ISC 2025 Sanskrit Question Paper for Class 12

About this paper

This is the ISC Class 12 Sanskrit paper set by CISCE for the 2025 board examination. It carries 80 marks, runs for three hours plus fifteen minutes of reading time, and has 11 questions in three sections. Section A tests grammar (sandhi, compounds, word formation and change of voice) and has an English story about two greedy woodcutter brothers to translate into Sanskrit. Section B asks students to translate prose from Banabhatta's Kadambari and verses from the first canto of Kalidasa's Raghuvamsham, including the verses introducing Queen Sudakshina, into English, and to explain two lines with reference to context. In Section C students answer any four of six questions set in Sanskrit on the same two texts. Sample questions below are translated from Sanskrit.

Exam

ISC Class 12

Subject

Sanskrit

Year

2025

Paper code

838

Maximum marks

80

Time allowed

3 hours + 15 min reading

Questions

11

Pages

4

Answers included

No, questions only

Paper pattern

• Section A

  18 marks

  Question 1: sandhi, compounds, word splitting and change of voice, any three of each (4 × 3); Question 2: English passage to translate into Sanskrit (6)

• Section B

  34 marks

  Question 3: two Kadambari prose passages to translate into English (2 × 6); Question 4: two pairs of Raghuvamsham verses to translate into English (2 × 7); Question 5: two lines to explain with reference to context (2 × 4)

• Section C

  28 marks

  Any four of Questions 6–11, seven marks each; three on Kadambari and three on Raghuvamsham

Topics covered

• Sandhi
• Samasa (compounds)
• Prakriti-pratyaya (word formation)
• Change of voice
• Translation from English into Sanskrit
• Raghuvamsham, Canto 1 (Kalidasa)
• Kadambari (Banabhatta)

Questions from this paper

1. Change the voice of the sentence अस्माभिः गीता पठ्यते।
2. Describe the birth of Chandrapida and his extraordinary qualities.
3. Who was King Tarapida? To whom did he hand over the burden of the kingdom and live happily, and how did he obtain the joy of a son?
4. Describe the hermitage of the sage Jabali and write the conversation that took place there between the sages and Harita.
5. Why did King Dilipa not obtain the happiness of children? Write in detail the reason given by the great Vasishtha.
6. Why was King Dilipa famous? Write the extraordinary qualities that were the cause of his fame.