WBCHSE HS Sanskrit case studies
WBCHSE HS Sanskrit · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The WBCHSE Higher Secondary Sanskrit examination is the Class XII Sanskrit subject examination conducted by the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education under its HS curriculum. It is taken by Higher Secondary candidates in West Bengal who offer Sanskrit as an elective or as a compulsory language subject, and it is a written, descriptive paper assessed externally. The WBCHSE HS Sanskrit case studies are 5 cases and about 1,923 words.
1Marking an 'explain with context' answer where the context is half-right
A WBCHSE HS Sanskrit mock paper carries a 5-mark prose question: 'Explain with reference to context: "na hi jñānamṛte kaścid arthaḥ siddhyati."' The departmental marking scheme allots 1 mark for identifying the speaker and situation, 2 for literal meaning, 1 for the implied sense in the passage, and 1 for coherent Sanskrit or Bengali expression. One candidate writes: 'This line is spoken by the disciple to the teacher at the end of the lesson.
403 words, about 2 min2When an alliteration is visible but the simile carries the point
A 4-mark poetry question asks: 'Identify the principal figure of speech in the following verse and explain it: "rājā rājīva-pattrākṣaḥ śaśīva prajñayā jvalan / kīrtiṃ śubhāṃ dadāti sma yathā gaṅgā jalaṃ śuci."' The marking scheme gives 1 mark for naming the figure, 2 for explaining the similarity, and 1 for showing why the other figure present is subordinate. A candidate writes: 'The figure is anuprāsa because "rājā rājīva" repeats the sound r.
410 words, about 2 min3Plot summary in a character question: relevance versus volume
A 6-mark drama question in a WBCHSE HS Sanskrit mock reads: 'Show how the sakhī, the confidante, influences the action of the prescribed play.' The marking scheme gives 2 marks for stating her dramatic function, 2 for citing two specific moments, and 2 for explaining how those moments change the plot or reveal character. One candidate writes 190 words.
395 words, about 2 min4The same compound, two samāsa labels: context decides
A 3-mark grammar question gives the sentence 'nīlotpalam ānaya' and asks: 'Identify the samāsa in nīlotpalam and justify your answer.' The marking scheme gives 1 mark for the correct samāsa name, 1 for the vigraha, and 1 for the contextual reason. A candidate writes: 'It is bahuvrīhi, because nīlotpalam means "that which has blue lotuses"; the compound points to something other than its members, so it is bahuvrīhi.' The candidate's definition of bahuvrīhi is correct in general, and the vigraha is formally possible.
356 words, about 2 min5Counting syllables is not scanning: an anuṣṭubh answer with a missing scheme
A 4-mark prosody question asks: 'Identify the metre of the following verse and explain its scheme: "vidyā śreṣṭhā sadā loke vidyā dānaṃ viśiṣyate / vidyayā labhate sarvaṃ vidyā mokṣasya sādhanam."' The marking scheme allots 1 mark for the metre name, 1 for the syllable count, and 2 for the gaṇa-scheme and analysis. A candidate writes: 'The metre is anuṣṭubh because each pāda has eight syllables.
359 words, about 2 min