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Kerala +2 Sanskrit Sahitya study materials
Kerala +2 Sanskrit Sahitya study resources

Kerala +2 Sanskrit Sahitya practice questions

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Question 1Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

In the prescribed Sanskrit prose lesson recounting the story of Nala and Damayanti as rendered in the Kerala +2 Sahitya syllabus, who is sent by King Bhima to search for Nala after he disappears from the palace?

  1. The minister of Vidarbha
  2. The royal priest of Nishadha
  3. A learned brahmin Correct answer.
  4. The charioteer of Nala

Explanation

The prose narration follows the classical account in which brahmins are dispatched in the four directions to look for the vanished king. Bhima sends learned brahmins who travel to many lands and finally reach the city of Ayodhya, where they hear of the charioteer Bahuka.

Question 2Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

The prescribed prose passage describing the hermitage of the sage who receives a royal visitor typically opens with which kind of description?

  1. A genealogy of the king's ancestors
  2. A description of the forest surroundings and the peaceful hermitage Correct answer.
  3. A dialogue between two ministers
  4. A list of sacrificial mantras

Explanation

Classical Sanskrit prose frequently begins a hermitage scene with an elaborate description of the forest, trees, birds and the calm of the settlement before introducing the sage. This 'ashrama-varnana' sets the mood and prepares the reader for the dialogue that follows.

Question 3Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

In Sanskrit prose composition, the term 'gadya' is conventionally contrasted with which other form?

  1. Alankara
  2. Vyakarana
  3. Natya
  4. Padya Correct answer.

Explanation

Gadya denotes prose, the unbound composition without metrical feet, and it is set against padya, which denotes verse bound by metre. The two are the basic division of literary utterance in Sanskrit poetics.

Question 4Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

Which feature most clearly marks the ornate prose style known as 'gadya-kavya' in the prescribed lessons?

  1. Absence of any dialogue
  2. Use of long compounds and elaborate figures Correct answer.
  3. Strict adherence to a single metre
  4. Use of Prakrit only

Explanation

Ornate Sanskrit prose is characterised by lengthy compounds (samasa), alliteration and rich figurative language, which distinguish it from simple narrative prose. These devices make the prose deliberately dense and musical.

Question 5Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

In the prose narration of the story of King Shibi, what does the king offer to save the dove that has taken refuge with him?

  1. His own flesh Correct answer.
  2. His chariot
  3. His kingdom
  4. His treasury

Explanation

The Shibi story illustrates the virtue of self-sacrifice: the king promises a portion of his own body equal in weight to the dove rather than surrender the refugee. The narrative thus exemplifies the supreme duty of protecting one who seeks shelter.

Question 6Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

The word 'gadya' in Sanskrit is grammatically best described as which kind of formation?

  1. A compound of two independent words
  2. A verbal root in the causative
  3. A noun formed from the root 'gad' with the suffix 'ya' Correct answer.
  4. A feminine abstract noun in '-ta'

Explanation

Gadya is derived from the root gad, meaning to speak or narrate, with the primary suffix ya, giving the sense of 'that which is to be spoken or recited'. It is thus a primary nominal formation, not a compound or an abstract in -ta.

Question 7Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

Which of the following best states the moral purpose for which the prescribed prose stories of kings and sages are narrated?

  1. To entertain through comic incident
  2. To illustrate dharma through exemplary conduct Correct answer.
  3. To record historical chronology
  4. To teach grammatical rules

Explanation

The prose narratives in the syllabus are didactic: episodes such as Shibi's sacrifice or Nala's fidelity are told to display dharma in action. The reader is meant to draw a moral lesson from the conduct of the characters.

Question 8Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

In prose passages describing a king's entry into a city, which element is conventionally described first?

  1. The court poets' verses
  2. The king's private thoughts
  3. The city's gates, roads and buildings Correct answer.
  4. The queen's ornaments

Explanation

The 'nagara-varnana' convention describes the city itself, its gates, ramparts, streets and mansions, before the royal procession is mentioned. This order places the setting before the action, a standard technique of Sanskrit prose narrative.

Question 9Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

In the prose account of Nala's exile, what skill of Nala is chiefly emphasised as the reason he is sought out?

  1. His skill in archery
  2. His expertise in medicine
  3. His knowledge of horses and chariot-driving Correct answer.
  4. His mastery of music

Explanation

Nala is famed as an ashva-hridaya, one who knows the secrets of horses and the art of driving a chariot. This expertise is why he is engaged as a charioteer under the name Bahuka and why his identity is eventually recognised.

