Shloka 82
Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
ततः स कार्तिकेयत्वमवाप परमद्युति: । स्कन्नत्वात् स्कन्दतां चापि गुहावासाद् गुहो&भवत्
tataḥ sa kārtikeyatvam avāpa paramadyutiḥ | skannatvāt skandatāṁ cāpi guhāvāsād guho 'bhavat |
Bhīṣma said: Thereafter that supremely radiant youth came to be known as Kārtikeya. Because he was born from the spilled (skannita) seed, he also received the name Skanda; and because he dwelt in a mountain cave, he became known as Guha. The verse explains how names arise from causes and conduct, linking identity to origin and way of life rather than mere convention.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that names and reputations are grounded in causes—origin, deeds, and lived circumstances—suggesting an ethical view that identity is meaningfully connected to one’s source and conduct, not merely to arbitrary labels.
Bhishma explains the origins of Kartikeya’s epithets: he is called Kārtikeya, also Skanda due to being born from the spilled seed, and Guha because he lived in a cave—an etymological account of the deity’s well-known names.