Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

श्वापदाद्याश्च ये जीवाश्चतुराशीतियोनयः । उद्भिज्जाः स्वेदजाश्चैव जरायुजास्तथांडजाः

Transliteration

śvāpadādyāśca ye jīvāścaturāśītiyonayaḥ | udbhijjāḥ svedajāścaiva jarāyujāstathāṃḍajāḥ

Translation

“And the living beings beginning with wild creatures—(all) the eighty-four categories of birth: those sprouting from the earth, those born of sweat, those born from the womb, and those born from eggs.”

Word by Word

• श्वापदाद्याः: beginning with wild beasts
• श्वापदाद्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier of जीवाः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वापद (प्रातिपदिक) + आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (श्वापद-आद्याः = beginning with beasts of prey)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• ये: which / those who
• ये: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• जीवाः: living beings
• जीवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• चतुराशीति-योनयः: the eighty-four (lakhs) of species
• चतुराशीति-योनयः: Karta (Apposition to जीवाः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुराशीति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—द्विगु (चतुराशीतिः योनयः = 84 (lakhs) of wombs/species)

• उद्भिज्जाः: sprouting-born (plants)
• उद्भिज्जाः: Karta (Class in enumeration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद् + भिद् (धातु) → उद्भिज्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; जातिवाचक

• स्वेदजाः: sweat-born (from moisture)
• स्वेदजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्वेदात् जायन्ते)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• एव: also
• एव: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात

• जरायुजाः: womb-born (viviparous)
• जरायुजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरायु (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (जरायोः जायन्ते)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (likewise)

• अण्डजाः: egg-born (oviparous)
• अण्डजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अण्डात् जायन्ते)

Speaker

Śrī Viṣṇu (continued instruction)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Brahmā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic cosmic diagram: four panels or concentric bands showing udbhijja (sprouting plants), svedaja (minute life from moisture), jarāyuja (mammals from womb), and aṇḍaja (birds/reptiles from eggs), all emerging within a sanctified earth-scape.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā (implied)
• Caturāśīti-yonayaḥ (84 births)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life manifests in many modes; recognizing this diversity supports compassion and dharmic responsibility toward all beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is cosmological.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it classifies forms of birth rather than prescribing a rite.