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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
KARALAKKHANAM
INTRODUCTION Palmistry has been practised in India from very ancient times. References to it are found in the Puranas, in the Pali books of the Buddhist Canon as well as in the Prakrit works of the Jaina Agama. The Sanskrit name for palmistry is “Samudrika” and according to the Agni Purana, it is so called because a teacher by name Samudra had taught it to Garga in ancient times. Varaha Mihira also makes mention of it in his famous treatise on astrology Brihat Samhita in the chapters on Mahapurusha-lakshana (chapters 67-69). Not only that, but the commentator Utpala Bhatta quotes many verses which he has ascribed to Samudra by saying “Yathaha Samudrab”. Jinasena in his Harivamsa Purana mentions Sagara as the author of a book on the characteristics of man (Nara-lakshana) a description of which occupies verses 55 to 107 of chapter 23. Of these thirteen verses from 85 to 97 are devoted to the signs of the hand and their significance, and therefore treat of palmistry in the strict sense of the term.
The work now under treatment is a small hand book on palmistry. The only old manuscript that was available to me bears the title of “Samudrika Sastra." But the real name of the work is “Karalakkhanam” as is clear from the opening and the closing verses of the book. The whole work is completed in 61 verses composed in Prakrit Gathas. Its contents may be summarised as follows :
In the first verse the author pays homage to Jina Mahavira and proposes to deal with the signs of the hands of men and women. According to verse two, a man gets profit or loss, happiness or sorrow, life or death, victory or defeat, according to the lines (found on the palm of his hand). The signs of men, according to verse 3, should be studied on the right hand, and those of women on the left. The author then deals with the significance of the interval between the fingers (verses 4-5) and of the nature of their joints (verse 6). Then the lines of the wrist are dealt with (verses 7-11), and the five most significant lines denoting learning, family, wealth, beauty and longevity are named and described (verses 12-22 ). The form, shape and colour of the lines are explained in the next three verses (23-25). Then the barley marks below the thumb are treated (verses 26-27), and they are said to indicate the number of brothers,
* लक्षणं यत्समुद्रेण गर्गायोक्तं यथा पुरा Agni P. p. 243.
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