Class 9 Sanskrit Deepakam Chapter 1: अहम् विद्यालयं गच्छामि — 30 MCQs with Answers

The CBSE Class 9 Sanskrit exam has shifted toward objective-type questions because MCQs efficiently test multiple competencies: (1) Reading comprehension of Sanskrit text, (2) Knowledge of grammar rules (लिंग, वचन, विभक्ति), (3) Vocabulary recognition, and (4) Application of rules in real sentences. Unlike descriptive answers, MCQs eliminate subjective marking and ensure transparency. For Chapter 1 specifically, MCQs assess whether you can recognize वर्ण (letters) in देवनागरी script, identify noun-verb agreement in सरल वाक्य, and understand case endings (विभक्ति). The new CBSE pattern allocates 30–40% of total marks to MCQs in Sanskrit papers. Mastering MCQs is not about guessing—it's about understanding the 'why' behind each rule. This chapter's vocabulary (गच्छामि = I go, विद्यालयं = school, अहम् = I) forms the basis for all future chapters. Working through 30 varied MCQs trains your brain to spot grammatical patterns quickly, which is essential during timed exams when you have ~1–2 minutes per question.

**Q1.** Which of the following represents the correct order of स्वर (vowels) in Sanskrit वर्णमाला? (A) अ, आ, उ, ऊ, इ, ई, ए, ओ (B) अ, आ, इ, ई, उ, ऊ, ए, ओ (C) अ, इ, उ, ऋ, आ, ई, ऊ, ए (D) ए, ओ, अ, आ, इ, ई, उ, ऊ **Answer:** (B) **Reason:** Sanskrit स्वर follow a systematic order starting with अ, आ, then इ, ई, उ, ऊ, ए, ओ, as per NCERT Deepakam Chapter 1. **Q2.** Identify the व्यंजन (consonant) from the following: (A) अ (B) क (C) आ (D) इ **Answer:** (B) **Reason:** क is a व्यंजन; अ, आ, इ are स्वर (vowels). **Q3.** What is the gender (लिंग) of the noun 'विद्यालय' (school)? (A) स्त्रीलिंग (B) नपुंसकलिंग (C) पुँल्लिंग (D) None of the above **Answer:** (B) **Reason:** विद्यालय is नपुंसकलिंग as confirmed in NCERT Deepakam Chapter 1 vocabulary. **Q4.** Which verb form is correct in the sentence 'अहम् विद्यालयं ___'? (A) गच्छामि (B) गच्छसि (C) गच्छति (D) गच्छन्ति **Answer:** (A) **Reason:** गच्छामि is the first person singular present tense form (अहम् = I); गच्छसि is second person, गच्छति is third person. **Q5.** The noun 'अहम्' (I) is in which विभक्ति (case)? (A) प्रथमा विभक्ति (B) द्वितीया विभक्ति (C) तृतीया विभक्ति (D) चतुर्थी विभक्ति **Answer:** (A) **Reason:** अहम् is the nominative (subject) form, which is प्रथमा विभक्ति. **Q6.** How many वर्ण (letters) are there in the word 'विद्यालयं'? (A) 6 (B) 7 (C) 8 (D) 9 **Answer:** (C) **Reason:** व-ि-द्-य-आ-ल-य-ं = 8 letters (including consonant clusters and anusvara). **Q7.** Which is the correct translation of the sentence 'अहम् विद्यालयं गच्छामि'? (A) He goes to school. (B) I go to school. (C) She goes to school. (D) They go to school. **Answer:** (B) **Reason:** अहम् = I, गच्छामि = go (first person singular); hence 'I go to school.' **Q8.** The अनुस्वार (anusvara) symbol is: (A) ः (B) ् (C) ं (D) ॽ **Answer:** (C) **Reason:** ं is the अनुस्वार symbol; ः is विसर्ग, ् is हलन्त. **Q9.** Which word in 'अहम् विद्यालयं गच्छामि' is the object (कर्म)? (A) अहम् (B) विद्यालयं (C) गच्छामि (D) None **Answer:** (B) **Reason:** विद्यालयं is in द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative), indicating the direct object. **Q10.** The word 'गच्छामि' belongs to which word class? (A) नाम (noun) (B) क्रिया (verb) (C) विशेषण (adjective) (D) अव्यय (indeclinable) **Answer:** (B) **Reason:** गच्छामि is a verb in present tense; nouns end in -म् or -ं, not -मि.

