Game: Rucirā or Vaṃśastha?

To win this game, read the following verses from Mahābhārata and send me a PM by 11:59 PM IST on Monday, December 26, 2022, with the correct answers to my questions.

Question 1: Which verse is entirely in the poetic metre called Rucirā?

Question 2: Which verse is entirely in the poetic metre called Vaṃśastha?

Question 3: Which verse has alternating lines of Rucirā and Vaṃśastha - two nonconsecutive lines in each metre?

Since there are five verses, anyone who correctly describes the metrical patterns of the remaining two verses will earn bonus points.

The syllabic patterns of Rucirā and Vaṃśastha are almost the same, but you can learn how to tell them apart in the Metres of Saṃskṛta Poetry topic in the Saṃskṛta Text Discussion Forum. Any member of India Forums can auto-join this private forum through the link in my signature.

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/162347682

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/162347995

Ready? Set? Go!

Verse 1.

pitā sutaṃ tyajati suhṛd-varaṃ suhṛt

tathai'va putraḥ pitaraṃ śar'āturaḥ

sva-rakṣaṇe kṛta-matayas tadā janās

tyajanti vāhān api Pārtha-pīḍitāḥ

The father abandoned his son, the friend his best friend, indeed also the arrow-tormented son his father. Determined to protect themselves, humans troubled by Pṛthā's son even abandoned their mounts.

Verse 2.

tato hatā nara-ratha-vāji-kuñjarair

anekaśo dvipa-ratha-vāji-pattayaḥ

gajair gajā rathibhir udāyudhā rathā

hayair hayāḥ patti-gaṇaiś ca pattayaḥ

Then by men, chariots, horses, and elephants were slain numerous elephant-riders, chariot-riders, horse-riders, and foot soldiers, and by elephants elephants, by chariot-riders weapon-raising chariot-riders, by horses horses, by foot-soldier troops foot-soldiers.

Verse 3.

tathā parair bahu-karaṇair var'āyudhair

hatā gatāḥ prati-bhaya-darśanāḥ kṣitim

vipothitā haya-gaja-pāda-tāḍitā

bhṛś'ākulā ratha-khura-nemibhir hatāḥ

Also, slain by opponents with many varieties of fine weapons, those who gave fright face-to-face went to the ground, knocked down, kicked by horses' and elephants' feet, intensely distressed, crushed by chariots with hooves and wheel-rims.

Verse 4.

pramodane śvāpada-pakṣi-Rakṣasāṃ

jana-kṣaye vartati tatra dāruṇe

mahābalās te kupitāḥ parasparaṃ

niṣūdayantaḥ pravicerur ojasā

Delighting carnivores, birds, and Rākṣasas, as the terrible slaughter of humans went on there, those of great strength, provoked, roamed widely, subduing each other by force.

Verse 5.

tato bale bhṛśa-lulite parasparaṃ

nirīkṣamāṇe rudhir'augha-saṃplute

divākarE'staṃ girim āsthite śanair

ubhe prayāte śibirāya Bhārata

Then those two forces, intensely buffeted, watching each other drenched in flows of blood, when the daymaking sun reached the mountain of sunset, gradually both headed to camp, descendant of Bharata!

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You can tell me what you think of this game in a sentence.

Earlier games:

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5308307

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5310118

In the Mahabharat Katha private forum, I have a game called "Whose name is this?"

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/1435

Here are the answers.

Question 1: Which verse is entirely in the poetic metre called Rucirā?

Answer: Verse 3.

As stated in the challenge, the syllabic definition of Rucirā 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 (here).

ja-bhā-na-bhā, na-sa-sa-la-gam-ja-bhā-na-gam

ˇ-ˇ-, ˇˇˇˇ-ˇ-ˇ-

तथा परैर्बहुकरणैर्वरायुधैर्

हता गताः प्रतिभयदर्शनाः क्षितिम् ।

विपोथिता हयगजपादताडिता

भृशाकुला रथखुरनेमिभिर्हताः ।।

tathā parair bahu-karaṇair var'āyudhair

hatā gatāḥ prati-bhaya-darśanāḥ kṣitim

vipothitā haya-gaja-pāda-tāḍitā

bhṛś'ākulā ratha-khura-nemibhir hatāḥ

Also, slain by opponents with many varieties of fine weapons, those who gave fright face-to-face went to the ground, knocked down, kicked by horses' and elephants' feet, intensely distressed, crushed by chariots with hooves and wheel-rims.

