Lesson 30: चित्रश्लोकाः (Charming Slokas)
Note: Each Sloka contains questions and their answers like प्रश्नोत्तरमाला
Sloka
कस्तूरी जायते कस्मात् ?
को हन्ति करिणां कुलम् ?
किम् कुर्यात् कातरो युद्धे ?
मृगात् सिंहः पलायते॥
Translation
From where (कस्मात्) does Musk (कस्तूरी) grow (जायते) ?
Who (कः) kills (हन्ति) the herd (कुलम्) of elephants (करिणां) ?
What (किम्) does a coward (कातरः) do (कुर्यात्) in battle (युद्धे) ?
From a deer (मृगात्) a lion (सिंहः) runs (पलायते).
The above sloka is a puzzle. The first three lines are questions. Each word of the last line is the answer to that question.
Translation
It has (अस्ति) a belly (कुक्षिः) does not (न) have (अस्ति) a head (शिरः)
has (अस्ति) arms (बाहुः) no fingers (निरङ्गुलिः).
has (अस्ति) no (न) legs (अपदः) and (च) is a man-eater (नरभक्षी)
he who (यः) knows (जानाति) he (सः) is learned (पण्डितः)
This sloka is also a puzzle - something that has a belly but no head, has arms but no fingers. It has legs and is a "man-eater". He who knows (what that is) is a learned person.
What is it? युतक - A kurta or shirt.
Translation
Without legs (अपदः) and (च) travels long distance (दूरगामी)
educated (साक्षरः) and (च) not (न) learned (पण्डितः).
without a mouth (अमुखः) and (च) a truth speaker (स्फुटवक्ता)
he who (यः) knows (जानाति) he (सः) is learned (पण्डितः).
Sloka
सीमन्तिनीषु का शान्ता ?
राजा कोऽभूद्गुणोत्तमः ?
विद्वद्भिः का सदा बन्द्या ?
तत्रैवोक्तं न बुध्यते॥
Notes and Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning | Word | Meaning | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| कस्तूरी f. | musk | सीमन्तिनी f. | a woman | कुल n. | a herd |
| कुलाल m. | a potter | कातर a. m. | cowardly | युग्म n. a. | a pair |
| मृग m. | a deer | कीचक m. | a bamboo rattling in the wind | कुक्षि f. | belly |
| साक्षर a. m. | posssessed of letter | हैम a. n. | made of gold |