Vamana Purana — Birth of Skanda (Kartikeya), Shloka 27
The Birth and Consecration of Skanda (Kartikeya) at Kurukshetra
स तद्वचनमाकर्ण्य अजानंस्तं हरात्मजम् प्रोवाच पुत्रं देवेश न वेद्मि कतमो गुहः
sa tadvacanamākarṇya ajānaṃstaṃ harātmajam provāca putraṃ deveśa na vedmi katamo guhaḥ
அவ்வசனத்தை கேட்டதும், ஹரனின் (சிவனின்) அந்த மகனை அறியாதவனாய், அவன் கூறினான்— ‘தேவேசா, குகன் யார் என்று எனக்குத் தெரியாது.’
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FAQs
The phrasing ‘katamaḥ’ suggests plurality or indistinguishability—often resonant with traditions where the child is associated with multiple mothers (Kṛttikās) or manifests in multiple forms. Even without explicit mention here, the verse’s logic presumes a context where identification is nontrivial.
‘Harātmaja’ anchors Guha’s ultimate paternity in Śiva (Hara), even if other deities (like Agni) are narratively involved in custody or transmission. It preserves the Śaiva theological claim while allowing intermediary roles.
In this immediate dialogue, it is best read as Agni addressing Brahmā (Padmaja), who is functioning as the inquirer and a ‘lord among gods’ in the narrative frame. If surrounding verses shift addressee, the epithet could be reassigned, but within 31.26–27 the Brahmā–Agni exchange is primary.