Game: Find the Mālinī verse in this passage! - Page 2

HereAsMyself was the only player to send an answer by the deadline. Another player plans to PM me this morning (IST), so I am not posting the correct answer and bonus question answer just yet.

Everyone who still wants to join the Saṃskṛta Text Discussion forum, read the definition of Mālinī, and send an answer is welcome to do so this morning.

I don't even know basics of Sanskrit. I never got a chance to learn it I school despite wanting to, because my school did not offer it.

Originally posted by: devashree_h

I don't even know basics of Sanskrit. I never got a chance to learn it I school despite wanting to, because my school did not offer it.

I too would love to learn Sanskrit someday. Wish they had an app for that, like they have Duolingo for so many languages. 

Without further delay, here are the answers!

Question: Which verse in this passage is in the poetic metre called Mālinī?

As stated in the challenge, the syllabic definition of Mālinī can be found in the Metres of Saṃskṛta Poetry topic in the Saṃskṛta Text Discussion Forum. The link works for any member of India Forums who has auto-joined this private forum.

Mālinī is a metre of fifteen syllables per line, divided by a pause after the eighth syllable.

na-sa-la-na-sa-la-mā-tā, rā-ya-mā-tā-ya-mā-tā

ˇˇˇˇˇˇ-- , -ˇ--ˇ--

In Arjuna's vow to slay Jayadratha, this pattern of syllables is found in these four lines:

असुरसुरमनुष्याः पक्षिणो वोरगा वा

पितृरजनिचरा वा ब्रह्मदेवर्षयो वा ।

चरमचरमपीदं यत् परं चापि तस्मात्

तदपि मम रिपुं तं रक्षितुं नैव शक्ताः ।।

asura-sura-manuṣyāḥ pakṣiṇo v'oragā vā

pitṛ-rajanicarā vā brahma-devarṣayo vā

caram acaram ap'īdaṃ yat paraṃ c'āpi tasmāt

tad api mama ripuṃ taṃ rakṣituṃ n'aiva śaktāḥ

Asuras, Suras, and humans, or winged ones, or snakes, or forefathers and night-roamers, or brāhmaṇa sages and divine sages, even this animate and inanimate world, and even what is beyond it, even they are surely unable to protect that enemy of mine.

Bonus Question: Which is the only other non-Śloka (non-Anuṣṭubh) verse in this passage? Can you name its poetic metre?

The definition of Śloka tells you that it has eight syllables per line (i.e. it is an Anuṣṭubh metre), with alternating syllabic patterns in odd-numbered and even-numbered lines. Most of Arjuna's vow has 8 + 8 syllables = two lines of Śloka verse per written line, except the Mālinī verse and these four lines of 12, 13, 12, 13 syllables.

यदि विशति रसातलं तदग्र्यं

वियदपि देवपुरं दितेः पुरं वा ।

तदपि शरशतैरहं प्रभाते

भृशमभिपत्य रिपोः शिरोऽभिहर्ता ।।

yadi viśati rasātalaṃ tad agryaṃ

viyad api devapuraṃ diteḥ puraṃ vā

tad api śara-śatair ahaṃ prabhāte

bhṛśam abhipatya ripoḥ śiro'bhihartā

Whether he enters that finest underworld-base or the sky, even a divine city or Diti's city, even then, in the morning, I will attack forcefully with hundreds of arrows and snatch off my enemy's head.

This verse is in the metre called Puṣpitāgrā. Its definition will soon appear in the Metres of Saṃskṛta Poetry topic.

Thank you all for your efforts in this game!

Originally posted by: BrhannadaArmour

Without further delay, here are the answers!

Question: Which verse in this passage is in the poetic metre called Mālinī?

As stated in the challenge, the syllabic definition of Mālinī can be found in the Metres of Saṃskṛta Poetry topic in the Saṃskṛta Text Discussion Forum. The link works for any member of India Forums who has auto-joined this private forum.

Mālinī is a metre of fifteen syllables per line, divided by a pause after the eighth syllable.

na-sa-la-na-sa-la-mā-tā, rā-ya-mā-tā-ya-mā-tā

ˇˇˇˇˇˇ-- , -ˇ--ˇ--

In Arjuna's vow to slay Jayadratha, this pattern of syllables is found in these four lines:

असुरसुरमनुष्याः पक्षिणो वोरगा वा

पितृरजनिचरा वा ब्रह्मदेवर्षयो वा ।

चरमचरमपीदं यत् परं चापि तस्मात्

तदपि मम रिपुं तं रक्षितुं नैव शक्ताः ।।

asura-sura-manuṣyāḥ pakṣiṇo v'oragā vā

pitṛ-rajanicarā vā brahma-devarṣayo vā

caram acaram ap'īdaṃ yat paraṃ c'āpi tasmāt

tad api mama ripuṃ taṃ rakṣituṃ n'aiva śaktāḥ

Asuras, Suras, and humans, or winged ones, or snakes, or forefathers and night-roamers, or brāhmaṇa sages and divine sages, even this animate and inanimate world, and even what is beyond it, even they are surely unable to protect that enemy of mine.

Bonus Question: Which is the only other non-Śloka (non-Anuṣṭubh) verse in this passage? Can you name its poetic metre?

The definition of Śloka tells you that it has eight syllables per line (i.e. it is an Anuṣṭubh metre), with alternating syllabic patterns in odd-numbered and even-numbered lines. Most of Arjuna's vow has 8 + 8 syllables = two lines of Śloka verse per written line, except the Mālinī verse and these four lines of 12, 13, 12, 13 syllables.

यदि विशति रसातलं तदग्र्यं

वियदपि देवपुरं दितेः पुरं वा ।

तदपि शरशतैरहं प्रभाते

भृशमभिपत्य रिपोः शिरोऽभिहर्ता ।।

yadi viśati rasātalaṃ tad agryaṃ

viyad api devapuraṃ diteḥ puraṃ vā

tad api śara-śatair ahaṃ prabhāte

bhṛśam abhipatya ripoḥ śiro'bhihartā

Whether he enters that finest underworld-base or the sky, even a divine city or Diti's city, even then, in the morning, I will attack forcefully with hundreds of arrows and snatch off my enemy's head.

This verse is in the metre called Puṣpitāgrā. Its definition will soon appear in the Metres of Saṃskṛta Poetry topic.

Thank you all for your efforts in this game!

Thank you for the answer❤️

Ahhh my head is spinning right now