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

Hỡi Rudra! Nếu đường sinh mệnh chạy giữa lòng bàn tay vươn tới khoảng giữa ngón trỏ và ngón giữa, thì người ấy sẽ sống trọn một trăm mùa thu (đủ trăm năm).

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.