Let us contemplate the ancient wisdom that reveals how the very features of the body reflect one’s destiny, character, and fortune. It is said that if a man’s semen carries an alkaline scent, his offspring will be poor, but if his energy is robust and enduring, his wife will be swift and eager in union. The shape of the body, too, speaks of one’s fate: a man with fleshy buttocks enjoys happiness, while one whose buttocks resemble those of a lion is destined for kingship. The form of the belly is telling as well. Those with bellies like a serpent, or with flat or pot-like abdomens, are marked by poverty. In contrast, those whose waists are level delight in many pleasures, whereas sunken waists signify deprivation of wealth. A fish-shaped belly brings great riches, and a prominent navel is a sign of happiness. Yet, if the navel sits at the center of the abdomen, it brings pain as sharp as a spear. The way one sits is also meaningful: those who rest with their sides extended are blessed with long life and become lords of wealth. Even a single oblation can bestow a hundred years of life, while two bring prosperity that is remembered. Yet kings who approach the forbidden, act with crooked intent, and have fleshy sides are seen as transgressors. Those with inverted sides become servants, losing both wealth and happiness. Among rulers, uneven arms, thinness, and emaciation mark destitution. Those of lesser rank often have rough, sparse hair. An uneven chest, or a chest wounded by weapons, denies one the joys of heaven. Elevated chests are the mark of pleasure, depressed chests of poverty, and full chests of abundant riches. A hero’s neck is strong as a buffalo’s, while one slain by weapons has the slender throat of a deer. Those without hair and with bent backs are considered auspicious, but otherwise, such traits are inauspicious and bring poverty to those without purpose. The arms of a true king reach down to the knees, full and round. Fingers adorned with the marks of weapons are auspicious, but thick fingers indicate a lack of wealth, and thin, bent fingers suggest slenderness. Depressed palms foretell the loss of ancestral wealth, and kings with wounded, noisy hands are deprived of riches. The teeth, too, reveal much: prominent and uneven teeth reflect an uneven nature, while men addicted to other women, whose teeth are yellow and rough, are destined for poverty. Those without nails, or with deformed or discolored nails, belong to others, lacking their own fortune. In women, lines at the base of the thumb and long finger joints are signs of femininity. A wealthy person with thick fingers will have three lines on the palm. A man marked with the sign of two fish gives gifts with modesty. In kings, auspicious marks may appear resembling a conch, umbrella, palanquin, elephant, or lotus. Those with much cattle bear marks like a rope, and a king among men is marked with a svastika. The wealthy sacrificer may show the mark of a mortar, and the performer of sacrifices the mark of an altar. Lines at the base of the thumb portend sons, while fine lines suggest daughters. Such lines bestow long life, but if broken, they forewarn of danger from trees. Fleshy lips are a sign of wealth, and kings are marked by reddish lips. Irregular teeth indicate poverty, while teeth that are smooth, thick, and beautiful are auspicious. A smooth, long palate is desirable, but a white one signals loss of wealth. For kings, a pure and smooth palate brings blessings; the opposite brings suffering. The wealthy have a round and curved palate, while those without possessions have a long one. A sunken and crooked palate marks childlessness, and a short palate is found in the unfortunate. Finally, a closely set, unseparated tip of the tongue, and a red beard, are the signs of a thief. Thus, the body speaks in subtle signs, revealing the hidden truths of fate, fortune, and character for those who are wise to read them.