Grammar is a quarter of the Class 10 Sanskrit paper: 25 of the 80 written marks. It is also the only section where CBSE tells you, item by item, what can be asked. The official 2026-27 syllabus for Sanskrit (subject code 122) names the exact sandhis, compounds, suffixes and indeclinables, and nothing outside those lists can appear.
This post goes through all seven topics in the order they come in the paper, with the rule, worked examples and the usual slips for each. For the whole paper section by section, see the CBSE Class 10 Sanskrit syllabus and paper pattern. Check every list against the copy your school has issued, because CBSE revises the syllabus every year.
The 25 marks at a glance
| Topic | How it is asked | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Sandhi सन्धिः | Written answers | 4 |
| Samāsa समासः | Multiple choice | 4 |
| Pratyaya प्रत्ययाः | Multiple choice | 4 |
| Vācya वाच्यप्रकरणम् | Multiple choice | 3 |
| Samaya समयः | Written answers | 4 |
| Avyaya अव्ययपदानि | Multiple choice | 3 |
| Error correction संशोधनकार्यम् | Multiple choice | 3 |
| Total | 17 marks multiple choice, 8 written | 25 |
Two things follow from that table. Multiple choice does not make the section easy: the wrong options are usually the mistakes students actually make, so a half-learned rule picks one of them. And the two written topics, sandhi and the time, are where spelling counts: a correct rule written with a wrong letter loses the mark.
The syllabus adds a note worth knowing: the grammar items are taken from Shemushi Part 2, the textbook, wherever possible, and from Abhyasvan Bhav Part 2 otherwise. The words in the grammar questions are often words from the chapters the student has already read.
1. Sandhi: 4 marks
Sandhi is the change that happens where two sounds meet. The exam asks for both directions: join two words, or split a joined word. The syllabus shows the four marks as 1 + 1 + 2, beside its three kinds in this order: vowel, consonant, visarga. Read that way, visarga sandhi is worth two of the four, and CBSE's 2026-27 sample paper confirms it: each of its two sandhi sets has one vowel, one consonant and two visarga sandhis.
Vowel sandhi (svara sandhi): three kinds
Yaṇ. इ ई, उ ऊ or ऋ, followed by a different vowel, become य्, व् and र्.
- इति + आदि = इत्यादि
- सु + आगतम् = स्वागतम्
- पितृ + आज्ञा = पित्राज्ञा
Ayādi. ए ऐ ओ औ, followed by a vowel, become अय् आय् अव् आव्.
- ने + अनम् = नयनम् · गै + अकः = गायकः
- पो + अनः = पवनः · पौ + अकः = पावकः
Pūrvarūpa. A word ending in ए or ओ, followed by अ: the अ disappears into the vowel before it and is marked with an avagraha, ऽ.
- वने + अपि = वनेऽपि · विष्णो + अव = विष्णोऽव
The usual slip: leaving out the avagraha. And do not mix pūrvarūpa up with बालोऽयम् (बालः + अयम्), which also shows an avagraha but starts from a visarga, so it is visarga sandhi, below.
Consonant sandhi (vyañjana sandhi): two kinds
First letter of a class to the third. A word ending in the first letter of a class (क् च् ट् त् प्), followed by a vowel or a voiced consonant, takes the third letter of the same class (ग् ज् ड् द् ब्).
- वाक् + ईशः = वागीशः · जगत् + ईशः = जगदीशः
- षट् + आननः = षडाननः · अच् + अन्तः = अजन्तः
First letter of a class to the fifth. Followed by a nasal, the first letter becomes the nasal of its own class (ङ् ञ् ण् न् म्).
- वाक् + मयम् = वाङ्मयम् · जगत् + नाथः = जगन्नाथः · षट् + मुखः = षण्मुखः
The test is simply what comes next: a nasal gives the fifth letter, any other voiced sound gives the third.
Visarga sandhi: four kinds
Visarga to ओ (utva). अः followed by अ or a voiced consonant becomes ओ. Before अ, the अ then disappears with an avagraha.
- मनः + रथः = मनोरथः · यशः + दा = यशोदा · बालः + अयम् = बालोऽयम्
Visarga to र् (rutva). A visarga after any vowel other than अ आ, followed by a vowel or a voiced consonant, becomes र्.
- निः + धनः = निर्धनः · दुः + आत्मा = दुरात्मा · मुनिः + अयम् = मुनिरयम्
Visarga dropped (visarga-lopa). The visarga of सः and एषः drops before any consonant; and अः loses its visarga before a vowel other than अ.
