Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

यस्माच्चतुर्विधा सृष्टिर्जीवानां ब्रह्मणा कृता । जरायुजांडजोद्भिज्ज स्वेदजाश्च तथा स्मृताः

Transliteration

yasmāccaturvidhā sṛṣṭirjīvānāṃ brahmaṇā kṛtā | jarāyujāṃḍajodbhijja svedajāśca tathā smṛtāḥ

Translation

Denn Brahmā hat die Schöpfung der Lebewesen vierfach geordnet: die aus dem Mutterleib Geborenen, die aus dem Ei Geborenen, die aus der Erde Hervorsprießenden und die aus Feuchtigkeit Geborenen – so wird es überliefert.

Word by Word

• यस्मात्: from which/because
• यस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम् (ablative singular)

• चतुर्विधा: fourfold
• चतुर्विधा: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्-विध (प्रातिपदिक; चतुर् + विध)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (to सृष्टिः)

• सृष्टिः: creation
• सृष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (nominative singular)

• जीवानाम्: of living beings
• जीवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम् (genitive plural)

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया, एकवचनम् (instrumental singular)

• कृता: made, created
• कृता: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; सृष्टिः इति कर्तृपदेन सह (made/created)

• जरायुज: womb-born (viviparous)
• जरायुज: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरायुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (understood with स्मृताः; one class-name)

• अण्डज: egg-born (oviparous)
• अण्डज: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अण्डज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (class-name)

• उद्भिज्ज: sprout-born (plants)
• उद्भिज्ज: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्भिज्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (class-name)

• स्वेदजाः: sweat-born (moisture-born)
• स्वेदजाः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वेदज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (class-name)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थकः (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थकः (so, likewise)

• स्मृताः: are said/considered
• स्मृताः: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; ‘are remembered/counted as’

Speaker

Contextual continuation of the dialogue (didactic explanation within the narrative; likely the child responding)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā as creator enumerates four modes of birth; a schematic cosmic tableau showing womb-born, egg-born, sprout-born, and moisture-born beings arranged around a lotus-born Brahmā.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life is sustained through diverse divine arrangements in creation; understanding cosmic order supports faith during hardship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra indirectly, as the sacred setting where Purāṇic cosmology is taught within its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a cosmological classification used to explain life’s origins and sustenance.