Shloka 24

Śakuntalā-Janma-Nāmakaraṇa (Birth and Naming of Śakuntalā) | शकुन्तला-जन्म-नामकरणम्

Devanagari script

तस्य शाखो विशाखश्न नैगमेयश्व पृष्ठज: । कृत्तिकाभ्युपपत्तेश्न॒ कार्तिकेय इति स्मृत:,शाख, विशाख और नैगमेय---ये तीनों कुमारके छोटे भाई हैं। छः कृत्तिकाओंको मातारूपमें स्वीकार कर लेनेके कारण कुमारका दूसरा नाम कार्तिकेय भी है

Transliteration

tasya śākho viśākhaś ca naigameyaś ca pṛṣṭhajaḥ | kṛttikābhyupapattaiś ca kārtikeya iti smṛtaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Von ihm (Kumāra/Skanda) waren Śākha, Viśākha und Naigameya die jüngeren Brüder. Und weil er die sechs Kṛttikās als seine Mütter annahm, wird er auch unter dem Namen Kārtikeya in Erinnerung gehalten.“

Word by Word

तस्यof him/its

शाखःŚākha (name)

विशाखःViśākha (name)

चand

नैगमेयःNaigameya (name)

चand

पृष्ठजःborn later; younger (lit. born behind/after)

कृत्तिकाभ्यःfrom the Kṛttikās (Pleiades)

उपपत्तेःbecause of (his) origin/birth

कार्तिकेयःKārttikeya (name of Kumāra/Skanda)

इतिthus

स्मृतःis remembered/called

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kumāra (Skanda)

Śākha

Viśākha

Naigameya

Kṛttikās

Kārtikeya

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how identity and honor can be shaped by acknowledged relationships: Kumāra is called Kārtikeya because he accepts the Kṛttikās as mothers, emphasizing the ethical weight of recognition and affiliation beyond mere biological origin.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues a genealogical account connected with Kumāra/Skanda, naming his younger brothers (Śākha, Viśākha, Naigameya) and explaining the epithet ‘Kārtikeya’ through his association with the six Kṛttikās.