Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

समुदायेन भूतानां पञ्चानामुद्भिजं भुवि । जरायुजाश्च स्तन्येन विना जीवितुमक्षमाः

Transliteration

samudāyena bhūtānāṃ pañcānāmudbhijaṃ bhuvi | jarāyujāśca stanyena vinā jīvitumakṣamāḥ

Translation

وفي مجموعِ أصنافِ الكائناتِ الخمسة، يزدهرُ المولودونَ من النبتِ على الأرض. وأمّا المولودونَ من الرَّحِمِ فلا يقدرون على الحياةِ من دونِ لبنٍ.

Word by Word

• समुदायेन: collectively, as a group
• समुदायेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुदाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; प्रकार/समष्टि-भाव

• भूतानाम्: of beings
• भूतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• पञ्चानाम्: of five
• पञ्चानाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: (सामान्यतः) षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• उद्भिजम्: the udbhijja class (plants)
• उद्भिजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्भिज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘उद्भिज’ वर्ग-नाम

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• जरायुजाः: womb-born beings (mammals)
• जरायुजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरायुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्तन्येन: by milk
• स्तन्येन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/वियोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश-अव्यय; वियोग/अभावार्थ (without); सामान्यतः तृतीया/पञ्चमी-सहयोगी

• जीवितुम्: to live
• जीवितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु) → जीवितुम् (तुमुन्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive); क्रियार्थक-नाम

• अक्षमाः: unable, incapable
• अक्षमाः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; नञ्-समास/नकारार्थ विशेषण

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative teaching scene in an āśrama near Prabhāsa: sages illustrate the fivefold classes of beings—sprout-born plants thriving on earth and womb-born creatures dependent on milk—set against coastal sacred geography.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Embodied life depends on nourishment and care; gratitude toward the mother and protectors is a dharmic foundation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse occurs within Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya, preparing for the local legend connected with Pippalāda.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the emphasis is on natural dependence and dharmic reflection.