Riddles
अस्थि नास्ति शिरो नास्ति बाहुरस्ति निरङ्गुलिः। नास्ति पादद्वयं गाढम् अङ्गमालिङ्गति स्वयम् ॥
No bones, no head — arms but no fingers, no legs, yet it hugs you tight. What is it?
युतकम् — Shirt
किमिच्छति नरः काश्यां ? भूपानां को रणे हितः ? को वन्द्यः सर्वदेवानां ? दीयतामेकमुत्तरम् ॥
What does a person want in काशी? What is best for a king in battle? Who is most revered among the gods? One answer fits all three.
- In काशी one desires— मृत्युम् — Death
- रणे — जयः — Victory
- देवेषु — मृत्युञ्जयः — Lord शिव is revered.
सीमन्तिनीषु का शान्ता ? राजा कोऽभूत् गुणोत्तमः ? विदुषां का सदा वन्द्या ? अत्रैवोक्तं, न बुध्यते ॥
Who among women is the most tranquil? Who was the most virtuous king? What do the learned always revere? The answers are hidden in the verse itself.
- Most tranquil among women — सीता
- Most virtuous king — रामः
- What the learned revere — विद्या
पुरुषः कीहशो वेत्ति प्रायेण सकलाः कलाः । मध्यवर्णद्वयं त्यक्त्वा ब्रूहि कः स्यात् सुरालयः ॥
What do we call one who has mastered as skills? Subract the middle letters to say where Devas live.
One who knows all branches of learning is called नागरिक. Drop the two middle letters and नाक (heaven) remains.
विष्णोः का वल्लभा देवी लोकत्रितयचारिणी ? वर्णावाद्यन्तिमौ दत्त्वा कः शाब्दः तुल्यवाचकः ?
Who roams the three worlds and is विष्णु’s beloved consort?
मा (लक्ष्मी). Add स at the beginning and न at the end to get समानम् (equal).
न तस्यादिः न तस्यान्तः मध्ये यः तस्य तिष्ठति । तवाप्यस्ति ममाप्यस्ति यदि जानासि तद्वद ॥
Meaning 1 — It has no beginning and no end. What lies in its middle exists in both you and me. What is it? Meaning 2 — The word starts with न, ends with न, and has य in the middle. You have it; so do I.
नयनम् — Eye
दन्तैर्हीनः शिलाभक्षी निर्जीवो बहुभाषकः । गुणस्यूतिसमृद्धोऽपि परपादेन गच्छति ॥
Without teeth it eats stone; lifeless, yet it speaks much; full of virtues (or threads), yet moves only by another’s feet. What is it?
पादरक्षा — Sandal (गुण = quality or thread)
अपदो दूरगामी च साक्षरो न च पण्डितः । अमुखः स्फुटवक्ता च यो जानाति स पण्डितः ॥
No legs, yet it travels far. Full of letters, yet no scholar. Speaks clearly without a mouth. One who knows it is a scholar.
समपत्रम् — Post card
वृक्षाग्रवासी न च पक्षिराजः त्रिणेत्रधारी न च शूलपाणिः । त्वग्वस्त्रधारी न च सिद्धयोगी जलं च बिभ्रन्न घटो न मेघः ॥
Lives atop a tree — not the king of birds. Has three eyes — not शिव. Wears a skin garment — not an ascetic. Holds water — neither a pot nor a cloud.
नारिकेलम् — Coconut
सानुजः काननं गत्वा यातुधानान् जघान कः ? मध्ये वर्णत्रयं दत्त्वा रावणः कीदृशो वद ॥
Who went to the forest with his younger brother and slew the demons?
रामः. Insert the letters क्षसोत्त in the middle to describe रावण: राक्षसोत्तमः (foremost among demons).