Shloka 20

पुंसां क्रिया-विभागः, संस्काराः, नामकरणम्, विवाहविधानम्

Devanagari script

यस्याश् च लोमशे जङ्घे गुल्फौ यस्यास् तथोन्नतौ कूपो यस्या हसन्त्याश् च गण्डयोस् तां च नोद्वहेत्

Transliteration

yasyāś ca lomaśe jaṅghe gulphau yasyās tathonnatau kūpo yasyā hasantyāś ca gaṇḍayos tāṃ ca nodvahet

Translation

കണങ്കാലിൽ രോമമുള്ളവളും, ഉപ്പൂറ്റി പൊങ്ങിനിൽക്കുന്നവളും, ചിരിക്കുമ്പോൾ കവിളിൽ നുണക്കുഴി തെളിയുന്നവളുമായ സ്ത്രീയെ വിവാഹം കഴിക്കരുത്.

Word by Word

यस्याःof whom/whose

चand

लोमशेhairy

जङ्घे(two) shanks/legs

गुल्फौ(two) ankles

यस्याःof whom/whose

तथाthus, likewise

उन्नतौraised, prominent

कूपःa hollow/pit (dimple-like depression)

यस्याःof whom/whose

हसन्त्याः(of her) while laughing

चand

गण्डयोःof (her) two cheeks

ताम्her, that woman

चand

नnot

उद्वहेत्should marry

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya, within dharma/ācāra teaching)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Gṛhastha-dharma: bodily ‘lakṣaṇa’ (marks) regarded as inauspicious for marriage

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Traditional physiognomic signs are invoked as pragmatic cautions for preserving household concord and perceived auspiciousness.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Use the underlying intent—seeking a stable, healthy partnership—while grounding judgments in compassion, consent, and contemporary knowledge.

Vishishtadvaita: Household order is treated as a supportive ‘aṅga’ for spiritual pursuit; bodily life is integrated into dharma as service, not denied.

Characters & Entities

Parāśara

Maitreya

FAQs

What is the significance of physical lakṣaṇas (signs) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

Here, lakṣaṇas are presented as practical criteria used in traditional dharma literature for assessing marital suitability, reflecting social norms aimed at household stability rather than metaphysical doctrine.

How does Sage Parāśara explain dharma in the context of marriage?

In this chapter’s instructional mode, Parāśara frames marriage as a dharmic institution of the gṛhastha stage, giving do’s-and-don’ts that are meant to support orderly family life and social continuity.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when the verse is social-ethical, it sits within the Purana’s broader vision where dharma sustains the cosmos under Vishnu’s sovereignty; household order is treated as one layer of that universal order.