Game 14

Question:

अपदो दूरगामी च साक्षरो न च पण्डितः ।

अमुखः स्फुटवक्ता च यो जानाति स पण्डितः॥

apado dooragaamee cha saakSharo na cha paNDitaH |

amukhaH sphuTavaktaa cha yo jaanaati sa paNDitaH||

Exposition:

Solve this प्रहेलिका (prahelikaa - 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॥

apadaH doora-gaamee cha saakSharaH na cha paNDitaH |

amukhaH sphuTa-vaktaa cha yaH jaanaati saH paNDitaH||

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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