दर्शन देना (darshan denaa)
verb
A conjunct expression built on दर्शन (darshan, 'sight/viewing') plus देना (denaa, 'to give') -- literally 'to give a viewing (of oneself)'. Has a devotional core sense and a common ironic/social extension for a person who rarely shows up. Related to the standalone noun दर्शन (darshan) and the verb देना (denaa).
Sense
1
:
for a deity, saint, or revered figure to grant a sighting/audience of themselves
verb, transitive The one who is seen is the grammatical subject and takes ने in the perfective (e.g. भगवान ने दर्शन दिए, bhagvaan ne darshan die, 'God granted a viewing'); the devotee is usually marked with को.
Synonyms: दिखना (dikhnaa, not honorific)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This phrase sits at the heart of Hindu temple-going: standing in a long line at a temple like the one at Vaishno Devi or even a small neighborhood mandir, people say wonderingly 'आज भगवान के दर्शन हो गए' (aaj bhagvaan ke darshan ho gae, 'today I got to see/be seen by God') -- the darshan is understood as something the deity actively gives, not something the devotee merely takes for themselves.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to use this for ordinary people meeting each other in a plain, neutral way; it is reserved for gods, gurus, or greatly revered figures, so using it about a friend sounds either sarcastic or oddly grandiose unless that tone is intended. 2) The direction is easy to reverse: it is the deity/revered person who 'gives' दर्शन (darshan), and the devotee 'gets' or 'has' it (दर्शन पाना, darshan paanaa, or दर्शन होना, darshan honaa) -- saying a devotee 'gives दर्शन (darshan)' to the deity is backwards.
Sample Sentences:
भक्तों का मानना है कि देवी माँ हर साल नवरात्रि में दर्शन देती हैं।
Devotees believe that the Divine Mother grants her presence every year during Navratri.
(bhakton kaa maannaa hai ki devii maan har saal navraatri men darshan detii hain।)
आज मंदिर में भगवान ने दर्शन दिए।
Today God granted a viewing of himself at the temple.
(aaj mandir men bhagvaan ne darshan die।)
गुरु जी ने अपने शिष्यों को दर्शन दिए।
The guru granted his disciples an audience with himself.
(guru jii ne apne shishyon ko darshan die।)
हे प्रभु, कृपया अपने भक्तों को दर्शन दो।
O Lord, please grant your devotees a sight of yourself.
(he prabhu, kripyaa apne bhakton ko darshan do।)
कहा जाता है कि संत को स्वप्न में साक्षात् देवी ने दर्शन दिए थे।
It is said that the Goddess herself granted the saint a vision of herself in a dream.
(kahaa jaataa hai ki sant ko svapn men saakshaat devii ne darshan die the।)
साईं बाबा अपने भक्तों को स्वप्न में भी दर्शन देते हैं, ऐसा कहा जाता है।
It is said that Sai Baba even grants his devotees a vision of himself in their dreams.
(saaiin baabaa apne bhakton ko svapn men bhii darshan dete hain, aisaa kahaa jaataa hai।)
अगर भगवान दर्शन दें तो जीवन सफल हो जाए।
If God were to grant a sighting of himself, life would become fulfilled.
(agar bhagvaan darshan den to jiivan saphal ho jaae।)
अगर उस समय भगवान दर्शन देते, तो सारे दुख मिट जाते।
If God had granted his presence at that moment, all sorrows would have vanished.
(agar us samay bhagvaan darshan dete, to saare dukh mit jaate।)
क्या माता रानी सचमुच अपने भक्तों को दर्शन देती हैं?
Does the Divine Mother really grant her devotees a vision of herself?
(kyaa maataa raanii sachmuch apne bhakton ko darshan detii hain?)
वैष्णो देवी हर भक्त को उनकी श्रद्धा के अनुसार दर्शन देंगी।
Vaishno Devi will grant each devotee a vision of herself according to their devotion.
(vaishno devii har bhakt ko unkii shraddhaa ke anusaar darshan dengii।)
Sense
2
:
to finally show up or make an appearance, said teasingly of someone who has been scarce
verb, transitive Built on the same frame as the devotional sense but applied to an ordinary person, which is precisely what generates the joke; almost always used with आजकल (aajkal) or कभी-कभी (kabhii-kabhii) to underline the rarity.
Synonyms: नज़र आना (nazar aanaa, neutral, no irony), दिखना (dikhnaa, neutral, no irony)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: A classic line when a friend who has vanished for weeks finally turns up: 'अरे, आज दर्शन दिए आपने!' (are, aaj darshan die aapne, 'oh look, you've finally graced us with your presence today!') -- borrowing the grandeur of the temple sense to poke affectionate fun at someone acting too important or too busy to visit.
