Comprehension of a Sanskrit passage not in sandhi — IGCSE Sanskrit (0499) questions by topic
Reading unfamiliar Sanskrit narrative passages, such as the stories of Brahmadatta's horse or the lion who saves many creatures, and answering comprehension questions in English is the task here, drawn from 5 real questions set in 2023 to 2025 papers, all worth 30 marks.
State and write ask for specific facts lifted from a named line, with Sanskrit names given in transliteration, so command of vocabulary and visarga sandhi rules matters more than fluent English prose style. Since the reports repeatedly flag sandhi as a source of dropped marks, drafting an answer to a full passage and submitting it for instant marking is a direct way to see whether visarga sandhi has actually been decoded correctly, line by line.
What examiners look for
- A recurring criticism is not looking at the number of marks available and failing to translate every word in the line.
- Examiners repeatedly note visarga sandhi not being well handled, including final visarga sandhi, causing numerous issues when heavily tested in a passage.
- Reports flag care needed with spelling of names and with clear handwriting so the details of the Sanskrit script remain legible.
- A recurring criticism is giving a noun such as 'flower' in the singular when the plural 'flowers' is required.
- Strong answers keep to the structure of the Sanskrit itself to ensure the accuracy of the translation, rather than reordering it into looser English.
May–June 2025, Paper 12
Read the Sanskrit passage in the shared stimulus (Kṛṣṇa dances with the cowherdesses, but then disappears). Do not write out a translation. Answer all the questions in English,…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 11
Read the Sanskrit passage in the shared stimulus (A wise lion saves many creatures). Do not write out a translation. Answer in English, with Sanskrit names in transliteration.…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 12
Read the Sanskrit passage in the shared stimulus (Brahmadatta and his horse). Do not write out a translation. Answer in English, with Sanskrit names in transliteration. What did…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 11
Read the Sanskrit passage in the shared stimulus (Bhīma undertakes a mission at the request of Draupadī). Do not write out a translation. Answer in English, with Sanskrit names in…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 12
Read the Sanskrit passage in the shared stimulus (Pūtanā tries to kill Kṛṣṇa). Do not write out a translation. Answer in English, with Sanskrit names in transliteration. What was…
Answer this question and get it marked →