Question 10Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

A prose passage uses the expression 'ity uktva' before a new sentence. What does this phrase indicate in narrative prose?

  1. Having slept
  2. Having spoken thus Correct answer.
  3. Having departed
  4. Having eaten

Explanation

The gerund iti uktva means 'having said this' and closes a speech before the narrative resumes. Such gerunds are the standard connective device in Sanskrit prose for marking the end of direct speech.

Question 11Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

In the prescribed prose, the description of a sage's austerity (tapas) usually stresses which result?

  1. Attainment of supernatural power and radiance Correct answer.
  2. Accumulation of wealth
  3. Political authority
  4. Skill in trade

Explanation

Tapas in Sanskrit narrative is credited with generating inner heat, radiance and extraordinary powers that even the gods regard with awe. The prose descriptions dwell on the sage's lustre and power rather than on material gain.

Question 12Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

Which of these sentences from Sanskrit prose would correctly use the passive construction to describe a hermitage?

  1. Munina ashramah sevyate Correct answer.
  2. Munih ashrame vasati
  3. Munih ashramam gacchati
  4. Munih ashramam tyajati

Explanation

The passive is formed with the instrumental of the agent and a passive verb agreeing with the subject: 'munina ashramah sevyate', 'the hermitage is frequented by the sage'. The other sentences are active constructions with the sage as subject.

Question 13Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

The prose narration of Damayanti's search for Nala uses the device of a public announcement. What is the purpose of this announcement within the plot?

  1. To declare war on a neighbouring kingdom
  2. To proclaim a new law
  3. To summon Nala, who is believed able to drive a chariot swiftly Correct answer.
  4. To announce a sacrifice

Explanation

Damayanti has it proclaimed that a second svayamvara will be held, knowing that Nala alone could cover the great distance in a single day. The announcement is a device to draw the disguised Nala back to her.

Question 14Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

In ornate Sanskrit prose, the figure in which a single word is made to yield many meanings is called:

  1. Shlesha Correct answer.
  2. Atishayokti
  3. Rupaka
  4. Upama

Explanation

Shlesha is the figure of double meaning, in which one expression carries two or more senses at once. It is especially prized in ornate prose, where a single phrase may describe two subjects simultaneously.

Question 15Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

Which statement correctly describes the use of compound words in the prescribed prose lessons?

  1. Compounds occur only in verse passages.
  2. Long compounds are used to compress description and create rhythm. Correct answer.
  3. Compounds are avoided entirely in prose.
  4. Compounds are used only in dialogue.

Explanation

Sanskrit prose kavya makes heavy use of compounds, sometimes spanning a whole sentence, to pack description into a compact rhythmic unit. The prose passages of the syllabus illustrate this feature clearly.

Question 16Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

In the story of the pigeon and the hunter as told in Sanskrit prose, what does the pigeon demonstrate by offering itself?

  1. Gratitude and self-sacrifice Correct answer.
  2. Desire for reward
  3. Cleverness in bargaining
  4. Fear of the hunter

Explanation

The pigeon, saved earlier by the tree or by its host, offers its own body in return, illustrating gratitude and self-sacrifice. The story is a classic prose illustration of the duty of returning kindness.

Question 17Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

Which of the following correctly explains the term 'katha' as used for a prose narrative in Sanskrit?

  1. A grammatical rule
  2. A story or prose narrative Correct answer.
  3. A sacrificial formula
  4. A hymn of praise

Explanation

Katha denotes a tale or prose narrative, and it appears in titles of prose works such as the Kathasaritsagara. It is distinguished from stotra (praise) and sutra (aphorism).

Question 18Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

A prose passage reads: 'sa rajadvaram agatya dvahstham papraccha'. Which sequence of actions does this describe?

  1. Having come to the palace gate, he asked the gatekeeper Correct answer.
  2. He came to the gatekeeper, having asked the palace
  3. Having asked the gatekeeper, he came to the gate
  4. He asked the gate, having come to the gatekeeper

Explanation

The gerund agatya expresses an action completed before the main verb papraccha, so the order is: first coming to the gate, then asking the gatekeeper. Sanskrit gerunds regularly encode prior action in this way.

Question 19Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

In the prose description of a king's virtue, the phrase 'praja-palana' refers to which duty?

