Game 15

Question:

रात्रौ अस्ति न दिवसे रामे अस्ति न लक्ष्मणे ।

स्वरे अस्ति न व्यञ्जने यदि जानासि तद्वद ॥

rātrau asti na divase rāme asti na lakṣmaṇe ।

svare asti na vyañjane yadi jānāsi tadvada ॥

Exposition:

Solve this प्रहेलिका (prahelikaa - riddle).

After splitting the composite words (sandhis), it could be read as -

रात्रौ अस्ति न दिवसे रामे अस्ति न लक्ष्मणे ।

स्वरे अस्ति न व्यञ्जने यदि जानासि तत् वद ॥

rātrau asti na divase rāme asti na lakṣmaṇe ।

svare asti na vyañjane yadi jānāsi tat vada ॥

Meaning:
It is in night (रात्रि, rātri) and not in day (दिवस, divasa).  It is in Rāma (राम) and not Lakṣmaṇa (लक्ष्मण).  It is in vowel (स्वर, swara) not in consonent (व्यञ्जन. vyañjana). If you know it, say it!

Answer:
This is an Antarlāpikā (अन्तर्लापिका) riddle. The answer is hidden inside the verse itself, within the description.

Upon examining the words given in Sanskrit, it becomes evident that the common factor in all the 3 words - रात्रि, राम, and स्वर is the syllable - 

रेफ

repha 

the syllable 'ra'

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Game 14

Question:

अपदो दूरगामी च साक्षरो न च पण्डितः ।

अमुखः स्फुटवक्ता च यो जानाति स पण्डितः ॥

apado dūragāmī ca sākṣaro na ca paṇḍitaḥ ।

amukhaḥ sphuṭavaktā ca yo jānāti sa paṇḍitaḥ ॥

Exposition:

Solve this प्रहेलिका (prahelikā - riddle).

After splitting the composite words (sandhis), it could be read as -

अपदः दूर-गामी च साक्षरः न च पण्डितः ।

अमुखः स्फुट-वक्ता च यः जानाति सः पण्डितः ॥

apadaḥ dūra-gāmī ca sākṣaraḥ na ca paṇḍitaḥ ।

amukhaḥ sphuṭa-vaktā ca yaḥ jānāti saḥ paṇḍitaḥ ॥

Meaning:
It has no legs but travels far, knows script but is not a scholar, has no mouth but speaks clearly.

He who knows (the answer) is a scholar!

Answer:
It is a Bahirlāpikā (बहिर्लापिका) riddle, in which the answer lies outside the verse and must be guessed from the clues provided.

पत्रम्

patram 

A written letter 

It fits all these descriptions: it is carried to far-off places without walking itself, it contains script (akSharas) but has no brain, and it "speaks" its message to the reader despite having no mouth. 

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Game 13

Question:

कुलालस्य गृहे अर्धं तदर्धं हस्तिनापुरे ।

द्वयोरप्यस्ति लङ्कायां यो जानाति स पण्डितः ॥

kulālasya gṛhe ardhaṃ tadardhaṃ hastināpure ।

dvayorapyasti la~nkāyāṃ yo jānāti sa paṇḍitaḥ ॥

Exposition:

Solve this प्रहेलिका (prahelikā - riddle).

After splitting the composite words (sandhis), it could be read as -

कुलालस्य गृहे अर्धं तत् अर्धं हस्तिनापुरे ।

द्वयोः अपि अस्ति लङ्कायां यः जानाति सः पण्डितः ॥

kulālasya gṛhe ardhaṃ tat ardhaṃ hastināpure ।

dvayoḥ api asti laṅkāyāṃ yaḥ jānāti saḥ paṇḍitaḥ ॥

Meaning:
Half is at a potter's house, the other half is in Hastināpura. Both are in Lankā. He who knows is a scholar. 

Answer:

This is an Antarlāpikā (अन्तर्लापिका) riddle. The answer is hidden inside the verse itself, within the description.

