Question:
अहं च त्वं च राजेन्द्र लोकनाथावुभावपि ।
बहुव्रीहिरहं राजन् षष्ठीतत्पुरुषो भवान् ॥
अहं च त्वं च राजेन्द्र लोकनाथावुभावपि ।
बहुव्रीहिरहं राजन् षष्ठीतत्पुरुषो भवान् ॥
ahaṃ ca tvaṃ ca rājendra lokanāthāvubhāvapi ।
bahuvrīhirahaṃ rājan ṣaṣṭhītatpuruṣo bhavān ॥
Solve this प्रहेलिका (prahelikā - 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 ॥
ahaṃ ca tvaṃ ca rājendra lokanāthau ubhau api ।
bahuvrīhiḥ ahaṃ rājan ṣaṣṭhītatpuruṣo bhavān ॥
Oh king, you and I are both 'lokanātha'-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 'lokanātha', meaning, guardian, protector, supreme power, etc. But here, a beggar is addressing the king as thus - 'Oh king, you and I are both lokanātha-s!'
He is saying, 'I am a rich person (one who has lots of dhānyam (grains) - bahu vrīhi (lots of rice)), and you are just a 6th person!' How is that justified?
This is a Śleṣa (श्लेष), meaning riddles based on double meanings or puns. A single word or phrase can be split or interpreted in two different ways to solve the puzzle.
This is a Śleṣa (श्लेष), meaning riddles based on double meanings or puns. A single word or phrase can be split or interpreted in two different ways to solve the puzzle.
Well, it can be done only in Samskṛtam! The word lokanātha can be split in 2 different ways in 2 different samāsa-s (sorry, no equivalent to this in English, and not to be confused with the snack, 'samosa' ;). It is a way of giving derivations of words as per different rules!
So, in a samaasa called ṣaṣṭī-tatpuruṣa, it is derived as
लोकस्य नाथः
lokasya nāthaḥ
meaning, Lord of the world. Okay, that makes sense.
But how can a beggar call himself lokanātha?
Well, in bahuvrīhi samāsa, it is derived as
लोकः नाथः यस्य सः
But how can a beggar call himself lokanātha?
Well, in bahuvrīhi samāsa, it is derived as
लोकः नाथः यस्य सः
lokaḥ nāthaḥ yasya saḥ
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 (bahuvrīhi) means one who has lots of rice (prosperous), as well as refers to the name of the samāsa!
Likewise, षष्ठीतत्पुरुष (ṣaṣṭī-tatpuruṣa) 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 'lokanātha's. Me, as per bahuvrīhi samāsa (i.e., I am under the mercy of the world), you as per ṣaṣṭī-tatpuruṣa (i.e., you are the Lord of the world)!
Although a beggar, he sure seems to have a pretty good grasp of Samskṛtam grammar! Such play of words would be impossible otherwise!! He must have obtained a reward rather than a reprimand :). He certainly appeased and convinced the king of his statement!
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