Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 17
स्त्रीपुंसोश्च द्विधा त्वं च पशुपक्ष्यादिमानवैः । चतुर्विधं कुलं त्वं हि चतुराशीतिलक्षणः
strīpuṃsośca dvidhā tvaṃ ca paśupakṣyādimānavaiḥ | caturvidhaṃ kulaṃ tvaṃ hi caturāśītilakṣaṇaḥ
Tu existes sous la double forme de la femme et de l’homme. Par les animaux, les oiseaux et les humains, Tu composes l’assemblée quadruple de la vie. Oui, Tu es l’incarnation des quatre-vingt-quatre lakh d’espèces d’êtres vivants.
The Devas (Gods)
Listener: Sages / internal addressee: King (nṛpa) in the narrative frame
Scene: A mandala-like composition: central Hari radiating into paired male/female figures, then concentric rings of animals, birds, and humans—suggesting 84-lakh species as innumerable forms, all connected by a single luminous thread.
FAQs
It refers to the four classifications of birth in Hindu cosmology: Jarāyuja (womb-born), Aṇḍaja (egg-born), Svedaja (moisture/sweat-born), and Udbhijja (sprout/vegetation-born).
The verse explicitly identifies the Goddess as the essence of the 'caturāśītilakṣaṇaḥ' or the 8.4 million species of life, indicating that all biological diversity is a manifestation of Her divine energy.
It highlights the non-dual nature of the Divine Mother, asserting that She transcends and yet encompasses the duality of gender (male and female) necessary for creation.