In India, Sanskrit is the colloquial language of our forefathers and today people who have knowledge of this magical language are respected. Let us know about Sanskrit as an Optional Subject of Civil Services Examination in this article. Its full syllabus has also been discussed so that you can get the idea in depth.

A very few students opt for Sanskrit because not all people are aware of this subject. Therefore, one should hardly do the foolishness of taking it as an optional subject with a non-Sanskrit background. In almost all coaching institutes of Delhi and other parts of the world, it is often seen that only 2 or 3 out of 100 students are those who have kept Sanskrit as an optional subject. But this does not mean that Sanskrit is a rubbish subject for the civil services examination. Let us tell you how?

Syllabus of Sanskrit in UPSC Mains Exam

Like other optional subjects, Sanskrit also has 2 papers – First paper and Second paper. Every paper is divided into two parts – Part 1 and Part 2. The first paper contains some mixed types of questions along with the grammar portion and the Second Paper contains Literature.

Why One Should Take Sanskrit as an Optional Subject?

• The pattern of questions remains the same every year. The questions of grammar, ‘Shloka’, comprehension are prepared in such a way that it does not seem that you have been served anything new than the previous year.
• The syllabus of this subject is simple and short. If you have a little bit of Sanskrit knowledge (+2 level), then within about four months you can take full authority on this subject, and you can easily complete it.
• From the past records so far, those who take Sanskrit subjects are performing very well.
• If you pass Prelims then you will not have to work harder in Mains than other students.
• It is not necessary to answer in Sanskrit itself. Except for just a few mandatory questions, you can answer questions in Hindi or English medium or regional languages also (Regional languages ​​as per constitution).
• There are limited books which are not to be read in full. Among them, only a few verses are to be read.
• Sanskrit can be a headache for those students who have never read Sanskrit or have never been interested in this subject. Such people will need guidance from any Sanskrit teacher. It has also been seen that people with a background like a doctor, engineer etc. performed well by opting for Sanskrit.
• The questions that have to be answered only in Sanskrit, it can be a tough task for the new learner. But let us also tell you that you are asked such questions from specific chapters of certain books, which you have to answer in Sanskrit. So by working a little bit, you can manage it well.

Strategy and Syllabus of Sanskrit Optional UPSC Subject

Just like any other optional subject, this subject also contains 2 question papers. In both the papers, students have to write a minimum of 3 questions in Sanskrit fully. Rest can be answered in Hindi.

The major sections sort out of the full syllabus of Sanskrit and the corresponding strategy to follow as discussed below.

Check Out Your Syllabus

To begin with, you should know the syllabus to complete in a given time. First of all, prepare a schedule where you will divide the number of available days with topics to do. You should also spare some time for revision and emergency situations.

Make Good Choice of Books

Sanskrit is not such a popular subject among students so the number of books available for this subject is also limited. Hence, you would not have many choices available to choose from. It is therefore very important that you pick the right book for preparing the exams.

To help you out with this, we have some suggestions for you –

• Complete Sanskrit: Teach Yourself by Michael Coulson
• Prarambhik Sanskrit Vyakaran by Madhusudan Mishra
• Sanskrit for Beginners by Dr Sunanda Shastri
• Sanskrit Swyam Shikshak by Shripad Damodar Satvlekar.

Jot Down Quick & Short Notes

Note Making is an evergreen strategy that you should follow be it Sanskrit or any other subject. Since Sanskrit is a bit typical language, making quick and short notes will help you in eleventh-hour preparation

You may also make use of different visual tools to remember the concept like Mind Maps, Web diagrams, tables, highlights, etc.

Watch Sanskrit Videos

Today’s students enjoy the benefit of easy and direct access to mobile phones. So you guys have a lot of material to get from the internet and that too in the fun learning way that retains your interest. You may watch YouTube videos in the Sanskrit language to get a better understanding of the subject.

Sometimes we may not like learning from books. In such cases, watching videos helps. There is no lack of videos available on YouTube. you can watch as many as you want on different subjects, topics, and interests.