Game 12

Question:

अनेकसुषिरं वाद्यं कान्तं च ऋषिसज्ञितम् ।

चक्रिणा च सदाराध्यं यो जानाति स पण्डितः ॥

anekasuShiraM vaadyaM kaantaM ca RuShisan~jitam |

cakriNaa ca sadaaraadhyaM yo jaanaati sa paNDitaH ||

Exposition:

Solve this प्रहेलिका (prahelikaa - 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-suShiraM vaadyaM kaantaM ca RuShi-san~jitam |

cakriNaa ca sadaa-aaraadhyaM yaH jaanaati saH paNDitaH ||

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 (vaadyam) if split as वा + आद्यम् - 

    means starting with 'va'

कान्तं (kaantam) if split as का + 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 finite holes, 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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