Shloka 33

Purusha-Strī-Lakṣaṇa (Samudrika-śāstra): Marks of Kingship, Wealth, Longevity, and Conduct

Devanagari script

वक्षोभिर्विषमैर्निः स्वः शस्त्रेणनिधनास्तथा / विषमैर्जत्रुभिर्निः स्वा अस्थिनद्धैश्च मानवाः

Transliteration

vakṣobhirviṣamairniḥ svaḥ śastreṇanidhanāstathā / viṣamairjatrubhirniḥ svā asthinaddhaiśca mānavāḥ

Translation

胸廓畸斜者，多生而贫困受苦；亦有因兵刃而亡者。同样，锁骨不齐者生来乏财；凡形体似被骨所裹、所缚者（骨骼畸形），亦多困厄。

Word by Word

• वक्षोभिः: with chests
• वक्षोभिः: Karana (Instrument/feature)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental plural)

• विषमैः: uneven
• विषमैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Instrumental plural; adjective)

• निःस्वः: destitute, without property
• निःस्वः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः (उपसर्ग/निपात) + स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• शस्त्रेण: by a weapon
• शस्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental singular)

• निधनाः: doomed to death; perishing
• निधनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative plural; adjective)

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• विषमैः: uneven
• विषमैः: Karana (Instrument/feature)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Instrumental plural; adjective)

• जत्रुभिः: with collarbones/shoulder-joints
• जत्रुभिः: Karana (Instrument/feature)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental plural)

• निःस्वाः: destitute
• निःस्वाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः (उपसर्ग/निपात) + स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative plural; adjective)

• अस्थिनद्धैः: with bones bound/knotted; bony-jointed
• अस्थिनद्धैः: Karana (Instrument/feature)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक) + नद्ध (नह्-धातु, क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Instrumental plural; adjective)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• मानवाः: men
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative plural)

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Physical inauspiciousness (misshapen chest/collarbones, bony encasement) is linked with poverty; certain marks portend death by weapons.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala as embodied destiny within saṃsāra; impermanence of the body and vulnerability to हिंसा.

Application: As traditional omen-reading; ethically, it underscores the need for non-violence, prudence, and protective governance; personally, cultivate safety and avoid violent entanglements.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.65 (inauspicious marks and their phala)

FAQs

What is the importance of karma-based birth conditions in the Garuda Purana?

This verse links specific bodily irregularities and life outcomes (poverty or violent death) to karmic fruition, reinforcing the text’s theme that experiences in this life arise from prior actions.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

Indirectly, it frames embodied life as karmically conditioned; such teaching supports the Garuda Purana’s broader narrative that the jīva carries results of actions forward, shaping both birth circumstances and death experiences.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it to cultivate ethical conduct and compassion: avoid harmful actions that ripen into suffering, and respond to others’ misfortune with support rather than judgment.