आशीर्वाद (aashiirvaad)
noun
A single-sense noun meaning 'blessing' -- the formal good wishes an elder gives a younger person, often as part of a set social gesture (touching feet, bowing the head).
Sense
1
:
blessing (given by an elder or respected person)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: दुआ (duaa, often from elders/religious figures, overlaps in use), कृपा (kripaa, grace/favor, broader sense)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This word is tied to a very real gesture in Hindi-speaking households: younger people touch the feet of elders (पैर छूना, pair chhoonaa) and the elder responds by placing a hand on their head and saying something like खुश रहो (khush raho, 'be happy') -- that whole exchange is called लेना/देना आशीर्वाद (aashiirvaad lenaa / aashiirvaad denaa). It carries a weight that the English word 'blessing' doesn't fully capture, since it's less about religion and more about the social hierarchy of respect between generations.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use आशीर्वाद (aashiirvaad) interchangeably with दुआ (duaa), but आशीर्वाद (aashiirvaad) specifically flows from someone senior or respected (a grandparent, a guru, a god) to someone junior -- you would not say you give आशीर्वाद (aashiirvaad) to your boss or an elder. 2) The common verb pairing is आशीर्वाद देना (aashiirvaad denaa, 'to give a blessing') for the giver and आशीर्वाद लेना (aashiirvaad lenaa, 'to take/receive a blessing') for the receiver -- learners sometimes default to लेना (lenaa) or देना (denaa) inconsistently with who is doing the blessing versus receiving it.
Sample Sentences:
शादी से पहले उसने अपने माता-पिता का आशीर्वाद लिया।
Before the wedding, he took his parents' blessing.
(shaadii se pahle usne apne maataa-pitaa kaa aashiirvaad liyaa।)
दादी ने उसके सिर पर हाथ रखकर आशीर्वाद दिया।
Grandmother placed her hand on his head and gave her blessing.
(daadii ne uske sir par haath rakhkar aashiirvaad diyaa।)
जब भी वह घर जाता है, बड़ों के पैर छूकर आशीर्वाद लेता है।
Whenever he goes home, he touches the elders' feet and takes their blessing.
(jab bhii vah ghar jaataa hai, badon ke pair chhookar aashiirvaad letaa hai।)
आइए, मेरा आशीर्वाद लीजिए और खुश रहिए।
Come, take my blessing and be happy.
(aaie, meraa aashiirvaad liijie aur khush rahie।)
काश उस दिन मुझे गुरुजी का आशीर्वाद मिल पाता।
If only I could have received the guru's blessing that day.
(kaash us din mujhe gurujii kaa aashiirvaad mil paataa।)
बच्चे को उम्मीद है कि परीक्षा से पहले नानी का आशीर्वाद मिल जाए।
The child hopes he'll get his grandmother's blessing before the exam.
(bachche ko ummiid hai ki pariikshaa se pahle naanii kaa aashiirvaad mil jaae।)
इस घर में हर नई शुरुआत से पहले बड़ों का आशीर्वाद लिया जाता है।
In this house, the elders' blessing is taken before every new beginning.
(is ghar men har naii shuruaat se pahle badon kaa aashiirvaad liyaa jaataa hai।)
आपका आशीर्वाद ही है जो मैं आज यहाँ तक पहुँचा हूँ।
It is your blessing alone because of which I have reached this far today.
(aapkaa aashiirvaad hii hai jo main aaj yahaan tak pahunchaa hoon।)
बेटा, मेरा आशीर्वाद हमेशा तुम्हारे साथ रहेगा।
Son, my blessing will always be with you.
(betaa, meraa aashiirvaad hameshaa tumhaare saath rahegaa।)
गुरु के आशीर्वाद से ही शिष्य का जीवन सफल होता है।
It is only through the guru's blessing that a disciple's life becomes successful.
(guru ke aashiirvaad se hii shishy kaa jiivan saphal hotaa hai।)
नए साल पर सब बड़ों से आशीर्वाद लेने पहुँच गए।
On New Year, everyone went to take blessings from the elders.
(nae saal par sab badon se aashiirvaad lene pahunch gae।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
आशीर्वाद
(aashiirvaad)
(sg.m.oblique):
आशीर्वाद
(aashiirvaad)
(pl.m.direct):
आशीर्वाद
(aashiirvaad)
(pl.m.oblique):
आशीर्वादों
(aashiirvaadon)