double trouble.

  a few very good Sanskrit shlokas I found to be excellent riddles as well.

• य एवादिः स एवान्तो मध्ये भवति मध्यमः |
  य एतन्नाभिजानीयात् तृणमात्रं न वेत्ति सः ||

Meaning:-

Its beginning is its end. Its middle is its middle. If you don’t know this, you don't know anything

Another interpretation:-

It starts with “ya” and ends with “sa”, in the middle is a semi Vowel. If you don’t know this, you don't know even a blade of grass.

Answer :-

यवस

It starts with य and ends with स. In the middle is the semi Vowel व.

यवस means a blade of grass.

The answer is actually hidden surreptitiously in the question itself. The reader is misled because य and स are also pronouns.

• का काली? का मधुरा? का शीतलवाहिनी गङ्गा?
  कं सञ्जघान कृष्णः? कं बलवन्तं न बाधते शीतम्?

Meaning:-

This shloka consist of five questions.

1. What is black?
2. What is sweet?
3. Who is the Ganga of cold waters?
4. Whom did Krishna kill?
5. Which strong man is not affected by cold?

Answer:-

The answers to each question can be derived by removing the space between the question word and other words.

काकाली | कामधुरा | काशीतलवाहिनी गङ्गा |
कंसं जघान कृष्णः | कम्बलवन्तं न बाधते शीतम् |

The answers mean:-

1. A row of crows
2. The yoke of passion
3. The Ganga in Kashi
4. Krishna killed Kamsa
5. The one who has a blanket is not affected by cold.

• भद्र माणवकाख्याहि कीदृशः खलु ते पिता ? |
  वेलान्दोलनकल्लोलः कीदृशश्च महोदधिः ? ||

Meaning:-

My lad, who is your father?
And how is the surging ocean which overflows its shores?

These questions are supposed to be answered in one word.

Answer:-

मज्जन्मकरः

It can be read as,

मत् जन्मकरः (The one responsible for my birth)

Or

मज्जत् मकरः (Hiding crocodiles)

• वृक्षाग्रवासी न च पक्षिराजः त्रिनेत्रधारी न च शूलपाणिः।
  त्वग्वस्त्रधारी न च सिद्धयोगी जलं च बिभ्रत् न घटो न मेघः।।

Meaning:-

Lives on top of the tree but is not a bird. Has three eyes but is not the Shoolapani (Lord Shiva). Wears nothing over the skin but is not a sage. Contains water but is not a pot or a cloud.

Answer:-

नारिकेल

Coconut.

• भोजनान्ते च किं पेयं जयन्तः कस्य वै सुतः।
  कथं विष्णुपदं प्रोक्तं तक्रं शक्रस्य दुर्लभम्।।

Meaning:-

The questions here are in the first three Padas.

1. What is drunk after having food?
2. Who's son is Jayanta?
3. How is Vishnu Padam (The abode of Lord Vishnu)?

Answer:-

The fourth pada answers all the questions together:-

1. तक्रं (Buttermilk)
2. शक्रस्य (Of Indra)
3. दुर्लभं (Not easily attainable)

Fun fact here is that the last pada if read together as तक्रं शक्रस्य दुर्लभम्, it also translates as “Buttermilk is not attainable to Indra”. (Nothing ever rots in the heaven so making buttermilk by rotting milk is impossible.)

• किमिच्छन्ति नराः काश्यां भूपानां को रणे हितः।
  को वन्द्यः सर्व देवानां दीयतामेकमुत्तरम्।।

Meaning:-

1. What do men want in Kashi?
2. What is the best for Kings in a war?
3. What is not possible for Devas?

These questions must be answered in one word.

Answer:-

मृत्यु (Death)

Death in war was considered to be the direct way to heavens. Dying in Kashi was considered lucky because Kashi is a holy city and dying there would elevate the soul to heaven.

• नन्दामि मेघान् गगनेऽवलोक्य
  नृत्यामि गायामि भवामि तुष्टः ।
  नाहं कृषिज्ञः पथिकोऽपि नाहं
  वदन्तु विज्ञा मम नामधेयम् ॥

Meaning:-

I rejoice seeing the clouds in the sky, I dance, I sing, I become happy. I am not a farmer nor am I a traveler. If you know, tell my name?!

Answer:-

मयूर (Peacock)