Shloka 16

Lakṣaṇas of Men: Feet, Shanks, Hair, Genitals, Abdomen, and Lines of Longevity

Forehead & Palm

Devanagari script

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

Transliteration

tarjanyā madhyamāṅgulyā āyūrekhā tu madhyataḥ / saṃprāptā yā bhavedrudra ! sa jīveccharadaḥ śatam

Translation

ໂອ ຣຸດຣາ! ຖ້າເສັ້ນອາຍຸທີ່ຜ່ານກາງຝາມື ຍືດໄປຮອດຊ່ອງລະຫວ່າງນິ້ວຊີ້ ແລະ ນິ້ວກາງ ຜູ້ນັ້ນຈະມີອາຍຸຄົບຮ້ອຍລະດູ (ຮ້ອຍປີ)។

Word by Word

• तर्जन्या: with/by the index finger
• तर्जन्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्जनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/सह), एकवचन

• मध्यमाङ्गुल्या: with/by the middle finger
• मध्यमाङ्गुल्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्यमा (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गुली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/सह), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (मध्यमा अङ्गुली = middle finger)

• आयुरेखा: the lifeline
• आयुरेखा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + रेखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आयुषः रेखा)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')

• मध्यतः: from the middle
• मध्यतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रायः; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'from the middle')

• संप्राप्ता: reaching/arrived
• संप्राप्ता: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि-प्रत्यय (क्त) कृदन्त; (आयुरेखा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भवेत्: would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रुद्र: O Rudra
• रुद्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जीवेत्: would live
• जीवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शरदः: years
• शरदः: Karma (Object/Measure/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म; कालपरिमाण), बहुवचन

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object/Measure/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म; परिमाण), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Āyū-rekhā configuration as a sign of prārabdha determining lifespan.

Vedantic Theme: Karma’s determinacy within embodiment; the body as a readable field of prior causes.

Application: If using such traditions, apply with humility and as a prompt for wholesome living (āyuṣya-kara conduct), not as rigid determinism.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.63.15, 1.63.17-19 (definitions and variants of āyū-rekhā; repeated ‘śatam’ lifespan motif)

Characters & Entities

• Rudra

FAQs

What is the importance of the āyūrekhā (life-line) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats the āyūrekhā as a bodily sign used to infer longevity, stating that a centrally running life-line reaching the region between the index and middle fingers indicates a hundred-year lifespan.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not describe the soul’s post-death journey here; instead, it gives a diagnostic sign for the length of embodied life, which precedes and conditions when after-death rites and Yama-related themes become relevant.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Read it as a traditional indicator of longevity within the text’s omen-literature; practically, it encourages mindful living and preparation for dharma and rites across a long life rather than treating palm signs as absolute fate.