Question:
अहं च त्वं च राजेन्द्र लोकनाथावुभावपि ।
बहुव्रीहिरहं राजन् षष्ठीतत्पुरुषो भवान् ॥
ahaM cha tvaM cha raajendra lokanaathaavubhaavapi|
bahuvrIhirahaM raajan ShaShThItatpuruSho bhavaan ||
Exposition:
Solve this प्रहेलिका (prahelikaa - riddle).
After splitting the composite words (sandhis), it could be read as -
ahaM cha tvaM cha raajendra lokanaathau ubhau api|
bahuvrIhiH ahaM raajan ShaShThItatpuruSho bhavaan ||
Meaning:
Oh king, you and I are both 'lokanaatha'-s. I am rich man, you are only a 6th person!!
Answer:
How could this be?! This is a play of words. Generally, a king is referred as a 'lokanaatha', meaning, guardian, protector, supreme power, etc. But here, a beggar is addressing the king as thus - 'Oh king, you and I are both lokanaatha-s!' I am a rich person (one who has lots of dhaanyam - bahu vrIhi (lots of rice)) and you are just a 6th person'!! How is that justified?
Well, it can be done only in samskRutam! The word lokanaatha can be split in 2 different ways in 2 different samaasa-s (sorry, no equivalent to this in English and not to be confused with 'samosa' ;). It is a way of giving derivations of words as per different rules!
So, in a samaasa called ShaShTI-tatpuruSha, it is derived as
लोकस्य नाथः
lokasya naathaH
meaning, lord of the world. Okay, that makes sense.
But how can a beggar call himself lokanaatha?
Well, in bhahuvrIhi samaasa, it is derived as
लोकः नाथः यस्य सः
lokaH naathaH yasya saH
means - he whose Lord is the world! To expand further, it means the beggar accepts the superiority of the entire world over him, as he survives on the mercy of other beings in the world!!
The word बहुव्रीहि means one who has lots of rice (prosperous), as well as refers to the name of the samaasa!
Likewise, षष्ठीतत्पुरुष means 6th person, as well as 6th case (as in vibhakti)!
Now, the other meaning of the verse would be -
O king, you and I are both 'lokanaatha's. Me as per bahuvrIhi samaasa (i.e., I am under the mercy of the world), you as per ShaShThI-tatpuruSha (i.e., you are the Lord of the world)!
Although a beggar, he sure seems to have a pretty good grasp of samskRutam grammar! Such play of words would otherwise, be impossible!! He certainly appeased and convinced the king of his statement :)
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अहं च त्वं च राजेन्द्र लोकनाथावुभावपि ।
बहुव्रीहिरहं राजन् षष्ठीतत्पुरुषो भवान् ॥
ahaM cha tvaM cha raajendra lokanaathaavubhaavapi|
bahuvrIhirahaM raajan ShaShThItatpuruSho bhavaan ||
Solve this प्रहेलिका (prahelikaa - riddle).
After splitting the composite words (sandhis), it could be read as -
अहं च त्वं च राजेन्द्र लोकनाथौ उभौ अपि ।
बहुव्रीहिः अहं राजन् षष्ठीतत्पुरुषो भवान् ॥
bahuvrIhiH ahaM raajan ShaShThItatpuruSho bhavaan ||
Meaning:
Oh king, you and I are both 'lokanaatha'-s. I am rich man, you are only a 6th person!!
Answer:
How could this be?! This is a play of words. Generally, a king is referred as a 'lokanaatha', meaning, guardian, protector, supreme power, etc. But here, a beggar is addressing the king as thus - 'Oh king, you and I are both lokanaatha-s!' I am a rich person (one who has lots of dhaanyam - bahu vrIhi (lots of rice)) and you are just a 6th person'!! How is that justified?
Well, it can be done only in samskRutam! The word lokanaatha can be split in 2 different ways in 2 different samaasa-s (sorry, no equivalent to this in English and not to be confused with 'samosa' ;). It is a way of giving derivations of words as per different rules!
So, in a samaasa called ShaShTI-tatpuruSha, it is derived as
लोकस्य नाथः
lokasya naathaH
meaning, lord of the world. Okay, that makes sense.
But how can a beggar call himself lokanaatha?
Well, in bhahuvrIhi samaasa, it is derived as
लोकः नाथः यस्य सः
lokaH naathaH yasya saH
means - he whose Lord is the world! To expand further, it means the beggar accepts the superiority of the entire world over him, as he survives on the mercy of other beings in the world!!
The word बहुव्रीहि means one who has lots of rice (prosperous), as well as refers to the name of the samaasa!
Likewise, षष्ठीतत्पुरुष means 6th person, as well as 6th case (as in vibhakti)!
Now, the other meaning of the verse would be -
O king, you and I are both 'lokanaatha's. Me as per bahuvrIhi samaasa (i.e., I am under the mercy of the world), you as per ShaShThI-tatpuruSha (i.e., you are the Lord of the world)!
Although a beggar, he sure seems to have a pretty good grasp of samskRutam grammar! Such play of words would otherwise, be impossible!! He certainly appeased and convinced the king of his statement :)
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