Game 9

Question:

कस्तूरी जायते कस्मात् को हन्ति करिणां शतम् ।

 किं कुर्यात् कातरो युद्धे मृगात् सिंहः पलायनम् ॥

kastooree jaayate kasmaat ko hanti kariNaaM shatam |

kiM kuryaat kaataro yuddhe mRugaat siMhaH palaayanam ||

Exposition:

Solve this प्रहेलिका (prahelikaa - 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 ॥

kastooree jaayate kasmaat kaH hanti kariNaaM Satam |

kiM kuryaat kaataraH yuddhe mRugaat siMhaH palaayanam ||

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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