The Marathi Qualifying Paper: Grammar, Comprehension, Précis & Translation — MPSC Mains Paper 1 and Prelims Paper II
Weightage: Mains Paper 1 is Marathi, 300 marks, three hours, qualifying at 25 per cent, set at about matriculation standard. Its marks do not count towards rank, but failing it means your other papers are not counted. Prelims Paper II (CSAT) also tests Marathi comprehension at about Class 10 level. This chapter is a working guide, with the grammar core in Marathi and the methods explained in English.
1. What the paper tests
The shape follows the UPSC compulsory Indian-language paper, which MPSC's descriptive Mains was modelled on. Expect these parts:
| Part | What you do |
|---|---|
| निबंध (Essay) | Write an essay on one of several topics |
| आकलन (Comprehension) | Read a passage and answer questions in your own words |
| सारांशलेखन (Précis) | Reduce a passage to about a third of its length |
| भाषांतर (Translation) | English to Marathi and Marathi to English |
| व्याकरण आणि वापर (Grammar and usage) | Idioms, proverbs, synonyms, antonyms, sentence correction, grammar identification |
MPSC does not publish a fixed mark split for these parts, so treat any split you see as indicative and read the instructions on the paper.
The bar is 25 per cent, but do not take it lightly. Candidates who have not written Marathi since school lose marks on spelling and grammar. Two months of steady practice clears the bar comfortably.
2. The grammar core
शब्दांच्या जाती (the eight parts of speech)
| विकारी (inflecting) | अविकारी (non-inflecting, अव्यय) |
|---|---|
| नाम (noun) | क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb) |
| सर्वनाम (pronoun) | शब्दयोगी अव्यय (postposition) |
| विशेषण (adjective) | उभयान्वयी अव्यय (conjunction) |
| क्रियापद (verb) | केवलप्रयोगी अव्यय (interjection) |
संधी (joining of sounds)
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| स्वरसंधी (vowel) | विद्या + आलय = विद्यालय; सूर्य + उदय = सूर्योदय; सदा + एव = सदैव; इति + आदी = इत्यादी |
| व्यंजनसंधी (consonant) | सत् + जन = सज्जन; वाक् + ईश = वागीश; उत् + नती = उन्नती |
| विसर्गसंधी (visarga) | मनः + रंजन = मनोरंजन; निः + अंतर = निरंतर; दुः + जन = दुर्जन |
समास (compounds)
| समास | Test | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| अव्ययीभाव | The first word is an indeclinable and dominates | प्रतिदिन (प्रत्येक दिवशी), यथाशक्ती (शक्तीप्रमाणे), आजन्म |
| तत्पुरुष | The second word dominates | राजपुत्र (राजाचा पुत्र); कर्मधारय: नीलकमल (नील असे कमल); द्विगू: पंचवटी, त्रिभुवन |
| द्वंद्व | Both words are equal | आईवडील (आई आणि वडील); बरेवाईट (बरे किंवा वाईट); भाजीपाला (भाजी, पाला वगैरे) |
| बहुव्रीही | Neither word dominates; the compound points to a third | नीलकंठ (निळा आहे कंठ ज्याचा असा तो, म्हणजे शंकर); लंबोदर; दशानन |
Remember: कर्मधारय and द्विगू are kinds of तत्पुरुष, and द्वंद्व has three kinds, इतरेतर (आणि), वैकल्पिक (किंवा) and समाहार (a group).
प्रयोग (voice and agreement)
| प्रयोग | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| कर्तरी | The verb agrees with the subject | राम आंबा खातो. / सीता आंबा खाते. |
| कर्मणी | The verb agrees with the object | रामाने आंबा खाल्ला. / रामाने पोळी खाल्ली. |
| भावे | The verb agrees with neither and stays neuter | रामाने रावणास मारले. / सीतेने रावणास मारले. |
The test: change the subject's gender or number, then the object's. Whichever change alters the verb tells you the प्रयोग. If neither does, it is भावे.
विभक्ती (cases) and their endings in the singular
| विभक्ती | प्रत्यय |
|---|---|
| प्रथमा | (none) |
| द्वितीया | स, ला, ते |
| तृतीया | ने, ए, शी |
| चतुर्थी | स, ला, ते |
| पंचमी | ऊन, हून |
| षष्ठी | चा, ची, चे |
| सप्तमी | त, ई, आ |
| संबोधन | (नो in the plural) |
काळ (tense)
वर्तमानकाळ (तो खेळतो), भूतकाळ (तो खेळला), भविष्यकाळ (तो खेळेल). Each has simple, continuous, perfect and habitual forms. With a transitive verb in the past, the subject usually takes ने and the sentence turns कर्मणी or भावे: त्याने पत्र लिहिले.
अलंकार (figures of speech)
Learn the three comparison figures with one image:
- उपमा (simile, a stated likeness): तिचे मुख चंद्रासारखे सुंदर आहे.
- रूपक (metaphor, identity): तिचे मुख म्हणजे चंद्रच.
- उत्प्रेक्षा (imagined likeness, with जणू or की काय): तिचे मुख जणू चंद्रच!
शब्दालंकार such as अनुप्रास (repeated consonant sounds) and यमक (repeated letters with different meanings) are asked less often.
Worked example 2.1 (grammar identification). "Identify: (a) the संधी in मनोरंजन; (b) the समास in नीलकंठ; (c) the प्रयोग in रामाने आंबा खाल्ला."
Answer. (a) विसर्गसंधी: मनः + रंजन. (b) बहुव्रीही: it points to Shankar, whose throat is blue. (c) कर्मणी: change आंबा to पोळी and the verb becomes खाल्ली, so the verb follows the object.