• कुलालस्य गृहे अर्धं (Half of what is in a potter's house): A potter’s primary product is a Kumbha (कुम्भ - pot). Taking this part gives us Kumbha.
• तदर्धं हस्तिनापुरे (Half of what is in Hastināpura): Hastinapura is the city of the Kurus, but in this specific riddle context, it refers to the famous warrior Karṇa (कर्ण). Taking this part gives us Karṇa.
• द्वयोरप्यस्ति लङ्कायाम् (Both are together in Laṅkā): When you join Kumbha + Karṇa, you get Kumbhakarṇa, the famous giant of Laṅkā.

So, the answer is 

कुम्भकर्ण

Kumbhakarṇa

(Ravaṇa's brother, Kumbhakarṇa)

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Game 12

Question:

अनेकसुषिरं वाद्यं कान्तं च ऋषिसज्ञितम् ।

चक्रिणा च सदाराध्यं यो जानाति स पण्डितः ॥

anekasuṣiraṃ vādyaṃ kāntaṃ ca ṛṣisañjitam ।

cakriṇā ca sadārādhyaṃ yo jānāti sa paṇḍitaḥ ॥

Exposition:

Solve this प्रहेलिका (prahelikā - riddle).

After splitting the composite words (sandhis), it could be read as -

अनेक-सुषिरं वाद्यं कान्तं च ऋषि-सज्ञितम् ।

चक्रिणा च सदा-आराध्यं यः जानाति सः पण्डितः ॥

aneka-suṣiraṃ vādyaṃ kāntaṃ ca ṛṣi-sañjitam ।

cakriṇā ca sadā-ārādhyaṃ yaḥ jānāti saḥ paṇḍitaḥ ॥

Meaning:
An instrument with many holes, beautiful and bearing the name of a Sage, ever adored by the Wielder of the Discus; he who knows this is a scholar.

Answer:
This interesting verse is a Samyukta-prahelikā (सम्युक्त-प्रहेलिका), meaning it is a combination of a few categories of prahelikās.

• It 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.
• It is also a Bahirlāpikā (बहिर्लापिका) riddle, as the answer lies outside the verse and must be guessed based on the clues provided.
• It is also a Prasiddha-kathā-āśraya (प्रसिद्ध-कथा-आश्रय), meaning it requires the knowledge of a Paurāṇika (पौराणिक) story as the key to its solution.

Initially, the verse leads us to think the answer is - a Flute, an instrument with many holes, has a reference to the lineage of sages (Vaṃśa, also means bamboo) and is always held by Kṛṣṇa. 

But, let's see some special words in the verse here -

वाद्यं (vādyam) if split as व + आद्यम् - 

    means starting with 'va'

कान्तं (kāntam) if split as क + अन्तम् - 

    means ending with 'ka'

चक्री (cakrī) is also a synonym for a serpent due to its coils. 

The reference of a sage here is that of Valmīki, who emerged out of an anthill, and serpents take shelter here.  

Therefore, the answer would be 

वल्मीकम् 

Valmīkam

Anthill 

P.S.:  'Flute' is a great distracting answer.  But Anthill is a better suit because 

• A flute has a finite number of holes, whereas an anthill has numerous (as in the verse)
• Vaṃśa is a lineage, whereas the verse refers to one sage (Valmīki)
• A flute is held by Kṛṣṇa, whereas a serpent takes shelter here (as in the verse)

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Game 11

Question:

अस्थि नास्ति शिरो नास्ति बाहुरस्ति निरङ्गुलिः ।

नास्ति पादद्वयं गाढम् अङ्गमालिङ्गति स्वयम् ॥

asthi nāsti śiro nāsti bāhurasti niraṅguliḥ ।

nāsti pādadvayaṃ gāḍham aṅgamāliṅgati svayam ॥

Exposition:

Solve this प्रहेलिका (prahelikaa - riddle).

