Mahābhārata set text — IGCSE Sanskrit (0499) questions by topic
The Mahābhārata set text is examined through short passages, such as who Bhīṣma was or which sage's hermitage is described, answered in English with Sanskrit names in transliteration, drawn from 5 real questions set in 2023 to 2025 papers, each worth 15 marks.
State, translate and identify want a fact lifted precisely from a named line, so accurate transliteration and vocabulary recognition carry more weight than free composition. Because the reports flag transliteration accuracy as a specific weak point, drafting a response to a set-text passage and submitting it for instant marking checks whether names have been rendered correctly before a full paper is attempted.
What examiners look for
- A recurring criticism is the spelling or transliteration of a name not always being accurate.
- Examiners repeatedly note the word 'immediately' not being well known by candidates when it appears in a passage.
May–June 2025, Paper 22
Read the Sanskrit passage in the shared stimulus. Do not write out a translation. Answer in English, with Sanskrit names in transliteration. Who was Bhīṣma? (line 1)
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 21
Read the Sanskrit passage in the shared stimulus. Do not write out a translation. Answer in English, with Sanskrit names in transliteration. Translate 'ekadā kapotaḥ tam…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 22
Read the Sanskrit passage in the shared stimulus. Do not write out a translation. Answer in English, with Sanskrit names in transliteration. When Kuntī was a girl, what was she…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 21
Read the Sanskrit passage in the shared stimulus. Do not write out a translation. Answer in English, with Sanskrit names in transliteration. Which sage's hermitage is spoken of in…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 22
Read the Sanskrit passage in the shared stimulus. Do not write out a translation. Answer in English, with Sanskrit names in transliteration. What entered Kṛṣṇa? (line 1)
Answer this question and get it marked →