Sanskrit Prose Translation — Intermediate
गद्य अनुवाद — मध्यम
Translate Sanskrit Story Passages · Class 7-8
Key Points to Remember
- ▸"Vasati sma" = was living (habitual past) — "sma" with present tense = imperfect aspect
- ▸Absolutive forms (ktvā / ya): "utthāya" (having risen), "āgatya" (having come) — prior action
- ▸Connect sentences with: "tataḥ" (then), "parantu" (but), "ekadā" (once/one day)
- ▸Ātmanepada verbs (-ate/-nte): labhate (obtains), vandate (salutes), rocate (pleases)
Translation Practice
Sanskrit prose (gadya) appears in Pañcatantra stories, dialogues in NCERT, and simple narrative passages. This worksheet practices translating connected paragraphs.
Prose translation strategy
Read the full passage first → identify each verb → build the sentence around it → connect sentences
एकः सिंहः वने वसति स्म। सः प्रतिदिनम् पशून् खादति स्म। एकदा एकः मूषकः तस्य निकटम् आगच्छत्।
Ekaḥ siṃhaḥ vane vasati sma. Saḥ pratidinam paśūn khādati sma. Ekadā ekaḥ mūṣakaḥ tasya nikaṭam āgacchat.
Once a lion lived in a forest. He used to eat animals every day. One day a mouse came near him. ("vasati sma" = used to live — imperfect with "sma" = habitual past)
Exercises (2)
Exercise 1: Translation
Translate this Pañcatantra-style passage
1. एकः काकः एकस्मिन् वृक्षे उपविशति स्म। तस्य पार्श्वे एका लोमशी आगच्छत्। सा अवदत् — "भोः काक! तव स्वरः अतीव मधुरः।"
Hint: kākaḥ = crow; lomaśī = fox (fem.); pārśve = near; svara = voice; madhurah = sweet
Show answer
A crow was sitting in a tree. Near it came a fox. She said: "O Crow! Your voice is very sweet."
2. विद्या एव मनुष्यस्य सर्वश्रेष्ठम् धनम् अस्ति। विद्यया एव मनुष्यः सर्वस्मिन् सम्मानम् लभते।
Hint: sarvaśreṣṭha = best of all; vidyayā = Tṛtīyā of vidyā; labhate = gets, obtains (ātmanepada)
Show answer
Knowledge alone is the best wealth of a person. By knowledge alone a person obtains respect everywhere.
3. बालकः प्रातः उत्थाय विद्यालयम् गच्छति। विद्यालये सः आचार्यात् विद्याम् गृह्णाति। सायम् गृहम् आगत्य सः पाठम् पुनः पठति।
Hint: prātaḥ = morning; utthāya = having risen (absolutive); sāyam = evening; āgatya = having come; punar = again
Show answer
The boy, rising in the morning, goes to school. In school he receives knowledge from the teacher. Having come home in the evening, he reads the lesson again.
Exercise 2: Short Answer
Grammar questions on the passage
1. In "utthāya" (having risen) and "āgatya" (having come), what grammatical form is used?
Show answer
Absolutive/Indeclinable Participle (ktvā / ya form) — "having done X, then Y" — these are gerunds expressing prior action
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