**Q11.** If the verb is 'गच्छामि' (I go), which of the following is the third person singular form? (A) गच्छसि (B) गच्छति (C) गच्छास (D) गच्छन्ति **Answer:** (B) **Reason:** The verb गम् (to go) in present tense: अहम् गच्छामि, त्वम् गच्छसि, स: गच्छति (3rd person singular). **Q12.** Which of the following is the correct plural nominative form of 'बालक' (boy)? (A) बालकौ (B) बालकाः (C) बालकान् (D) बालकेभ्यः **Answer:** (B) **Reason:** Masculine nouns ending in -क take -आः in plural nominative; बालकाः is the correct form. **Q13.** The sentence 'रमा विद्यालयं गच्छति' contains which gender and number combination? (A) Masculine plural (B) Feminine singular (C) Neuter singular (D) Feminine plural **Answer:** (B) **Reason:** रमा is a feminine singular nominative (3rd person); गच्छति is feminine singular present tense. **Q14.** Identify the error in the sentence: 'अहम् विद्यालयं गच्छन्ति'? (A) Wrong verb form (should be गच्छामि) (B) Wrong case for object (C) Missing विभक्ति (D) No error **Answer:** (A) **Reason:** गच्छन्ति is plural/third person; अहम् requires singular गच्छामि. **Q15.** Which word has the अनुस्वार that will change to the 5th वर्ग consonant (ङ् or ण्) in Sanskrit? (A) अहम् (B) विद्यालयं (C) गच्छन्ति (D) सरम् **Answer:** (C) **Reason:** In गच्छन्ति, the अनुस्वार before 'त्' (पञ्चम वर्ग) becomes ण्; standard sandhi rule. **Q16.** The sentence 'सः पुस्तकं पठति' translates to: (A) I read a book. (B) He reads a book. (C) She reads a book. (D) They read a book. **Answer:** (B) **Reason:** सः (he) is 3rd person singular masculine; पठति (reads) is present tense 3rd person singular. **Q17.** Which is the correct declension of the word 'गुरु' (teacher) in nominative singular? (A) गुरुः (B) गुरु (C) गुरुम् (D) गुरोः **Answer:** (A) **Reason:** गुरु follows masculine noun declension in प्रथमा विभक्ति singular, which is गुरुः. **Q18.** In the word 'विद्यालयं', which is the विभक्ति (case) marker? (A) य् (B) ं (अनुस्वार) (C) आ (D) ल् **Answer:** (B) **Reason:** The अनुस्वार ं marks द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative case) for neuter nouns. **Q19.** Which option correctly completes: 'रमा और सुनीता विद्यालयं ___'? (A) गच्छति (B) गच्छन्ति (C) गच्छसि (D) गच्छामि **Answer:** (B) **Reason:** Two females (plural) require plural present tense verb गच्छन्ति (they go). **Q20.** The compound 'विद्यालय' breaks down into: (A) विद्या + अलय (B) विद् + या + आलय (C) वि + द्या + आलय (D) विद्य + आलय **Answer:** (A) **Reason:** विद्या (knowledge) + आलय (place/house) = house of knowledge, a स्मरणीय compound per Chapter 1.

**Q21. Assertion–Reason:** **Assertion (A):** The word 'अहम्' in 'अहम् विद्यालयं गच्छामि' is in प्रथमा विभक्ति. **Reason (R):** अहम् is the nominative subject, and the verb गच्छामि agrees with it in number and person. (A) Both A and R are true; R explains A. (B) Both A and R are true; R does not explain A. (C) A is true, R is false. (D) A is false, R is true. **Answer:** (A) **Reason:** Both statements are correct; the reason logically explains why अहम् is in प्रथमा विभक्ति. **Q22. Assertion–Reason:** **Assertion:** The word 'विद्यालयं' always ends in अनुस्वार (ं) in this chapter. **Reason:** The अनुस्वार indicates that विद्यालय is in द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative case, the object of the action). (A) Both A and R are true; R explains A. (B) Both A and R are true; R does not explain A. (C) A is false; R is true. (D) A is true; R is false. **Answer:** (A) **Reason:** Neuter nouns in accusative singular take अनुस्वार; this is a fundamental rule in Chapter 1. **Q23. Assertion–Reason:** **Assertion:** The verb form 'गच्छामि' cannot be used in the sentence 'रमा विद्यालयं ___ गच्छामि'। **Reason:** गच्छामि is first person singular, but रमा is third person