Ashwin
अश्विनpossessing horses; the twin Vedic Ashvins; a Hindu calendar month
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Boy name · Sanskrit
Kartik
कार्तिक
Kartikeya; relating to the Krittikas
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View your favoritesWhat does Kartik mean?
Kartik connects with the Krittikas, the star cluster known as the Pleiades, through Sanskrit kārttika. Wiktionary records the Hindu lunar month Kartik and the given name, while the Sanskrit entry also connects it with Kartikeya. The star cluster, calendar month and deity are related cultural associations, rather than unrelated proposed meanings. The Hindi spelling simplifies the doubled t of the Sanskrit form, and its pronunciation drops the final vowel.
Source: Wiktionary, कार्तिक. How we use sources.
Spelling and pronunciation
कार्तिक is read kaar-tik in Hindi, with two syllables and a long first vowel. Sanskrit kārttika retains a final vowel. Karthik and Karthick use th to represent a t made near the teeth, rather than English th. Kartikeya is the deity's longer name.
Also spelled Karthik, Karthick.
Kartik in tradition and story
Kartikeya, also called Skanda, Murugan and Subrahmanya, is Shiva's son and commander of the gods' army. The month Kartik includes Kartik Purnima, associated with lamp-lighting and observances such as Dev Deepavali in Varanasi.