- सः + गच्छति = स गच्छति · एषः + बालकः = एष बालकः · अतः + एव = अत एव
Visarga to स् श् ष्. Before त् थ् it becomes स्; before च् छ्, श्; before ट् ठ्, ष्. The new letter matches the place of the letter that follows.
- नमः + ते = नमस्ते · निः + चलः = निश्चलः · धनुः + टङ्कारः = धनुष्टङ्कारः
The usual slip in visarga sandhi is applying the right rule to the wrong vowel: utva needs अ before the visarga, rutva needs any other vowel. Look at the letter before the visarga first, then at the letter after it.
2. Samāsa: 4 marks
A samāsa is a compound: two or more words joined into one, with the case endings in between dropped. The exam gives a sentence and asks for the analytic phrase of a compound (विग्रहः), or gives the phrase and asks for the compound. Four questions of one mark, multiple choice. Four kinds are examinable.
A quick way to tell them apart is to ask which word carries the meaning:
| Kind | Which word matters | Example and its vigraha |
|---|---|---|
| Tatpuruṣa | The second | विद्यालयः = विद्यायाः आलयः |
| Dvandva | Both, equally | रामलक्ष्मणौ = रामः च लक्ष्मणः च |
| Avyayībhāva | The first, an indeclinable | उपगङ्गम् = गङ्गायाः समीपम् |
| Bahuvrīhi | Neither: it describes someone else | पीताम्बरः = पीतम् अम्बरं यस्य सः |
Tatpuruṣa: three kinds named
- Vibhakti-tatpuruṣa: the first word stands in a case relation to the second. ग्रामगतः = ग्रामं गतः (second case) · चौरभयम् = चौरात् भयम् (fifth) · विद्यालयः = विद्यायाः आलयः (sixth).
- Upapada-tatpuruṣa: the second part comes from a verb and cannot stand alone. कुम्भकारः = कुम्भं करोति इति · जलजम् = जले जायते इति.
- Karmadhāraya: an adjective and its noun, or a comparison. नीलकमलम् = नीलं कमलम् · महापुरुषः = महान् पुरुषः · घनश्यामः = घनः इव श्यामः.
Bahuvrīhi
The compound names a third person or thing that the words describe. The vigraha ends in यस्य सः or a similar relative phrase.
- पीताम्बरः = पीतम् अम्बरं यस्य सः (one whose garment is yellow)
- दशाननः = दश आननानि यस्य सः (one who has ten faces)
Avyayībhāva: exactly six indeclinables
The syllabus names six: अनु, उप, सह, निर्, प्रति, यथा. The compound itself is indeclinable and usually ends in -म्.
| Indeclinable | Example | Vigraha |
|---|---|---|
| अनु (in keeping with) | अनुरूपम् | रूपस्य योग्यम् |
| उप (near) | उपगङ्गम् | गङ्गायाः समीपम् |
| सह (with) | सविनयम् | विनयेन सहितम् |
| निर् (without) | निर्जनम् | जनानाम् अभावः |
| प्रति (every) | प्रतिदिनम् | दिनं दिनं प्रति |
| यथा (according to) | यथाशक्ति | शक्तिम् अनतिक्रम्य |
Dvandva
Both words count equally; the vigraha joins them with च. रामलक्ष्मणौ = रामः च लक्ष्मणः च · मातापितरौ = माता च पिता च.
The usual slip: writing the vigraha as a translation. The examiner wants the Sanskrit phrase with the right case endings, विद्यायाः आलयः, not "house of learning".
3. Pratyaya: 4 marks
A pratyaya is a suffix. The question either gives a word and asks which suffix made it, or gives the stem and suffix and asks for the word. Multiple choice. The syllabus shows the marks as 1 + 2 + 1 beside its three groups, in this order: verbal suffixes, nominal suffixes, feminine suffixes. The 2026-27 sample paper matches: one kṛt, two taddhita and one feminine suffix.
Kṛt pratyaya: added to a verb root
| Suffix | What it makes | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| तव्यत् (-तव्य) | "should be done" | कृ + तव्यत् = कर्तव्यम् · पठ् + तव्यत् = पठितव्यम् · गम् + तव्यत् = गन्तव्यम् |
| अनीयर् (-अनीय) | the same sense | पठ् + अनीयर् = पठनीयम् · दृश् + अनीयर् = दर्शनीयम् · कृ + अनीयर् = करणीयम् |
| क्त (-त) | past participle, "done" | पठ् + क्त = पठितः · गम् + क्त = गतः · कृ + क्त = कृतः |
| क्तवतु (-तवत्) | past, "one who did" | पठ् + क्तवतु = पठितवान् · गम् + क्तवतु = गतवान् · कृ + क्तवतु = कृतवान् |
क्तवतु changes with gender: सः गतवान्, सा गतवती. The same pair turns up again in error correction below.
