Let me share with you, as once spoken by Samudra, the auspicious signs that mark men and women, bringing fortune, happiness, or their absence. These marks, revered and remembered, reveal much about a person’s destiny and character. Begin with the feet, for they are telling. Blessed are those whose feet do not sweat, whose soles are soft and tender, resembling the gentle interior of a lotus blossom. Their ankles rise gracefully like the shell of a tortoise, while their well-formed heels remain concealed, as befits a king. Such feet are dry, with pale nails, and the toes are spaced apart, not crowded together. But if the shanks are uneven, the bones like bamboo, and the calves shaped like a conch or a wedge, these too carry their own meaning. The thighs of the fortunate are covered in soft hair, even and shining, reminiscent of an elephant’s strength. Yet, if the thighs are hairless as a jackal’s, bearing only one or two hairs at the root, this is less auspicious—especially so for men, who, lacking these marks from birth, are considered unfortunate and censured. A person with knees devoid of flesh is said to have little fortune, and a woman’s pleasure with such a man is meager. Large thighs are praised as a sign of long life, while a man with a small organ is believed to be wealthy. Yet if that organ is short, he will be without sons; if it is small but marked by a prominent vein, happiness will attend him. If the organ is hidden in the scrotum, unusually long, or bent, he will lack wealth. A single testicle signals weakness, while an uneven organ brings little pleasure to women. Raised, rough testicles, hard as stones, are the sign of a lord blessed with long life. The manner of urination, too, is revealing: men whose urine makes sound or is silent are thought to be poor, while those whose urine flows to the right or turns are destined to be kings. Among women, those whose urine flows in a single, smooth, rising stream are considered fortunate, while those whose urine is dry, hissing, or parched are thought to be unfortunate. Even the nature of semen is meaningful. Sons are born when the semen smells of fish, daughters when it is thin. If the semen smells alkaline, the child will be poor; if it is long-lived, the woman is quick in intercourse. Moving upward, a man with fleshy buttocks is happy; one whose buttocks are shaped like a lion’s is a king. Bellies shaped like a snake, or flat, or pot-like, are marks of poverty. But those whose waists are level enjoy many pleasures, while sunken waists signal deprivation. A fish-shaped belly brings much wealth, and a prominent navel is a sign of happiness. Yet if the navel sits in the center of the abdomen, it brings pain, sharp as a spear. The way a person sits, too, is telling: those who sit with their sides extended live long and become lords of wealth. Ritual offerings bring their own rewards: one who offers a single oblation attains a hundred years of life, and two oblations bring prosperity. But kings who approach what is forbidden, who act crookedly and have fleshy sides, are transgressors. Those with inverted sides become servants, deprived of both wealth and happiness. Kings with uneven, thin, and emaciated arms are destined for poverty, while those of lesser rank have rough or sparse hair. The chest reveals much: an uneven chest means the loss of heaven, as does death by weapons. An elevated chest brings pleasure, a depressed chest signals lack of wealth, and a full chest is the sign of riches. A hero is marked by a buffalo’s neck, while one slain by weapons has a deer’s throat. Hairless, bent backs are auspicious; otherwise, inauspiciousness and poverty follow those lacking purpose. The arms of a true king reach down to the knees, round and full. Fingers adorned with marks resembling weapons are auspicious; thick fingers, however, indicate a lack of wealth, while thin and bent fingers belong to those who are slender. Thus, in these marks and features, as spoken by Samudra, lies the story of fortune, pleasure, and destiny for men and women alike.