O Shankara, listen with attention as the revered Garuda Purana unfolds its wisdom regarding auspicious times, human characteristics, and the marks found upon men and women. It is said that certain deeds, such as establishing a home, entering a new house, or binding an elephant, are best undertaken when Saturn is favorable, for these actions are then imbued with auspiciousness. Now, having concluded the teachings on the determination of the ascendant, ghati, and other measures, the scripture proceeds to describe, in brief, the characteristics of men and women. Consider the hands and feet of a person: when the fingers are held close together, the nails glow with a coppery hue, the ankles are well-formed, and the veins are not prominent, these are marks of good fortune. In contrast, deformed or pale nails, and veins that are curved and raised, are signs of poverty and suffering—no further inquiry need be made. Great souls and kings are distinguished by having a single hair in each follicle. If three hairs grow from a single follicle, poverty is indicated; and knees lacking flesh suggest disease. A person with a thick sexual organ is likely to be poor, while one with only a single testicle is destined for misery. Hanging testicles foretell a short life, lack of wealth, and ill fortune. There are further signs: those whose urine flows noiselessly are destined for kingship, while those whose urine makes sound are not. A belly shaped like a serpent is a mark of poverty, and the lines upon the body reveal the span of life. A man who is happy and blessed with sons is said to live for sixty years. If a single line extends to the end of the ear, a hundred years of life are promised. Two such lines indicate seventy years, while three lines suggest sixty; fewer lines foretell a life of forty years. If a trident or spear appears upon the forehead, it too has significance. The line of life is found between the index and middle fingers, while the line of knowledge begins at the thumb. The line of life, when resting upon the little finger and running to the middle finger, reveals the length of one’s years. Thus, the palm’s lines are read to discern a person’s lifespan. With this, the chapter describing bodily signs concludes, and the scripture turns to the marks found upon women. A woman whose hair is curly and whose face is round, who has a golden complexion and hands red as lotus petals, is considered auspicious. A maiden with wavy hair and round eyes, whose face shines like the full moon and radiates like the rising sun, is highly praised. Yet, many lines upon her palm suggest troubles, while too few lines indicate a lack of wealth. In her actions, such a woman is a wise counselor; in virtue, she is chaste; in her deeds, she is skilled. If her palm bears the mark of an elephant goad, an earring, or a discus, these are auspicious signs. Hair upon her sides and breasts, or palm lines forming a rampart and gateway, are also noteworthy. A raised, tawny, and unbroken hairline is praised, as are ring fingers and thumbs that do not touch the ground when she stands. If the earth trembles beneath her step, it is a mark of greatness. Moist eyes grant her good fortune, and moist teeth promise enjoyment of food. Her feet are considered auspicious when the nails are glossy and reddish, the feet elevated and smooth, unsweating, with soft and gentle soles. The most excellent woman has private parts broad and shaped like the leaf of a sacred fig tree; her abdomen and breasts are free from hair, and she bears three hairless folds. Such are the marks that the wise discern in women, as revealed in the sacred Garuda Purana. Thus ends the description of the marks found upon women, as well as the teachings on auspicious times and bodily signs, as expounded in the section on conduct and the science of astrology and physiognomy in the great Purana of Garuda.