Shloka 117
Purusha-Strī-Lakṣaṇa (Samudrika-śāstra): Marks of Kingship, Wealth, Longevity, and Conduct
उदरे श्वशुरं हन्ति पतिं हन्ति स्फिचोर्द्वयोः / या तु रोमोत्तरौष्ठी स्यान्न शुभा भर्तुरेव हि
udare śvaśuraṃ hanti patiṃ hanti sphicordvayoḥ / yā tu romottarauṣṭhī syānna śubhā bhartureva hi
उदरे लक्षणं श्वशुरघातकं, स्फिचोर्द्वयोर्लक्षणं पतिघातकं कथ्यते। या तु रोमोत्तरौष्ठी, सा भर्तुरशुभा एव।
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vainateya)
Concept: Misfortune in relationships is projected as karmic fruition signaled by bodily marks; auspiciousness is treated as a moral-cosmic quality.
Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala operating through social bonds; yet ultimate agency lies in dharma and inner disposition (implicit Vedāntic corrective).
Application: Use as a reminder to cultivate protective virtues—truthfulness, non-harm, devotion—rather than attributing deaths/misfortune to a person’s body.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.65 (inauspicious bodily signs and household consequences)
FAQs
This verse treats bodily marks as traditional indicators of auspiciousness or misfortune, used in older cultural contexts to assess perceived outcomes for family and marriage.
It does not address the soul’s post-death journey directly; instead, it belongs to the Achara Kanda’s discussion of worldly signs and their reputed results within household life.
Read it as a historical physiognomy tradition rather than a deterministic rule; prioritize dharma—character, mutual respect, and ethical conduct—over judging a person by physical traits.