पुण्य (puny)
noun/adjective
Primarily a noun meaning religious/moral merit earned through good deeds -- the positive counterpart to पाप (paap, sin). Also used as an adjective describing something holy or virtuous.
Sense
1
:
religious/moral merit
noun, masculine
Synonyms: सुकृत (sukrit, literary), नेकी (nekii)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: In everyday Hindu thinking, पुण्य (puny) works almost like a spiritual bank balance: feeding a beggar, bathing in the Ganga, or helping an elder all 'deposit' पुण्य, while पाप (paap) withdraws from it. You will hear elderly relatives say things like इससे पुण्य मिलता है (isse puny miltaa hai, 'one gets merit from this') about small acts of charity, tying the word closely to karma and the afterlife.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often translate पुण्य (puny) simply as 'good deed', but it more precisely means the spiritual credit or merit *earned* by a good deed -- the deed itself is often called पुण्य कर्म (puny karm, 'meritorious act') or नेक काम (nek kaam, 'good deed'). 2) It is frequently used with कमाना (kamaanaa, to earn) or मिलना (milnaa, to be gotten), as in पुण्य कमाना (puny kamaanaa, 'to earn merit') -- learners sometimes reach for करना (karnaa) instead, which sounds odd here.
Sample Sentences:
गरीबों को खाना खिलाने से पुण्य मिलता है।
One gets merit from feeding the poor.
(gariibon ko khaanaa khilaane se puny miltaa hai।)
दादी हमेशा कहती थीं कि गंगा में स्नान करने से बहुत पुण्य मिलता है।
Grandma always used to say that bathing in the Ganga brings a lot of merit.
(daadii hameshaa kahtii thiin ki gangaa men snaan karne se bahut puny miltaa hai।)
उसने अपने जीवन भर का पुण्य अपने बच्चों की भलाई में लगा दिया।
He spent his whole life's merit on his children's well-being.
(usne apne jiivan bhar kaa puny apne bachchon kii bhalaaii men lagaa diyaa।)
अगर तुम इस बुढ़िया की मदद करोगे, तो तुम्हें पुण्य मिलेगा।
If you help this old woman, you will earn merit.
(agar tum is budhiyaa kii madad karoge, to tumhen puny milegaa।)
काश मैंने जवानी में थोड़ा और पुण्य कमाया होता।
I wish I had earned a little more merit in my youth.
(kaash mainne javaanii men thodaa aur puny kamaayaa hotaa।)
पंडित जी ने समझाया कि दान करने से पुण्य बढ़ता है।
The priest explained that giving charity increases one's merit.
(pandit jii ne samjhaayaa ki daan karne se puny badhtaa hai।)
यह मंदिर बनवाकर राजा ने बहुत पुण्य कमाया।
By having this temple built, the king earned great merit.
(yah mandir banvaakar raajaa ne bahut puny kamaayaa।)
बुजुर्गों की सेवा करो, इससे पुण्य मिलता है।
Serve the elderly, one gets merit from this.
(bujurgon kii sevaa karo, isse puny miltaa hai।)
क्या सच में गाय को रोटी खिलाने से पुण्य मिलता है?
Does one really get merit from feeding bread to a cow?
(kyaa sach men gaay ko rotii khilaane se puny miltaa hai?)
उनका मानना है कि पीड़ितों की सहायता करने से जो पुण्य कमाया जाता है, वह किसी और साधना से नहीं मिलता।
It is his belief that the merit earned by helping the suffering is not attained through any other spiritual practice.
(unkaa maannaa hai ki piiditon kii sahaaytaa karne se jo puny kamaayaa jaataa hai, vah kisii aur saadhnaa se nahiin miltaa।)
Sense
2
:
holy, virtuous, sacred
adjective Used attributively before a noun, e.g. पुण्य तिथि (puny tithi, 'holy/anniversary date'), पुण्य आत्मा (puny aatmaa, 'virtuous soul').
Synonyms: पवित्र (pavitr), पावन (paavan, literary)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This adjectival use shows up in set phrases tied to religious occasions, like पुण्य तिथि (puny tithi), the term used for a saint's or great person's death anniversary -- a reminder that पुण्य (puny) colors both actions and the days/things associated with them as sacred.
Sample Sentences:
आज गुरु जी की पुण्य तिथि है।
Today is the guru's death anniversary.
(aaj guru jii kii puny tithi hai।)
गंगा को एक पुण्य नदी माना जाता है।
The Ganga is considered a holy river.
(gangaa ko ek puny nadii maanaa jaataa hai।)
यह भूमि पुण्य मानी जाती है, इसलिए यहाँ हर साल मेला लगता है।
This land is considered sacred, so a fair is held here every year.
(yah bhoomi puny maanii jaatii hai, islie yahaan har saal melaa lagtaa hai।)
कल हम उस पुण्य स्थान की यात्रा करेंगे।
Tomorrow we will visit that holy place.
(kal ham us puny sthaan kii yaatraa karenge।)
काश यह दिन भी उतना ही पुण्य होता जितना कि कुंभ का दिन।
If only this day were as holy as the day of the Kumbh.
(kaash yah din bhii utnaa hii puny hotaa jitnaa ki kumbh kaa din।)
स्वामी जी की पुण्य तिथि पर हर वर्ष भंडारा होता था।
Every year on the swami's death anniversary, there used to be a community feast.
(svaamii jii kii puny tithi par har varsh bhandaaraa hotaa thaa।)
क्या इस मंदिर की मिट्टी सच में पुण्य होती है?
Is the soil of this temple really holy?
(kyaa is mandir kii mittii sach men puny hotii hai?)
इस पुण्य अवसर पर सब लोग मिलकर पूजा करें।
May everyone come together and offer prayers on this holy occasion.
(is puny avsar par sab log milkar poojaa karen।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
पुण्य
(puny)
(sg.m.oblique):
पुण्य
(puny)
(pl.m.direct):
पुण्य
(puny)
(pl.m.oblique):
पुण्यों
(punyon)
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
पुण्य
(puny)