Taddhita pratyaya: added to a noun or adjective
| Suffix | What it makes | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| मतुप् (-मत् / -वत्) | "having" | बुद्धि + मतुप् = बुद्धिमान् · धन + मतुप् = धनवान् · गुण + मतुप् = गुणवान् |
| ठक् (-इक) | "relating to"; the first vowel strengthens | समाज + ठक् = सामाजिकः · इतिहास + ठक् = ऐतिहासिकः · धर्म + ठक् = धार्मिकः |
| त्व (-त्व) | an abstract noun, neuter | लघु + त्व = लघुत्वम् · महत् + त्व = महत्त्वम् · मनुष्य + त्व = मनुष्यत्वम् |
| तल् (-ता) | an abstract noun, feminine | लघु + तल् = लघुता · मधुर + तल् = मधुरता · सरल + तल् = सरलता |
The usual slip: confusing त्व and तल्, which make the same meaning in two genders. The ending gives it away: -त्वम् is त्व, -ता is तल्.
Strī pratyaya: making the feminine
- टाप्, adds आ: अज + टाप् = अजा · बाल + टाप् = बाला · छात्र + टाप् = छात्रा
- ङीप्, adds ई: नद + ङीप् = नदी · कुमार + ङीप् = कुमारी · श्रीमत् + ङीप् = श्रीमती · बुद्धिमत् + ङीप् = बुद्धिमती
4. Vācya: 3 marks, present tense only
The syllabus limits voice change to laṭ lakāra, the present tense. Three questions, multiple choice. There are three voices.
- Kartṛ-vācya (active): the doer is in the first case, and the verb agrees with the doer. रामः ग्रन्थं पठति.
- Karma-vācya (passive): the doer moves to the third case, the object to the first, and the verb takes the passive form and agrees with the object. रामेण ग्रन्थः पठ्यते.
- Bhāva-vācya (impersonal), for verbs with no object: the doer goes into the third case and the verb is always third person singular. बालकः हसति becomes बालकेन हस्यते.
The agreement is where the marks go. In the passive the verb follows the object in number and person, not the doer:
बालकाः फलानि खादन्ति → बालकैः फलानि खाद्यन्ते (the fruits are plural, so the verb is plural)
अहं त्वां पश्यामि → मया त्वं दृश्यसे (the object is "you", so the verb is second person)
छात्राः हसन्ति → छात्रैः हस्यते (impersonal: singular, however many students)
Students who learned the cases as a table rather than as jobs get the doer's case wrong under time pressure. If that is the problem, the seven vibhakti tricks fix the foundation this topic rests on.
5. Samaya: writing the time, 4 marks
A sentence gives the time in figures and the student writes it in Sanskrit words. Written answers, so spelling counts. The syllabus names four patterns: the hour, quarter past, half past and quarter to.
The hour is the number plus वादनम्: एकवादनम्, द्विवादनम्, त्रिवादनम्, चतुर्वादनम्, पञ्चवादनम्, षड्वादनम्, सप्तवादनम्, अष्टवादनम्, नववादनम्, दशवादनम्, एकादशवादनम्, द्वादशवादनम्.
| Time | Pattern | In Sanskrit |
|---|---|---|
| 5:00 | The hour (सामान्य) | पञ्चवादनम् |
| 5:15 | Quarter past (सपाद) | सपाद-पञ्चवादनम् |
| 5:30 | Half past (सार्ध) | सार्ध-पञ्चवादनम् |
| 5:45 | Quarter to (पादोन) | पादोन-षड्वादनम् |
The trap is पादोन. It means "less a quarter", so it takes the next hour: 5:45 is a quarter less than six, पादोन-षड्वादनम्. And 12:45 is पादोन-एकवादनम्, a quarter to one.
In a sentence the time usually takes the locative case, ending in -वादने: अहं प्रातः सार्ध-षड्वादने उत्तिष्ठामि, "I get up at half past six in the morning". Write the form the sentence needs.
