In Hindu Puranas, Andaja is the one born out of an egg. This is an important category of living beings enumerated in Puranas. Four such fundamental categories have been enumerated – svedaja (born out of sweat), andaja, udbhijja (born out of a plant), and jarayuja (born out of a womb). While sveda, anda, udbhid and jarayu mean perspiration, eggo, plant and womb respectively, the ‘ja’ suffix at the end of the terms signifies ‘being born of’ and may be used as indicating ‘the source of anything.’
Andajas are mainly animals who produce and egg out of which
a living organism emerges, e.g. fish, snakes, lizards and birds. The svedajas
are those born out of perspiration, mostly bacteria and lower forms of insects
and vermin. The udbhijja are plants born of sprouts, as they have life but do
not move like the others.
Yonija or jarayuja beings are those born out of a womb.
In all Puranas, there is usually a mandatory Srishtianka or
chapter on creation in which the gradual process of evolution of life forms is
mentioned. Usually, the sthavara (stationary) and the jangama (mobile) are two
primary categories from which different life-forms emerge. The udbhijjas belong
to the sthavara category. Amongst the jangamas are the higher life forms that
arise from perspiration, eggs and wombs.