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. 

___________________________________________________________________________

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)

___________________________________________________________________________

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.

___________________________________________________________________________

Game 6

Question:
अहं च त्वं च राजेन्द्र लोकनाथावुभावपि ।
बहुव्रीहिरहं राजन् षष्ठीतत्पुरुषो भवान् ॥

ahaṃ ca tvaṃ ca rājendra lokanāthāvubhāvapi ।

bahuvrīhirahaṃ rājan ṣaṣṭhītatpuruṣo bhavān ॥

Exposition:
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 ॥

Meaning:
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.

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 

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! 

___________________________________________________________________________