaiḥ
En la región genital, en los ojos, en las manos, en los pechos y asimismo en el vientre—comparada con una mujer bhāratī (india)—tú resultas carente de cinco marcas corporales.
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda)
Concept: Physiognomic comparison is used to classify auspiciousness/fortune; the verse exemplifies how cultural norms shape ‘ideal’ markers.
Vedantic Theme: Limited: illustrates loka-dharma and saṃskāra-based valuation; reminds that empirical criteria are contingent (vyāvahārika) rather than ultimate (pāramārthika).
Application: Read critically as a period-specific social text; avoid using such criteria for discrimination; translate the intent into concern for health and dignity rather than body-based ranking.
Primary Rasa: hasya
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Type: region/cultural reference
Related Themes: 3.22.48 on the list of marks; continuation of strī-lakṣaṇa enumeration
FAQs
This verse uses lakṣaṇa as a diagnostic-style description—specific physical features are compared to a standard (here, a Bhāratī), showing how the text classifies and distinguishes forms by observable marks.
Indirectly: in the Preta Kanda, such descriptive markers support the broader narrative of identifying conditions and states connected with embodied existence; it complements discussions on the subtle/physical condition rather than detailing the soul’s route explicitly.
Use it as a reminder that the Purana often teaches through careful observation and classification—encouraging discernment, self-examination, and a disciplined approach to dharma-oriented living.