3. Vocabulary: idioms and proverbs
वाक्प्रचार (idioms)
| वाक्प्रचार | अर्थ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| कानाडोळा करणे | दुर्लक्ष करणे | To ignore deliberately |
| पाठ थोपटणे | शाबासकी देणे | To praise, encourage |
| हात टेकणे | हार मानणे | To give up |
| डोळ्यांत तेल घालून पाहणे | अतिशय सावधपणे लक्ष ठेवणे | To watch with great care |
| तोंडचे पाणी पळणे | खूप घाबरणे | To be terrified |
म्हणी (proverbs)
| म्हण | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नाचता येईना अंगण वाकडे | Blaming circumstances for one's own lack of skill |
| थेंबे थेंबे तळे साचे | Small efforts add up |
| अति तेथे माती | Excess spoils everything |
| उथळ पाण्याला खळखळाट फार | The shallow make the most noise |
| आपला हात जगन्नाथ | Self-help is the best help |
समानार्थी and विरुद्धार्थी are asked as one-word items: पाणी = जल, नीर; सूर्य = रवी, भास्कर; उदय × अस्त; स्तुती × निंदा; सुलभ × दुर्लभ.
4. Spelling (शुद्धलेखन)
Follow the standard rules framed by the Sahitya Mahamandal and adopted by the government. Two rules cause most errors:
- Tatsam words ending in इ or उ are written long when they stand alone (कवी, मती, गुरू, वायू), but short as the first part of a compound (कविमन, गुरुदक्षिणा).
- Use the anusvara (the dot above) for a clearly pronounced nasal before a consonant: गंगा, आंबा, संत.
Errors that cost marks include confusing ह्रस्व and दीर्घ vowels, missing anusvaras and mixing spoken forms into formal writing.
5. Précis and comprehension
Précis (सारांशलेखन) method:
- Count the words and fix the target, about one-third.
- Read twice and underline the main idea of each paragraph.
- Write in your own words, in the third person, keeping the passage's order.
- Add nothing: no opinion, example or conclusion that is not in the passage.
- Give a short title (शीर्षक) if asked, and check the length.
Comprehension (आकलन): answer in complete sentences, in your own words, and only from the passage.
6. Translation (भाषांतर)
Translate the meaning, not word for word. Marathi puts the verb at the end and often prefers active constructions and respectful plural forms for officials.
Worked example 6.1 (English to Marathi). "The Collector reviewed the implementation of the scheme in the district."
Answer. जिल्हाधिकाऱ्यांनी जिल्ह्यातील योजनेच्या अंमलबजावणीचा आढावा घेतला.
Note. "Reviewed" becomes the natural Marathi phrase आढावा घेणे, not a literal equivalent, and the official is referred to in the respectful plural.
An administrative glossary saves time:
| English | मराठी |
|---|---|
| Government Resolution (GR) | शासन निर्णय |
| Circular / Notification | परिपत्रक / अधिसूचना |
| Implementation | अंमलबजावणी |
| Beneficiary | लाभार्थी |
| Budget | अर्थसंकल्प |
| Legislature / Cabinet | विधिमंडळ / मंत्रिमंडळ |
| Local self-government bodies | स्थानिक स्वराज्य संस्था |
| Infrastructure | पायाभूत सुविधा |
| Sustainable development | शाश्वत विकास |
| Drought / Irrigation | दुष्काळ / सिंचन |
7. The essay (निबंध)
Structure: प्रस्तावना (introduction with a hook and the theme), विषयविवेचन (three or four developed points with examples from Maharashtra), and उपसंहार (a balanced conclusion).
Write simple, correct Marathi. A clear essay with few errors passes easily; ornate language full of mistakes does not. Keep a few quotations from the saints and reformers ready, such as Tukaram or Phule, but only where they fit.
A time plan for three hours: essay about 60 minutes, précis and comprehension about 60 minutes, translation about 30 minutes, grammar and usage about 20 minutes, and the rest for checking.
Common traps MPSC sets here
- Taking the qualifying paper lightly. Below 25 per cent, your General Studies and Essay papers are not counted.
- Confusing कर्मणी and भावे. In कर्मणी the verb follows the object; in भावे it follows neither.
- Calling every compound with a number द्विगू. A compound like दशानन that points to a third person (Ravana) is बहुव्रीही.
- Translating word for word. Render the meaning in natural Marathi order and idiom.
- Adding opinions to a précis. A précis carries nothing that is not in the passage.
Memory aids
- "4 विकारी + 4 अविकारी = 8 जाती."
- "स्वर, व्यंजन, विसर्ग": the three संधी.
- "अ-त-द्वं-ब": अव्ययीभाव, तत्पुरुष, द्वंद्व, बहुव्रीही, by which word dominates: first, second, both, neither.
- "कर्ता, कर्म, कोणीच नाही": कर्तरी, कर्मणी, भावे.
Summary
The Marathi paper is qualifying, but failing it voids the rest of the Mains, so it needs steady practice. It tests essay, comprehension, précis, translation and grammar at about matriculation level, and Prelims Paper II tests Marathi comprehension.
Master the grammar core of parts of speech, संधी, समास, प्रयोग, विभक्ती, tense and अलंकार; learn idioms, proverbs and spelling rules; and practise précis to one-third, meaning-based translation with an administrative glossary, and a simple three-part essay.
Exam protocol
- Practise one précis and one translation every week for two months.
- Revise the grammar tables until identification is automatic.
- Write the essay in simple, correct Marathi and check spelling at the end.
