Grammatical Riddles from Jain Works

Author(s): Nalini Balbir
Publisher: Z_Nirgranth_Aetihasik_Lekh_Samucchay_Part_1_002105.pdf and Nirgranth_Aetihasik_Lekh_Samucchay_Part_2

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Grammatical Riddles from Jain works
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kim kurvāte bhaväbdhim su-muni-vitaranād dāyaka-śrävakau drāk ?
sraddhāluh prāpta-mantrady-ucita -vidhi-parah prāyasah kīdršah syāt? (JP 66)
O fair one ! Having taken as your target those who suffer from love, what did you do immediately and repeatedly, lovely woman ! with your moving and sharp sideglances resembling the arrows of Kāma quickly discharged by your eyes ?-1 pierced (them) avidhyam
What do the one who gives and the Jain layman quickly do regarding the ocean of rebirth when a good monk makes them cross?
-They both cross taratah
Generally how will be a faithful fellow who has received mantras and is fully devoted to the relevant rules ?—He will find pleasure in putting an end to what goes against the rule. a-vidhy-anta-ratah
7. Ajitasena's AC has two instances of the namākhyāta-variety. Both are clear representatives of the pattern analysed in 8 5.1.: questions 1 and 2 lead to the answer as a noun, question 3 to the answer as a verbal form. But, as is often the case, the text needs emendation :
* sevitä vihvalam kartun kā kşamā suciram ghatah nămbho dharati kidrksam sastram kurutha dhidhanah ? (AC 2.56) surāmah. surā, āmah. surāmah dadmah.
The above investigation of the illustrative verses found in VMM and JP should have made clear that namākhyāta-riddles, like all other praśnottaras, are built on strict grammatical patterns : a question including kim means a substantive in the answer (with the same grammatical gender as the interrogative pronoun), a question containing kīdrk or the like implies an adjective, simple or compound, in the answer, a question with a verb in the second person implies a verb in the first person in the reply, etc. Sticking to these facts is necessary and proves specially rewarding when it comes to understand texts which are badly transmitted. This holds true for the second line of the above verse which should be read :
nămbho dharati kidrk? kim21 śāstram kurutha dhīdhanah ? The whole verse can then be translated :
What is the thing, the addiction of which can make one confused ? --Alcohol surā