Common Mistakes: 1) This use only works as gentle mockery or teasing among friends/family; using it in a genuinely respectful context about an ordinary person (rather than a deity or revered elder) can sound like you are being sarcastic even when you don't mean to be.
Sample Sentences:
अरे, आज दर्शन दिए आपने!
Oh look, you've finally graced us with your presence today!
(are, aaj darshan die aapne!)
एक महीने बाद तुमने दर्शन दिए हैं, भाई!
After a whole month you've deigned to show up, man!
(ek mahiine baad tumne darshan die hain, bhaaii!)
जब भी उसका मन होता है, तब दर्शन दे देती है।
She graces us with her presence only whenever the mood strikes her.
(jab bhii uskaa man hotaa hai, tab darshan de detii hai।)
अब तो कभी-कभार ही दर्शन देते हो, साहब बन गए हो क्या?
You only bother to appear once in a blue moon now, have you become some big shot or what?
(ab to kabhii-kabhaar hii darshan dete ho, saahab ban gae ho kyaa?)
कभी तो दर्शन दे दो, हम भी तरस गए हैं तुम्हें देखने के लिए।
Do grace us with your presence sometime, we're dying to even see you.
(kabhii to darshan de do, ham bhii taras gae hain tumhen dekhne ke lie।)
अगर वो कभी दर्शन देता तो हमें पता चलता कि वो ज़िंदा भी है।
If he ever bothered to show his face, we'd at least know he's still alive.
(agar vo kabhii darshan detaa to hamen pataa chaltaa ki vo zindaa bhii hai।)
क्या वजह है कि आप इतने दिनों बाद दर्शन दे रहे हैं?
What's the reason you're finally gracing us with your presence after all these days?
(kyaa vajah hai ki aap itne dinon baad darshan de rahe hain?)
शायद वो अगली पार्टी में दर्शन दे दे, वरना उसका कोई भरोसा नहीं।
Maybe he'll deign to show up at the next party, otherwise there's no telling with him.
(shaayad vo aglii paartii men darshan de de, varnaa uskaa koii bharosaa nahiin।)
इतने व्यस्त हो गए हो कि पुराने दोस्तों को दर्शन देना भी भूल गए हो।
You've gotten so busy that you've even forgotten to grace your old friends with your presence.
(itne vyast ho gae ho ki puraane doston ko darshan denaa bhii bhool gae ho।)
गुरुजी, ऑफिस के काम से इतना समय नहीं मिलता कि आपको दर्शन दे सकूँ।
Boss, work keeps me so tied up that I can't even manage to grace you with a visit -- ha.
(gurujii, ophis ke kaam se itnaa samay nahiin miltaa ki aapko darshan de sakoon।)
Morphology
Verb (irregular)
infinitive:
दर्शन देना
(darshan denaa)
infinitive oblique:
दर्शन देने
(darshan dene)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
दर्शन देता
(darshan detaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
दर्शन देते
(darshan dete)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
दर्शन देती
(darshan detii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
दर्शन देतीं
(darshan detiin)
continuous (sg.m):
दर्शन दे रहा
(darshan de rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
दर्शन दे रहे
(darshan de rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
दर्शन दे रही
(darshan de rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
दर्शन दे रहीं
(darshan de rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
दर्शन दिया
(darshan diyaa)
perfective (pl.m):
दर्शन दिए
(darshan die)
perfective (sg.f):
दर्शन दी
(darshan dii)
perfective (pl.f):
दर्शन दीं
(darshan diin)
imperative (informal):
दर्शन दे
(darshan de)
imperative (neutral):
दर्शन दो
(darshan do)
imperative (formal):
दर्शन दीजिए
(darshan diijie)
future (1sg.m):
दर्शन दूँगा
(darshan doongaa)
future (1sg.f):
दर्शन दूँगी
(darshan doongii)
future (1pl.m):
दर्शन देंगे
(darshan denge)
future (1pl.f):
दर्शन देंगी
(darshan dengii)
future (2sg.m):
दर्शन देगा
(darshan degaa)
future (2sg.f):
दर्शन देगी
(darshan degii)
future (2pl.m):
दर्शन दोगे
(darshan doge)
future (2pl.f):
दर्शन दोगी
(darshan dogii)
future (3sg.m):
दर्शन देगा
(darshan degaa)
future (3sg.f):
दर्शन देगी
(darshan degii)
future (3pl.m):
दर्शन देंगे
(darshan denge)
future (3pl.f):
दर्शन देंगी
(darshan dengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
दर्शन दूँ
(darshan doon)
subjunctive (1pl):
दर्शन दें
(darshan den)
subjunctive (2sg):
दर्शन दे
(darshan de)
subjunctive (2pl):
दर्शन दो
(darshan do)
subjunctive (3sg):
दर्शन दे
(darshan de)
subjunctive (3pl):
दर्शन दें
(darshan den)