Question 2: Which verse is entirely in the poetic metre called Vaṃśastha?

Answer: Verse 4.

Refer to the syllabic definition of Vaṃśastha from the Metres of Saṃskṛta Poetry topic.

ja-bhā-na-tā-rā-ja-ja-bhā-na-rā-ja-bhā

ˇ-ˇ--ˇˇ-ˇ-ˇ-

प्रमोदने श्वापदपक्षिरक्षसां

जनक्षये वर्तति तत्र दारुणे ।

महाबलास्ते कुपिताः परस्परं

निषूदयन्तः प्रविचेरुरोजसा ।।

pramodane śvāpada-pakṣi-Rakṣasāṃ

jana-kṣaye vartati tatra dāruṇe

mahābalās te kupitāḥ parasparaṃ

niṣūdayantaḥ pravicerur ojasā

Delighting carnivores, birds, and Rākṣasas, as the terrible slaughter of humans went on there, those of great strength, provoked, roamed widely, subduing each other by force.

Question 3: Which verse has alternating lines of Rucirā and Vaṃśastha - two nonconsecutive lines in each metre?

Answer: Verse 1.

The first and third lines are Rucirā; the second and fourth lines are Vaṃśastha.

पिता सुतं त्यजति सुहृद्वरं सुहृत्

तथैव पुत्रः पितरं शरातुरः ।

स्वरक्षणे कृतमतयस्तदा जनास्

त्यजन्ति वाहानपि पार्थपीडिताः ।।

pitā sutaṃ tyajati suhṛd-varaṃ suhṛt

tathai'va putraḥ pitaraṃ śar'āturaḥ

sva-rakṣaṇe kṛta-matayas tadā janās

tyajanti vāhān api Pārtha-pīḍitāḥ

The father abandoned his son, the friend his best friend, indeed also the arrow-tormented son his father. Determined to protect themselves, humans troubled by Pṛthā's son even abandoned their mounts.

Bonus: Metrical pattern of Verse 2.

The first three lines are Rucirā, but the fourth line is Vaṃśastha.

ततो हता नररथवाजिकुञ्जरैर्

अनेकशो द्विपरथवाजिपत्तयः ।

गजैर्गजा रथिभिरुदायुधा रथा

हयैर्हया पत्तिगणैश्च पत्तयः ।।

tato hatā nara-ratha-vāji-kuñjarair

anekaśo dvipa-ratha-vāji-pattayaḥ

gajair gajā rathibhir udāyudhā rathā

hayair hayāḥ patti-gaṇaiś ca pattayaḥ

Then by men, chariots, horses, and elephants were slain numerous elephant-riders, chariot-riders, horse-riders, and foot soldiers, and by elephants elephants, by chariot-riders weapon-raising chariot-riders, by horses horses, by foot-soldier troops foot-soldiers.

Bonus: Metrical pattern of Verse 5.

The first line is Rucirā, but the last three lines are Vaṃśastha.

ततो बले भृशलुलिते परस्परं

निरीक्षमाणे रुधिरौघसंप्लुते ।

दिवाकरेऽस्तं गिरिमास्थिते शनैर्

उभे प्रयाते शिबिराय भारत ।।

tato bale bhṛśa-lulite parasparaṃ

nirīkṣamāṇe rudhir'augha-saṃplute

divākarE'staṃ girim āsthite śanair

ubhe prayāte śibirāya Bhārata

Then those two forces, intensely buffeted, watching each other drenched in flows of blood, when the daymaking sun reached the mountain of sunset, gradually both headed to camp, descendant of Bharata!

Bards who had the skill to combine two related metrical patterns within a single verse, accommodating long or short syllables without disrupting the overall rhythm, could use that flexibility to work in the necessary words to tell the story.