  1. Study of the Vedas
  2. Protection of subjects Correct answer.
  3. Performance of sacrifice
  4. Collection of taxes

Explanation

Praja-palana means the protection and nurture of the king's subjects, the central royal duty in Sanskrit political thought. It is regularly praised in prose descriptions of an ideal ruler.

Question 20Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

Which statement best explains why prose narratives in the syllabus often frame a story within another story?

  1. To reduce the number of characters
  2. To avoid using dialogue
  3. To satisfy metrical requirements
  4. To connect moral lessons through a chain of illustrative tales Correct answer.

Explanation

The frame-story technique allows a narrator to string together many exemplary tales, each reinforcing a moral point. This embedded structure is a hallmark of Sanskrit narrative prose.

Question 21Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

In the prescribed prose, which of these correctly pairs a character with the virtue he or she chiefly exemplifies?

  1. Shibi with self-sacrifice Correct answer.
  2. The hunter with compassion
  3. Nala with greed
  4. Damayanti with cowardice

Explanation

Shibi is the paradigm of self-sacrifice, offering his own flesh to protect a suppliant. The other pairings invert the virtues the characters actually embody in the narratives.

Question 22Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

Which of these best explains the function of 'upama' in descriptive prose?

  1. It likens one thing to another to sharpen the description. Correct answer.
  2. It marks the end of a sentence.
  3. It records a conversation.
  4. It states a general rule.

Explanation

Upama, comparison, brings a vivid image before the reader by likening the subject to something familiar, as when a king is compared to the moon. It is among the most frequent ornaments in descriptive prose.

Question 23Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

A prose sentence uses the optative 'bhavet' in a general observation. What does this mood typically express in such passages?

  1. A possibility or general truth Correct answer.
  2. A command
  3. A future certainty
  4. A past completed action

Explanation

The optative in Sanskrit expresses what may or should be, and in general observations it states a possibility or a rule of conduct. It is not a command, which belongs to the imperative.

Question 24Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

In analysing the structure of a prescribed prose passage, which element most reliably marks the transition from description to action?

  1. A change from compounds to a finite verb of motion Correct answer.
  2. The use of a vocative
  3. The repetition of a noun
  4. The introduction of a simile

Explanation

Descriptive passages are built on dense compounds and participles, while action begins when a finite verb such as agamat or gacchati carries the narrative forward. Recognising this shift helps the reader follow the structure of ornate prose.

Question 25Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

Which statement correctly distinguishes the prose of a katha from the prose of a commentary (bhashya)?

  1. Katha prose narrates events, while bhashya prose explains and analyses a text. Correct answer.
  2. Katha prose avoids compounds, while bhashya prose uses them.
  3. Katha prose is metrical, while bhashya prose is unmetrical.
  4. Katha prose is written only in Prakrit.

Explanation

A katha is narrative prose whose aim is to tell a story, whereas a bhashya is expository prose that glosses and interprets an earlier text word by word. Both are prose, but their purposes and typical structures differ.

Question 26Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

In the Sanskrit prose lessons of the Kerala +2 Sahitya syllabus, the term 'gadya' is conventionally contrasted with 'padya'. Which pair of definitions correctly states this contrast?

  1. Gadya is commentary; padya is original composition.
  2. Gadya is dialogue only; padya is narration only.
  3. Gadya is metrical verse; padya is unmetred prose.
  4. Gadya is unmetred prose composition; padya is metrical verse composition. Correct answer.

Explanation

Gadya denotes prose, i.e. composition that is not bound to metre (chandas), while padya denotes verse bound to metrical schemes such as anustubh or vasantatilaka. The distinction is formal, resting on the presence or absence of metre, not on content or authorship.

Question 27Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

Sanskrit prose narratives commonly open with a clause such as 'asti ... nāma nagaram'. What narrative function does this opening formula serve?

  1. It states the moral conclusion the listener should draw.
  2. It marks a switch into direct speech by a character.
  3. It introduces the setting and a named place as the frame for the story to follow. Correct answer.
  4. It lists the metres that will be used in the verses.

Explanation

The formula 'asti ... nāma' literally means 'there is a ... named ...', and it establishes the locale before characters and action are introduced. It is a framing device of setting, not of moral, quotation, or metre.

Question 28Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

A prose passage describes a minister addressing the king with the words 'deva, śrūyatām'. How is this vocative-and-imperative opening best understood?

  1. A benedictory verse praising the king's lineage.
  2. An indirect report of what the minister said to a third party.
  3. A command ordering the king to depart immediately.
  4. A respectful address followed by a request that the king listen. Correct answer.