After splitting the composite words (sandhis), it could be read as -

अस्थि न अस्ति शिरः न अस्ति बाहुः अस्ति निरङ्गुलिः ।

न अस्ति पाद-द्वयं गाढम् अङ्गम् आलिङ्गति स्वयम् ॥

asthi na asti śiraḥ na asti bāhuḥ asti niraṅguliḥ ।

na asti pāda-dvayaṃ gāḍham aṅgam āliṅgati svayam ॥

Meaning:
It has no bones or a head. It has arms, but no fingers. It has no legs. But it embraces tightly on its own. 

Answer:
This is a Bahirlāpikā (बहिर्लापिका) riddle, as the answer lies outside the verse and must be guessed based on the clues provided.

The answer is: 

युतकम् 

yutakam

A Shirt

The "arms" without fingers are the sleeves, the lack of bones/head/legs describes the fabric garment, and the "embrace" is how a shirt fits onto a person's torso.

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Game 10

Question:

एकचक्षुर्न काकोऽसौ बिलमिच्छन्न पन्नगः ।

क्षीयते वर्धते चैव यो जानाति स पण्डितः ॥

ekacakṣurna kāko.sau bilamicchanna pannagaḥ ।

kṣīyate vardhate caiva yo jānāti sa paṇḍitaḥ ॥

Exposition:

Solve this प्रहेलिका (prahelikā - riddle).

After splitting the composite words (sandhis), it could be read as -

एक-चक्षुः न काकः असौ बिलम् इच्छन् न पन्नगः ।

क्षीयते वर्धते च एव यो जानाति सः पण्डितः ॥

eka-cakṣuḥ na kākaḥ asau bilam icchan na pannagaḥ ।

kṣīyate vardhate ca eva yo jānāti saḥ paṇḍitaḥ ॥

Meaning:

Has a single eye but not a crow. It seeks out holes but is not a serpent. It wanes and waxes as it travels. He who knows is a scholar!

Answer:
This is a Bahirlāpikā (बहिर्लापिका) riddle, as the answer lies outside the verse and must be guessed based on the clues provided.

Answer is: 

सूची

sūcī 

Needle

"Has one eye but is not a crow": Refers to the eye of the needle through which the thread is passed. (In Indian folklore, crows are often depicted as having only one functional eye).

"Desires a hole but is not a snake": Refers to the needle constantly piercing through fabric (creating or entering a "hole") as it moves.

"Wanes and waxes (shrinks and grows)": This refers to the thread attached to the needle. As you sew, the length of the thread used "wanes" (gets shorter), or it describes the motion of the needle itself, appearing and disappearing through the cloth.

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Game 9

Question:

कस्तूरी जायते कस्मात् को हन्ति करिणां शतम् ।

 किं कुर्यात् कातरो युद्धे मृगात् सिंहः पलायनम् ॥

kastūrī jāyate kasmāt ko hanti kariṇāṃ śatam ।

kiṃ kuryāt kātaro yuddhe mṛgāt siṃhaḥ palāyanam ॥

Exposition:

Solve this प्रहेलिका (prahelikā - riddle).

After splitting the composite words (sandhis), it could be read as -

कस्तूरी जायते कस्मात् कः हन्ति करिणां शतम् ।

किं कुर्यात् कातरः युद्धे मृगात् सिंहः पलायनम् ॥

kastūrī jāyate kasmāt kaḥ hanti kariṇāṃ śatam ।

kiṃ kuryāt kātaraḥ yuddhe mṛgāt siṃhaḥ palāyanam ॥

Meaning:
What is Musk born of? Who kills a hundred elephants? What does a coward do in a war? From a deer, a lion runs! 

Answer:

When read directly, this verse makes no sense at all!  How can a lion run away from a deer?!  

This is a special type of prahelika called Samasyā-pūrti (समस्यापूर्ति). It is a "problem-solving" challenge where a poet is given a single, seemingly nonsensical line (the samasyā - 4th quarter of the verse) and he must compose the rest of the verse to make that line logical.  

When seen like this, the verse suddenly becomes clear - 

What is Kasturi (musk) born of? 

A: From a deer

Who kills a hundred elephants? 

A: A Lion

What does a coward do in a war?

A: Runs 

That completes the riddle!  So, it is not what it seems :).

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