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 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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Game 8

Question:
केशवं पतितं दृष्ट्वा 
पाण्डवा हर्षनिर्भराः ।
रुदन्ति कौरवास्सर्वे 
हा हा केशव केशव ॥

keśavaṃ patitaṃ dṛṣṭvā

pāṇḍavā harṣanirbharāḥ ।

rudanti kauravāssarve

hā hā keśava keśava ॥

Exposition:
This one's a spinner!

केशवं पतितं दृष्ट्वा
पाण्डवाः हर्ष-निर्भराः ।
रुदन्ति कौरवाः सर्वे
हा हा केशव केशव ॥

keśavaṃ patitaṃ dṛṣṭvā

pāṇḍavāḥ harṣa-nirbharāḥ ।

rudanti kauravāḥ sarve

hā hā keśava keśava ॥

Meaning:
Seeing the fallen keshava,
the pāṇḍava-s were filled with ecstasy
All the kaurava-s were crying
O Keśava, O Keśava!

Answer:
Hmmm..., interesting scenario, isn't it?!!  The pāṇḍava-s rejoicing, whereas kaurava-s lamenting for Keśava?!!  Almost looks like the poet made a mistake in placing the words!  (Keśava is one of the many names of Lord Kṛṣṇa.  He was called so after he slayed a demon named keshi.)

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, let's see some special words in the verse here -
केशव, if split as के शव (ke shava) 
     के (seventh case of कं shabda) - in the water
     शव - cadaver (dead body),
           it means - dead body in the water
पाण्डव when split as पा अण्डवाः (pā aṇḍavāḥ)
     पा - water
     अण्डवाः - those born from eggs, 
             means - fish born in the water from eggs
कौरवाः, if split as कौ रवाः (kau ravāḥ)
     कौ - horrible
     रवाः - noise
             refers to - wolves/fox which howl a horrible cry

Now, the meaning becomes, 
On seeing the cadaver fallen in the water, the fish were ecstatic (that was a feast for them), whereas the wolves were lamenting as they could not get a bite of the dead body in the water!

Phew, now that makes more sense, doesn't it :).
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Game 2

Question:
कृष्णमुखी न मार्जारी द्विजिह्वा न च सर्पिणी ।
पञ्चभर्ता न पाञ्चाली यो जानाति स पण्डितः ॥

kṛṣṇamukhī na mārjārī dvijihvā na ca sarpiṇī ।

pañcabhartā na pāñcālī yo jānāti sa paṇḍitaḥ ॥

Exposition:
This verse is a प्रहेलिका(prahelikā), a riddle.  The challenge is to solve it!

कृष्ण-मुखी न मार्जारी द्वि-जिह्वा न च सर्पिणी ।
पञ्च-भर्ता न पाञ्चाली यः जानाति सः पण्डितः ॥

kṛṣṇa-mukhī na mārjārī dvi-jihvā na ca sarpiṇī ।

pa~nca-bhartā na pā~ncālī yaḥ jānāti saḥ paṇḍitaḥ ॥

Meaning:
Black-faced, not a cat; double-tongued, not a snake;
Has 5 care-takers, not draupadī (of mahābhārata); he who knows is a clever person.

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

लेखनी
lekhanī
A Pen!

The nib of a pen is black with ink, and the nib is split in the middle to allow the flow of ink.  The 5 fingers that hold it are its caretakers.  Did you know the answer?  Aren't you clever! :).

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