Explanation

'Deva' is a respectful vocative used for a king, and 'śrūyatām' is the passive imperative of śru, 'let it be heard'. Together they form a courteous request for attention, a standard way of opening a court address in Sanskrit prose.

Question 29Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

In the prescribed prose, a sentence ends with 'iti' after a quoted statement. What does this particle mark in prose narrative?

  1. A causal link meaning 'because' between two clauses.
  2. The close of quoted speech, showing the preceding words are reported as a quotation. Correct answer.
  3. A question requiring an answer from the listener.
  4. The beginning of a new chapter in the text.

Explanation

The particle 'iti' placed after a statement functions as a quotation marker, closing words attributed to a speaker and often preceding a verb such as uvāca or abravīt. It is not a chapter marker, interrogative, or causal connector.

Question 30Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

A prose passage reads 'rājā sabhāṃ praviśya siṃhāsane upaviṣṭaḥ'. Which analysis of the verb forms is correct?

  1. 'Praviśya' is a gerund referring to a prior action, and 'upaviṣṭaḥ' is a past passive participle used predicatively. Correct answer.
  2. Both words are finite verbs in the present tense.
  3. Both words are optatives expressing possibility.
  4. 'Praviśya' is a future passive participle and 'upaviṣṭaḥ' an absolutive.

Explanation

The suffix -ya forms indeclinable gerunds (absolutives) that denote an action completed before the main verb, so 'praviśya' means 'having entered'. 'Upaviṣṭaḥ' is the nominative singular past passive participle of upa-viś, here agreeing with rājā and serving as the predicate.

Question 31Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

In ornate Sanskrit prose (e.g. the campū and kathā style), the device in which a long compound is deliberately constructed so that it can be analysed in two different ways is called:

  1. arthāntaranyāsa (corroborative instance)
  2. upamā (simile)
  3. anuprāsa (alliteration)
  4. śliṣṭa (double entendre through grammatical ambiguity) Correct answer.

Explanation

Śleṣa exploits the ambiguity of sounds and compound structure so that one sequence of words yields two distinct meanings, a hallmark of ornate prose. Alliteration, simile, and corroborative instance are separate figures with different mechanisms.

Question 32Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

A prose sentence uses the passive: 'tena grāmaḥ gataḥ'. How is the agent expressed, and why is this construction frequent in narrative prose?

  1. The agent stands in the genitive, expressing possession of the action.
  2. The agent stands in the nominative, because passive verbs agree with the doer.
  3. The agent is omitted entirely, since passive verbs cannot take an agent.
  4. The agent stands in the instrumental case, allowing the narrator to foreground the action or event rather than the doer. Correct answer.

Explanation

In the Sanskrit passive the agent is put in the instrumental case while the patient takes the nominative and controls verb agreement. This lets a narrator highlight the event or its result, a device common in descriptive prose.

Question 33Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

In the prose tale of the pigeon and the fowler, the pigeon's willingness to offer its own flesh for the captive bird illustrates which virtue most directly?

  1. Detachment from worldly gain
  2. Loyalty to a king
  3. Reverence toward a teacher
  4. Self-sacrifice born of compassion for a fellow creature Correct answer.

Explanation

The pigeon's offer of its own body in exchange for the trapped bird dramatises karuṇā, compassion, carried to the point of self-sacrifice. The episode is constructed to display this specific virtue rather than obedience, political loyalty, or renunciation.

Question 34Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

In the prescribed prose, a sage is described with the phrase 'jitendriyaḥ'. Which analysis of this compound is correct?

  1. A karmadhāraya meaning 'a conquered sense'
  2. A tatpuruṣa meaning 'the conquest of the senses'
  3. A bahuvrīhi meaning 'one whose senses are conquered' Correct answer.
  4. A dvandva meaning 'senses and conquest'

Explanation

'Jitendriyaḥ' is a bahuvrīhi: the compound as a whole denotes a person possessing the quality 'conquered senses', and it agrees with the sage described. It does not name the act of conquest itself, nor a pair of items.

Question 35Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

A prose passage narrates: 'sa rājā prajāḥ apālayat, satyam apālayat, dharmam apālayat'. What rhetorical effect does this repetition of the same verb create?

  1. It indicates that the actions occurred at different times in the past.
  2. It marks a change of subject from king to ministers.
  3. It shows the king's hesitation between conflicting duties.
  4. It emphasises the king's consistent virtue by parallel clause structure. Correct answer.

