The composition section, रचनात्मककार्यम्, is 15 of the 80 written marks in Class 10 Sanskrit: a letter, a picture description or paragraph, and five sentences translated into Sanskrit. It is the section where a student shows they can produce Sanskrit, not only recognise it, and it is the least practised. That makes it the easiest place to gain marks between now and the board exam.
This post sets out all three tasks from CBSE's official 2026-27 syllabus, with formats, model answers and the rules that decide the marks. For the whole paper, see the CBSE Class 10 Sanskrit syllabus and the 2026-27 sample paper, explained; for the grammar section, Class 10 Sanskrit grammar.
The 15 marks at a glance
| Task | What the syllabus says | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Letter पत्रम् | Formal or informal; the full letter written with the help of a word box (मञ्जूषा) | 5 |
| Picture or paragraph चित्रवर्णनम् / अनुच्छेदलेखनम् | Either, with the help of a word box | 5 |
| Translation अनुवादः | Five sentences, from Hindi or English into Sanskrit | 5 |
1. The letter: 5 marks
The syllabus lists the likely letters. Formal: to the Ministry of Education on promoting Sanskrit (संस्कृतभाषा-संवर्धनाय शिक्षामन्त्रालयाय), to the municipal corporation to correct a name (नाम संशोधनाय नगरनिगमाय), to the post office about a money order that has not arrived (धनादेश-अप्राप्तेः सूचनायै पत्रालयविभागाय), to the principal for a fee waiver (शुल्कनिवारणार्थं प्रधानाचार्याय), and to a publisher. Informal: well-being (कुशलक्षेमपत्रम्), congratulation (वर्धापनपत्रम्), invitation (निमन्त्रणपत्रम्), news of results (परिणामसूचनापत्रम्) and a description of the school.
The syllabus asks for the complete letter, written with the word box's help; the 2026-27 marking scheme gives full marks for a correct letter and takes off only part of the mark for a grammatical error. Practise writing whole letters in the right format, so that whatever shape the question takes, the format is automatic and the word box only supplies the words.
An informal letter: congratulating a friend
A formal letter: to the principal, for a fee waiver
2. Picture description or paragraph: 5 marks
Either task, with a word box. CBSE's 2026-27 sample paper asks for five sentences on the picture, and a paragraph of at least five. Its marking scheme gives each sentence half a mark for the idea and half for grammatical correctness, says the word box is a help that need not be used, allows its words in a different case, and counts the best five if more are written. Keep to the present tense unless the picture shows something finished.
Picture description (चित्रवर्णनम्)
Suppose the picture shows a park, and the word box reads उद्यानम्, वृक्षाः, बालकाः, क्रीडन्ति, पुष्पाणि, विकसन्ति, खगाः, कूजन्ति, वृद्धः, उपविशति:
Paragraph (अनुच्छेदलेखनम्)
The same method on a topic: one fact per sentence, each built with words from the box. On अस्माकं विद्यालयः:
3. Translation into Sanskrit: 5 marks
Five sentences, from Hindi or English. This is the task that most clearly shows whether a student can build a Sanskrit sentence, and it cannot be memorised. Four steps for every sentence:
- The subject goes in the first case.
- The verb takes the subject's person and number.
- Every other noun takes its case from the Hindi sign (table below).
- The tense: लट् present, लङ् past, लृट् future, लोट् command, विधिलिङ् "should".
| Hindi sign | Case | Hindi sign | Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| ने (the doer) | First | से (moving away from) | Fifth |
| को (the object) | Second | का, के, की | Sixth |
| से, के द्वारा (by, with) | Third | में, पर | Seventh |
| को, के लिए (for, to give) | Fourth |
And the verb by person, with पठ्:
| Person | Singular | Dual | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third (सः, तौ, ते) | पठति | पठतः | पठन्ति |
| Second (त्वम्, युवाम्, यूयम्) | पठसि | पठथः | पठथ |
| First (अहम्, आवाम्, वयम्) | पठामि | पठावः | पठामः |
Worked sentences, each testing one rule:
| Sentence | Sanskrit | What it tests |
|---|---|---|
| राम विद्यालय जाता है। | रामः विद्यालयं गच्छति। | Second case for the place gone to |
| हम सब खेल रहे हैं। | वयं सर्वे क्रीडामः। | First person plural |
| पेड़ से पत्ते गिरते हैं। | वृक्षात् पत्राणि पतन्ति। | Fifth case; a neuter plural subject |
| माँ बेटी के साथ बाज़ार गई। | माता पुत्र्या सह आपणम् अगच्छत्। | सह with the third case; the past |
| कल मैं दिल्ली जाऊँगा। | श्वः अहं दिल्लीं गमिष्यामि। | The future |
| तुम पुस्तक पढ़ो। | त्वं पुस्तकं पठ। | The command |
| गाँव के चारों ओर वृक्ष हैं। | ग्रामं परितः वृक्षाः सन्ति। | परितः with the second case |
| छात्रों को समय पर विद्यालय जाना चाहिए। | छात्राः समये विद्यालयं गच्छेयुः। | "Should": विधिलिङ् |
| I like sweets. | मह्यं मोदकाः रोचन्ते। | रुच्: the person who likes in the fourth case |
| We will go to the market tomorrow. | वयं श्वः आपणं गमिष्यामः। | The future, first person plural |
How to prepare the 15 marks
- Two letter frames, learned by heart. One formal, one informal; then practise each listed subject inside them.
- Five translation sentences a day. Mixed tenses and cases, checked against the four steps.
- Picture practice from textbook illustrations. Five sentences per picture, aloud and then written.
- Agreement, every time. Most composition marks are lost on subject and verb, or adjective and noun, not on vocabulary.
Class 10 Sanskrit composition, practised and corrected
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, with letters, pictures and translation practised to the board's format.
School Sanskrit tuition, Classes 1 to 12, or book the free first class and bring a piece of composition.
Questions people ask
What is in the CBSE Class 10 Sanskrit composition section for 2026-27?
Three tasks, 15 marks: a formal or informal letter written in full with the help of a word box (manjusha), 5 marks; a picture description or a paragraph, also with a word box, 5 marks; and the translation of five sentences from Hindi or English into Sanskrit, 5 marks.
Which letters can come in the Class 10 Sanskrit exam?
The syllabus lists the likely ones. Formal: to the Ministry of Education about promoting Sanskrit, to the municipal corporation to correct a name, to the post office about a money order not received, to the principal for a fee waiver, and to a publisher. Informal: a letter of well-being, of congratulation, an invitation, news of exam results, and a description of the school.
How do you translate a sentence into Sanskrit for Class 10?
Find the subject and put it in the first case; give the verb the same person and number as the subject; take each other noun's case from its Hindi sign (ko, se, ke liye, ka, mein); then choose the tense: lat for the present, lan for the past, lrt for the future, lot for a command, vidhilin for 'should'.
What is a manjusha in Sanskrit composition?
The box of words printed with the letter or the picture question. The letter and the description are written with its help, so use its words, in the right case and number, rather than inventing new ones that risk a mistake.
Is translation asked in Class 9 Sanskrit too?
Not in 2026-27. The Class 9 paper replaced translation with dialogue or story completion. It remains in Class 10, five sentences for five marks, so Class 9 students should keep practising it.