singular feminine. (A) Both A and R are true; R explains A. (B) Both A and R are true; R does not explain A. (C) A is true; R is false. (D) A is false; R is true. **Answer:** (A) **Reason:** Verb-subject agreement is mandatory; गच्छति (3rd person) must replace गच्छामि (1st person). **Q24. Assertion–Reason:** **Assertion:** The sentence 'अहम् विद्यालयं गच्छन्ति' is grammatically incorrect. **Reason:** अहम् is singular, but गच्छन्ति is plural present tense. (A) Both A and R are true; R explains A. (B) Both A and R are true; R does not explain A. (C) A is true; R is false. (D) A is false; R is true. **Answer:** (A) **Reason:** Number agreement between subject (singular) and verb (plural) is violated; the error is correctly identified. **Q25. Assertion–Reason:** **Assertion:** In Sanskrit, the word 'विद्यालय' is नपुंसकलिंग, not स्त्रीलिंग. **Reason:** नपुंसकलिंग nouns ending in -य in their stem take ं (अनुस्वार) in accusative case. (A) Both A and R are true; R explains A. (B) Both A and R are true; R does not explain A. (C) A is true; R is false. (D) A is false; R is true. **Answer:** (B) **Reason:** Both are true, but the reason does not explain why विद्यालय is नपुंसकलिंग—it merely describes its case marking. **Q26. Assertion–Reason:** **Assertion:** The consonant 'क्' in the word 'गच्छामि' is from the पञ्चम वर्ग (5th group) of वर्णमाला. **Reason:** गच्छामि contains 'च्', which is the third letter of the चवर्ग (4th group). (A) Both A and R are true; R explains A. (B) Both A and R are true; R does not explain A. (C) A is false; R is true. (D) Both A and R are false. **Answer:** (D) **Reason:** 'क्' is from कवर्ग (1st group); 'च्' is from चवर्ग (4th group). The assertion confuses groups. **Q27. Assertion–Reason:** **Assertion:** The word 'गच्छामि' can be broken into roots as गम् (to go) + आमि (suffix). **Reason:** The suffix 'आमि' indicates first person singular present tense in Sanskrit. (A) Both A and R are true; R explains A. (B) Both A and R are true; R does not explain A. (C) A is true; R is false. (D) A is false; R is true. **Answer:** (A) **Reason:** Verbal conjugation in Sanskrit follows root + tense/person suffix; this is an accurate morphological breakdown. **Q28. Assertion–Reason:** **Assertion:** In the sentence 'अहम् पुस्तकं पठामि' (I read a book), the word 'पुस्तकं' is the कर्ता (agent/subject). **Reason:** The word कर्ता refers to the object that performs the action. (A) Both A and R are true; R explains A. (B) Both A and R are true; R does not explain A. (C) A is false; R is true. (D) Both A and R are false. **Answer:** (D) **Reason:** 'अहम्' is the कर्ता (agent); 'पुस्तकं' is the कर्म (object). The definition of कर्ता is reversed in R. **Q29. Assertion–Reason:** **Assertion:** If the sentence is changed to 'आवाम् विद्यालयं गच्छावः', it means 'We two go to school'. **Reason:** आवाम् is the dual nominative of अहम् (I), and गच्छावः is the dual present tense form of गम्. (A) Both A and R are true; R explains A. (B) Both A and R are true; R does not explain A. (C) A is true; R is false. (D) A is false; R is true. **Answer:** (A) **Reason:** Sanskrit dual (द्विवचन) is still part of Chapter 1 vocabulary; both assertion and reason are correct and related. **Q30. Assertion–Reason:** **Assertion:** The word 'अहम्' loses its final 'म्' when used in certain sandhi conditions within a sentence. **Reason:** Consonants at the end of words can undergo sandhi transformations in Sanskrit to maintain phonetic smoothness. (A) Both A and R are true; R explains A. (B) Both A and R are true; R does not explain A. (C) A is true; R is false. (D) A is false; R is true. **Answer:** (A) **Reason:** Sandhi (conjunction rules) are introduced in Chapter 1; consonantal changes are phonologically motivated.

