Comprehension and Vocabulary
What the exam tests
Comprehension and Vocabulary tests unseen Sanskrit passages and word knowledge. Questions ask for the main idea, pronoun reference, sandhi resolution, compound analysis, synonyms, antonyms, and the meaning of prefixed or suffixed forms.
Core rules
- Read for the verb first; it fixes tense, person and the sentence's main assertion.
- Resolve sandhi at word boundaries, then identify compounds and their principal member.
- Track pronouns and demonstratives to their nearest plausible noun.
- Analyse vocabulary by root plus upasarga plus pratyaya, then confirm against context.
Worked example
In a passage, निराकरोति appears. Split nir + ā + kṛ. The upasargas indicate removal or rejection, so the form means removes, drives away, refutes, not does without. Context decides whether the English gloss is physical removal or argumentative refutation. Reason: the root kṛ means do or make, but the prefixes alter the sense; you cannot translate the root alone.
Traps
Do not guess a word from a similar English sound. Do not ignore a negative prefix such as a- or nir-. Do not translate a compound literally when it is idiomatic. Do not choose a synonym that fits the dictionary but not the passage's syntax.