Explanation

Repeating the same finite verb in successive parallel clauses (anaphora-like patterning) stresses continuity and completeness of the king's virtues. The subject remains the king throughout, and no temporal sequence is implied.

Question 36Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

In the prose description of a king's virtue, the phrase 'prajāpālana' refers to which royal duty?

  1. Construction of roads and rest houses
  2. Collection of taxes from neighbouring kingdoms
  3. Protection and governance of his subjects Correct answer.
  4. Performance of Vedic sacrifice for progeny

Explanation

'Prajāpālana' literally means 'protection of offspring/subjects', and in royal eulogy it names the king's core duty of guarding and governing his people. The other items are particular activities, not the general duty named by the compound.

Question 37Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

A prose passage contains the sentence 'yadi evam syāt, tarhi kim kuryāt?' What does the optative 'kuryāt' express here?

  1. A past completed action, 'what did one do?'
  2. A deliberative possibility, 'what might one do?' Correct answer.
  3. A future certainty, 'what will one do?'
  4. A direct command, 'do this!'

Explanation

The optative (vidhiliṅ) expresses what could, should, or might be done, so 'kuryāt' in a question conveys deliberation about possible action. Commands use the imperative, past action uses the imperfect or aorist, and certainty uses the future.

Question 38Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

In Sanskrit prose kathā, the device of enclosing one story within another (a tale told by a character inside the main narrative) chiefly serves which purpose?

  1. It converts the prose text into a metrical poem.
  2. It replaces the main plot entirely with a new unrelated story.
  3. It allows instruction or commentary to be delivered through characters while the main plot continues. Correct answer.
  4. It signals that the outer narrative is historically false.

Explanation

Embedded tales let the narrator present moral teaching, illustration, or counter-argument through an inner speaker, while the frame narrative continues to advance. The device is structural and didactic, not a denial of the frame's truth or a change of medium.

Question 39Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

A prose passage reads: 'tatra dvāri sthitaḥ dvāsthena saha saṃvadamānaḥ rājānam apaśyat'. Which description of the syntax is accurate?

  1. 'Sthitaḥ' is a finite verb and 'apaśyat' a participle.
  2. The sentence has no main verb and is a fragment.
  3. Two participial clauses set the scene while the finite verb 'apaśyat' carries the main action. Correct answer.
  4. All three verb forms are finite and coordinate the same subject.

Explanation

'Sthitaḥ' and 'saṃvadamānaḥ' are participles agreeing with the subject and describing attendant circumstances, while 'apaśyat' is the finite imperfect verb that supplies the main predication. This participle-plus-finite-verb pattern is typical of Sanskrit narrative prose.

Question 40Prose (Gadya) - prescribed Sanskrit prose texts

Which feature most reliably distinguishes a Sanskrit prose kathā from a bhashya on the level of style and purpose?

  1. The kathā is always metrical, while the bhashya is always prose.
  2. The kathā narrates events for edification, while the bhashya expounds and clarifies another text line by line. Correct answer.
  3. The kathā uses only the passive voice, while the bhashya uses only the active.
  4. The kathā avoids compounds, while the bhashya is built entirely of compounds.

Explanation

A kathā is a narrative composition whose aim is to tell a story and edify, whereas a bhashya is exegetical prose that explains a root text, typically quoting a lemma and glossing it. The distinction lies in purpose and structure, not in metre or exclusive voice usage.

Question 41Poetry (Padya) - prescribed Sanskrit verse texts

In the opening verse of the prescribed Sanskrit padya portion, which figure of speech is illustrated when the poet describes the moon as having a face like a lotus while the lotus is described as having a face like the moon?

  1. Anyonyopamā (mutual comparison) Correct answer.
  2. Utprekṣā (poetic fancy)
  3. Upamā (simile)
  4. Rūpaka (metaphor)

Explanation

Anyonyopamā occurs when two objects are each compared to the other, so that upameya and upamāna swap roles. Here the moon is likened to a lotus and the lotus to the moon, which fits the definition exactly.

Question 42Poetry (Padya) - prescribed Sanskrit verse texts

Which metre consists of four pādas of eight syllables each and is among the most common metres used in the prescribed Sanskrit verse texts?