**Trap 1: Confusing Gender & Case Markers.** Students often mistake the अनुस्वार (ं) at the end of विद्यालयं as a gender marker. **Reality:** It marks द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative case) for neuter nouns. The actual gender is नपुंसकलिंग, determined by the root word, not the case suffix. Example: विद्यालय (root, neuter) → विद्यालयं (accusative neuter). Don't confuse them. **Trap 2: Wrong Verb Form Due to Number Mismatch.** A common error is selecting गच्छन्ति (plural) when the subject is singular (अहम्). The trap option looks grammatically 'Sanskrit-like' because it follows verb conjugation patterns, but violates subject-verb agreement. Always verify: Is your subject singular (अहम्, सः, सा) or plural (ते, ताः)? Match the verb accordingly. **Trap 3: Mixing Up विभक्ति (Case) Forms.** Students often confuse प्रथमा (nominative) with द्वितीया (accusative) because both appear in the same sentence. Remember: अहम् (subject) is nominative; विद्यालयं (object) is accusative. In 'अहम् विद्यालयं गच्छामि', the first noun is the doer, the second is where the action happens. **Trap 4: Reverse Definitions in Assertion-Reason.** In assertion-reason MCQs, options intentionally reverse definitions. For example, an option might say 'कर्ता refers to the object that performs the action' (wrong; कर्ता is the agent/subject). Always cross-check definitions against NCERT Deepakam Chapter 1. **Trap 5: Choosing Long Sentences Thinking They're 'More Correct'.** A longer-looking option doesn't guarantee correctness. 'अहम् विद्यालयं गच्छामि' (4 words) is complete and correct. Adding extra words like 'अहम् विद्यालयं सदा गच्छामि' changes meaning but isn't 'more correct'—it's a different sentence. **Trap 6: Missing the Vowel (स्वर) in Consonant Questions.** The word 'गच्छामि' contains consonants 'ग्, च्छ्, म्' AND vowels 'अ, आ, ि'. If a question asks 'How many consonants?', don't count vowels. Similarly, if it asks for the first vowel in Chapter 1's वर्णमाला, the answer is 'अ', not any consonant. **Trap 7: Confusing Masculine & Feminine Singular Verbs.** Both 'सः गच्छति' (he goes) and 'सा गच्छति' (she goes) use the same verb form. Don't assume gender changes the verb. However, plural differs: 'ते गच्छन्ति' (they—masculine) vs. 'ताः गच्छन्ति' (they—feminine). The verb ending '-ति' is constant; nominative case markers (सः vs. सा, ते vs. ताः) change.

**Pre-Exam Preparation (2 weeks before):** Solve all 30 MCQs in chunks of 10 per session, timing yourself. Easy MCQs should take 45 seconds each (max 7.5 min for 10). Medium MCQs: 60–90 seconds each (max 15 min). Hard assertion-reason: 2 minutes each (max 20 min). This simulates exam conditions. Track which question types you struggle with—grammar rules, case marking, or verb conjugation?—and revise those topics in NCERT Deepakam Chapter 1. **During the Exam (Actual Strategy):** (1) **Read the full question first.** Don't jump to options. For example, 'The sentence अहम् विद्यालयं ___ has which कर्ता (subject)?' Read the blank context before choosing. (2) **Eliminate obviously wrong options immediately.** In 'Which is the correct plural form of बालक?', you can eliminate options with wrong विभक्ति or gender in 5 seconds. This leaves 2 plausible choices. (3) **Use keyword spotting for easy MCQs.** Easy MCQs often test direct recall. Does the question ask about 'स्वर order'? Look for the NCERT-listed order: अ, आ, इ, ई, उ, ऊ, ए, ओ. Don't overthink. (4) **Apply rules for medium MCQs.** For grammar-based medium MCQs, mentally apply the rule. Example: 'गच्छामि' = root गम् + 1st person singular suffix. Which subject matches? अहम् (I). Rule-based elimination works. (5) **Read assertion AND reason for hard MCQs.** Don't choose (A) 'Both A and R true' until you verify R actually explains A. Many assertion-reason traps hinge here. (6) **Don't over-guess.** If you've narrowed options to 2 and are unsure, choose the one linked to a rule from Chapter 1 (विभक्ति rules, verb conjugation, वर्णमाला order). Rules are testable; exceptions are not in Class 9. **Time Allocation per MCQ Type:** Assuming 30 MCQs in a 60-minute Sanskrit paper (half the paper): Allocate 60 seconds per question on average. But: Easy MCQs = 40 sec, Medium = 60 sec, Hard = 90 sec. This balances speed with accuracy. If you finish early, revisit medium and hard MCQs—don't second-guess easy ones unless you made a careless error. **Final Tip:** Maintain a 'mistake notebook' after each practice round. Write down: Question number, what you chose, what was correct, and why. After solving all 30 MCQs once, review only your mistake notebook. This 80/20 approach maximizes learning ROI. Start a 3-day free trial at cbsetutor.ai to unlock adaptive MCQ quizzes that adjust difficulty based on your performance.