Unseen passage comprehension

The essentials

In an unseen passage (अपठितगद्यांशः) you must understand a short Sanskrit text and answer questions on it. Typical tasks are: an एकपदेन answer (one word), a पूर्णवाक्येन answer (full sentence), a suitable शीर्षकम् (title), and भाषिककार्यम् — finding a verb for a subject, an adjective for a noun, a synonym or an antonym from the passage.

Key points

• Read the questions first, then the passage, so you know what to look for.
• Match the question word to the answer type: कः/का (who), किम् (what), कुत्र (where), कदा (when), कथम् (how), किमर्थम् (for what purpose), कस्मात् (from where/why).
• A full-sentence answer should reuse the passage's words, putting the answer word in the case the question demands — for कुत्र, the answer is in सप्तमी.
• A good title names the central idea, not a minor detail.
• कर्ता–क्रिया: the subject agrees with the verb in person and number (छात्राः पठन्ति).
• विशेषण–विशेष्य: an adjective agrees with its noun in gender, case and number (सुन्दरम् उद्यानम्).
• पर्याय (synonym) examples: जलम्–नीरम्, सूर्यः–रविः, वृक्षः–तरुः; विलोम (antonym) examples: सुखम्–दुःखम्, दिवा–रात्रिः, ज्ञानम्–अज्ञानम्.

Exam tips

• Do not copy a whole paragraph as an answer; give exactly what is asked.
• When asked for a verb or adjective "from the passage", choose the word exactly as it appears there.

Common mistakes

• Answering a किमर्थम् question with a place or time instead of a purpose (usually चतुर्थी or a तुमुन् form).