6. Avyaya: 3 marks, from a fixed list
Indeclinables never change their form. The question is a sentence with a gap and options to fill it, multiple choice. Only these can be asked:
| Avyaya | Meaning | Avyaya | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| उच्चैः | loudly | यदा | when (the time when) |
| च | and | तदा | then |
| श्वः | tomorrow | कदा | when? |
| ह्यः | yesterday | सहसा | suddenly |
| अद्य | today | वृथा | in vain |
| अत्र, तत्र | here, there | शनैः | slowly |
| यत्र, कुत्र | where (the place where), where? | अपि | also, even |
| इदानीम्, अधुना, सम्प्रति, साम्प्रतम् | now | कुतः | from where? |
| यदि … तर्हि | if … then | इतस्ततः | here and there |
| यावत् … तावत् | as long as … so long |
The verb often gives the answer away. A past-tense verb wants ह्यः, a future one श्वः: ___ अहं विद्यालयम् अगच्छम् can only take ह्यः. And the pairs go together: a sentence with यदि needs तर्हि, one with यावत् needs तावत्.
7. Error correction: 3 marks
A sentence has one mistake, and the student picks the correction; the 2026-27 sample paper sets it as multiple choice and asks for the sentence to be rewritten. The syllabus names five kinds of error: number, gender, person, tense and case. One of each:
| Error | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|
| Number (वचन) | बालकाः पठति | बालकाः पठन्ति |
| Gender (लिङ्ग) | सा विद्यालयं गतवान् | सा विद्यालयं गतवती |
| Person (पुरुष) | अहं गच्छति | अहं गच्छामि |
| Tense (लकार) | ह्यः सः विद्यालयं गमिष्यति | ह्यः सः विद्यालयम् अगच्छत् |
| Case (विभक्ति) | ग्रामस्य परितः वृक्षाः सन्ति | ग्रामं परितः वृक्षाः सन्ति |
Every one of these is a rule from another topic: agreement from vācya, gender from the suffixes, tense from the avyaya clues, and case from the words that govern a case, such as परितः with the second case and सह with the third. A student who has the other six topics solid usually finds these three marks the easiest on the paper.
How to prepare the 25 marks
- One topic at a time, from the lists above and nothing beyond them. Many guidebooks cover more sandhis and compounds than the syllabus asks for.
- Sandhi both ways. Every example joined and then split, until the split is as quick as the join.
- The time, written out daily for a few days. Ten random times, in words, with the पादोन ones checked twice.
- Grammar inside the chapters. Since the questions are taken from Shemushi where possible, find the compounds, suffixes and avyayas in each chapter as it is read.
- Past papers marked strictly. One missing avagraha is one mark.
If grammar marks are slipping in Class 10, the cause is usually earlier, most often the cases. How to score 90+ in Class 10 Sanskrit covers the strategy for the whole paper.
Class 10 Sanskrit grammar, taught to this syllabus
Ms. Ishita Parikh holds an MA in Sanskrit from the Central Sanskrit University and taught the CBSE and ICSE Sanskrit syllabus in Mumbai classrooms for five years. School tuition follows the student's own textbook and the year's published syllabus, with past papers marked to the board's scheme.
School Sanskrit tuition, Classes 1 to 12, or book the free first class and bring the last test paper.
Questions people ask
Which grammar topics come in CBSE Class 10 Sanskrit for 2026-27?
Seven, worth 25 marks together: sandhi 4, samasa 4, pratyaya 4, vachya 3, writing the time 4, avyaya 3, and correcting errors 3. The official syllabus names exactly which sandhis, compounds, suffixes and indeclinables can be asked, so the section can be prepared completely.
Which sandhis are in the Class 10 Sanskrit syllabus?
Vowel sandhi: yan, ayadi and purvarupa. Consonant sandhi: the first letter of a class becoming the third, and the first becoming the fifth. Visarga sandhi: visarga to o (utva), to r (rutva), visarga dropped, and visarga becoming s, sh or the retroflex sh. Sandhi carries 4 marks, written answers, and both joining and splitting can be asked.
How do you write the time in Sanskrit for the Class 10 exam?
Add vadanam to the hour: panchavadanam is five o'clock. Sapada means quarter past, sardha half past, and padona quarter to, and padona takes the next hour: 5:45 is padona-shadvadanam. In a sentence the time usually takes the locative, so 'at half past six' is sardha-shadvadane.
Are the Class 10 Sanskrit grammar questions multiple choice?
Most of them. In the 2026-27 syllabus, samasa, pratyaya, vachya, avyaya and error correction are set as multiple-choice questions, 17 marks in all. Sandhi and writing the time, 8 marks, need written answers.
Is voice change (vachya) asked in every tense in Class 10?
No. The 2026-27 syllabus limits voice change to lat lakara, the present tense. Students change sentences between the active (kartri-vachya), the passive (karma-vachya) and the impersonal (bhava-vachya), and the questions are multiple choice.