Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

अण्डजाः पक्षपातेन जीवंति शिशवो भुवि । ऊष्मणा स्वेदजाः सर्वे उद्भिज्जाः सलिलेन हि

Transliteration

aṇḍajāḥ pakṣapātena jīvaṃti śiśavo bhuvi | ūṣmaṇā svedajāḥ sarve udbhijjāḥ salilena hi

Translation

Die Jungen der eiergeborenen Wesen leben auf Erden durch die Fürsorge der geflügelten Eltern. Alle schweißgeborenen Wesen leben durch Wärme, und die sprossgeborenen leben wahrlich durch Wasser.

Word by Word

• अण्डजाः: egg-born beings
• अण्डजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अण्डज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; जातिवाचक

• पक्षपातेन: by/through wing-flapping (movement of wings)
• पक्षपातेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षपात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधन/हेतु-भाव

• जीवन्ति: live, survive
• जीवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• शिशवः: infants, young ones
• शिशवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

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

• ऊष्मणा: by heat
• ऊष्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊष्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• स्वेदजाः: sweat-born beings
• स्वेदजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वेदज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• उद्भिज्जाः: plants (udbhijja class)
• उद्भिज्जाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्भिज्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• सलिलेन: by water
• सलिलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three-part scene: birds feeding chicks in a nest (parental wing-care), tiny insects thriving in sun-warmth, and plants drinking from water/streams—an interdependence triptych.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life is sustained through interdependence—care, warmth, and water—reflecting the dharmic order embedded in nature.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra remains the narrative setting; the verse highlights universal natural law rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is explanatory.