Samudrika Shastra (Sanskrit: सामुद्रिक शास्त्र), part of the Indian astrology, is the study of face reading, aura reading, and whole body analysis. The Sanskrit term "Samudrika Shastra" translates roughly as "knowledge of body features." It is related to astrology and palmistry (Hast-samudrika), as well as phrenology (kapal-samudrik) and face reading (physiognomy, mukh-samudrik). It is also one of the themes incorporated into the ancient Hindu text, the Garuda Purana. The tradition assumes that every natural or acquired bodily mark encodes its owner's psychology and destiny. Elevation, depression, elongation, diminution, and other marks become relevant. There are five main types of human elements in terms of the Samudrika: Agni, Vayu, Jal, Akash and Prithvi. Traditional stories in India thus abound with descriptions of rare auspicious markings found on the bodies of memorable people. Legends about the Rama and Krishna Avatars, Gautama the Buddha, and Mahavira the Tirthankara conform to this tradition. Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains share the tradition of Samudrika Shastra; the tradition also has parallels in other unrelated cultures, with phrenology and face reading both evoking its principles. William Herbert Sheldon's typology of body forms – ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph (called 'somatotypes') – also mimics the practice of Samudrika Shastra. Source: Wikipedia (en)