Karnataka II PUC Sanskrit (KSEAB) key terms

The classical Indo-Aryan language of ancient India, written in Devanagari script, studied in Karnataka pre-university courses through prose, poetry, grammar, and drama texts.

The script in which Sanskrit is normally printed and written, read left to right, with consonant letters carrying an inherent short 'a' sound unless marked otherwise.

Sanskrit grammar, the systematic study of word formation, inflection, and syntax; in the II PUC syllabus it covers declensions, conjugations, sandhi, and compounds.

The phonetic fusion that occurs when two sounds meet across a word boundary, producing a single combined form, as when a final vowel merges with an initial vowel.

A compound word formed by joining two or more stems into a single unit, classified by the relation between members, such as tatpuruṣa, dvandva, bahuvrīhi, and avyayībhāva.

A grammatical case ending attached to a noun or pronoun stem to show its role in the sentence, such as subject, object, instrument, or location.

A noun, pronoun, or adjective that inflects for case, number, and gender through vibhakti endings, as opposed to a verbal form.

A finite verb form carrying a personal ending that marks person, number, and voice, and also tense or mood through its stem and suffixes.

A verbal root, the basic meaningful unit from which verbs and many nouns are derived; roots are listed in traditional lists such as the Dhātupāṭha.

One of ten traditional classes into which Sanskrit verbal roots are grouped according to how they form their present-tense stem.

A word formed from a verbal root by adding a primary suffix, producing forms such as participles, infinitives, and action nouns rather than finite verbs.

The semantic role a noun plays in relation to the action of a verb, such as agent, object, instrument, or recipient, which determines the case ending used.

The aesthetic flavour or emotional relish a trained audience experiences from a literary work; classical theory recognises nine, including love, heroism, compassion, and wonder.

A figure of speech or poetic ornament that heightens expression, such as simile, metaphor, or alliteration; the II PUC syllabus includes identification and illustration of common figures.

The figure of simile, in which one thing is compared to another of a different class using words meaning 'like' or 'as', based on a shared quality.

The figure of metaphor, in which the subject is identified with another object without a word of comparison, so that the two are presented as one.

The figure of alliteration, the deliberate repetition of the same consonant sound in close succession to create musical effect in verse.

A Sanskrit play, a dramatic composition in acts with dialogue, characters, and a plot developed toward a resolution, traditionally analysed through rasa.

The benedictory invocation spoken at the opening of a Sanskrit play, blessing the audience and deities before the action begins.

The stage manager and principal director in classical Sanskrit drama, who introduces the play and its author and sets the scene for the audience.

A common Sanskrit verse metre of four quarter-lines, each typically of eight syllables, widely used in epic and didactic poetry.

The system of Sanskrit prosody, the study of metrical patterns of syllables in verse, including syllable count, weight, and caesura.

The name of the eight-syllable-per-quarter metre, closely associated with the śloka form and the most frequent metre in epic Sanskrit.

The Sanskrit epic attributed to Vālmīki, narrating the life of Rāma, his exile, the abduction of Sītā, and the war in Laṅkā; prescribed portions are studied in the course.

The vast Sanskrit epic attributed to Vyāsa, centred on the conflict of the Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas, containing the Bhagavadgītā and much didactic material.

A philosophical dialogue in eighteen chapters within the Mahābhārata, in which Kṛṣṇa instructs Arjuna on duty, action, devotion, and knowledge.

The traditional author of the Rāmāyaṇa, remembered as the first poet, whose verses set the model for later Sanskrit epic composition.

A celebrated classical Sanskrit poet and dramatist, author of works such as Abhijñānaśākuntalam, Meghadūta, and Raghuvaṃśa, frequently represented in syllabi.

Kālidāsa's celebrated play dramatising the love and reunion of King Duṣyanta and Śakuntalā, structured in seven acts and admired for its poetic refinement.

Kālidāsa's lyric poem in which an exiled yakṣa asks a passing cloud to carry a message of love to his distant wife.

A collection of animal fables in Sanskrit prose and verse, attributed to Viṣṇuśarman, teaching practical wisdom and statecraft through interlinked stories.

A narrative or story, especially a prose tale; the term appears in titles of Sanskrit story collections and in the study of narrative literature.

Moral and political wisdom, the ethical guidance about conduct, duty, and governance conveyed in didactic verses and fables.

A well-turned, memorable Sanskrit verse offering moral or practical counsel; such verses are commonly prescribed for translation and explanation.

Translation, the rendering of a Sanskrit passage into Kannada or English; a standard examination task testing comprehension of vocabulary and syntax.

Explanation or commentary, the task of expanding a prescribed verse or passage by paraphrasing it and drawing out its meaning and poetic features.

Well known or celebrated, a descriptive term often applied in literary criticism to famous authors, works, or examples cited as familiar references.

The central divine figure of the Bhagavadgītā and a major deity in Sanskrit devotional literature, often depicted as charioteer and teacher of Arjuna.