  1. Śārdūlavikrīḍita
  2. Anuṣṭubh Correct answer.
  3. Mālinī
  4. Vasantatilakā

Explanation

Anuṣṭubh, also called śloka, has four pādas of eight syllables and is the standard narrative metre of the epics and many didactic verses. The other metres listed have longer pādas with fixed gaṇa patterns.

Question 43Poetry (Padya) - prescribed Sanskrit verse texts

A verse praises a king whose fame spreads in all directions and whose enemies bow at his feet. Which rasa predominates in such a description of royal prowess?

  1. Vīra Correct answer.
  2. Śānta
  3. Karuna
  4. Bībhatsa

Explanation

Vīra rasa arises from utsāha, the dominant emotion of heroism, valour and prowess. Praise of a king's conquest and the submission of enemies is the classic occasion for vīra.

Question 44Poetry (Padya) - prescribed Sanskrit verse texts

In Sanskrit poetics, the term 'dhvani' in the context of the prescribed verses refers to which phenomenon?

  1. The rhyme scheme of a verse
  2. Suggested meaning that shines beyond the literal sense Correct answer.
  3. The literal dictionary meaning of words
  4. The grammatical gender of nouns

Explanation

Dhvani denotes the suggested or resonant sense that is conveyed beyond the expressed meaning and is regarded as the soul of poetry. It is distinguished from the literal (vācya) sense and from mere ornament.

Question 45Poetry (Padya) - prescribed Sanskrit verse texts

Which of the following pairs correctly matches an alaṃkāra with its defining feature?

  1. Yamaka - repetition of the same consonant cluster
  2. Rūpaka - a statement of doubt about a subject
  3. Upamā - comparison of two objects through a common attribute Correct answer.
  4. Atiśayokti - comparison using iva

Explanation

Upamā is comparison between an upameya and an upamāna on the basis of a shared attribute, often signalled by iva or yathā. The other pairings attach to each ornament a feature belonging to a different one.

Question 46Poetry (Padya) - prescribed Sanskrit verse texts

The prescribed verse portion includes a description of autumn (śarad) with clear moonlight and blooming lotuses. Which conventional poetic device is being used when the season is described as if it were a person?

  1. Yamaka
  2. Anuprāsa
  3. Śleṣa
  4. Ṛtuvarnana with personification (samāsokti-like attribution) Correct answer.

Explanation

Season description (ṛtuvarnana) frequently attributes human actions and feelings to the season, a personifying device related to samāsokti. The moonlight and lotuses are described as behaving with intent.

Question 47Poetry (Padya) - prescribed Sanskrit verse texts

Which statement about the structure of a Sanskrit verse (padya) is correct?

  1. A verse always has three pādas of equal length
  2. A verse normally has four pādas, and the second and fourth pādas usually rhyme or correspond in metre Correct answer.
  3. A verse is defined only by its subject matter and not by metre
  4. A verse has no fixed number of syllables in any metre

Explanation

A standard Sanskrit padya comprises four pādas, with the second and fourth generally matching in cadence and often in rhyme. Metre governs syllable count and gaṇa pattern throughout.

Question 48Poetry (Padya) - prescribed Sanskrit verse texts

The term 'upameya' in an upamā alaṃkāra refers to which element?

  1. The particle introducing the comparison
  2. The common attribute shared by both
  3. The standard to which it is compared
  4. The subject that is being compared Correct answer.

Explanation

Upameya is the subject being described, while upamāna is the object to which it is likened and sādhāraṇadharma is the shared attribute. The comparative particle is called the upamāvācaka.

Question 49Poetry (Padya) - prescribed Sanskrit verse texts

In a verse where the poet says the moon 'drinks' the darkness as it rises, which alaṃkāra is primarily at work?

  1. Rūpaka Correct answer.
  2. Upamā
  3. Virodha
  4. Dīpaka

Explanation

Rūpaka is the identification of one thing with another without a comparative particle, so the moon is presented as an agent that drinks darkness. The metaphor is stated directly rather than as a comparison.

Question 50Poetry (Padya) - prescribed Sanskrit verse texts

A verse contains the line 'the clouds, like elephants, thunder at the approach of the rains'. Which two elements form the upamāna and sādhāraṇadharma respectively?

  1. Clouds and the act of thundering
  2. Clouds and the rainy season
  3. Elephants and the act of thundering Correct answer.
  4. Elephants and the rainy season

Explanation

The clouds are the upameya, the elephants the upamāna, and the shared attribute is the thundering action. The rainy season is merely the setting, not part of the comparison.