आश्रम (aashram)
noun
आश्रम (aashram) primarily means a hermitage or spiritual retreat -- a place set apart for religious, meditative, or communal life -- and by extension is used for certain care institutions like old-age homes.
Sense
1
:
hermitage, spiritual retreat/ashram
noun, masculine
Synonyms: मठ (math, more monastic), आध्यात्मिक केंद्र (aadhyaatmik kendr)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Think of the many आश्रम (aashram) along the Ganga in Rishikesh and Haridwar, or Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram -- these are living communities, not museums. The word also carries a classical layer: in the traditional Hindu life-scheme, a person's life is divided into four आश्रम (aashram, 'life-stages') -- student, householder, retiree, and renunciate -- so the word has always meant 'a stage or place set apart for disciplined living,' not just a physical building.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes picture a casual 'yoga retreat' resort; in everyday Hindi आश्रम (aashram) more often evokes a guru-led community with a resident spiritual teacher, disciples, and a daily rhythm of prayer, study, and simple living, not a vacation spot.
Sample Sentences:
ऋषिकेश में गंगा के किनारे कई आश्रम हैं।
There are many ashrams along the Ganga in Rishikesh.
(rishikesh men gangaa ke kinaare kaii aashram hain।)
वह गुरु के आश्रम में रहकर वेद पढ़ता था।
He used to live at his guru's hermitage and study the Vedas.
(vah guru ke aashram men rahkar ved padhtaa thaa।)
गांधीजी का साबरमती आश्रम आज भी लोगों को प्रेरित करता है।
Gandhiji's Sabarmati Ashram still inspires people today.
(gaandhiijii kaa saabramtii aashram aaj bhii logon ko prerit kartaa hai।)
साधु अपना बचा हुआ जीवन आश्रम में बिताना चाहता है।
The sadhu wants to spend the rest of his life at the ashram.
(saadhu apnaa bachaa huaa jiivan aashram men bitaanaa chaahtaa hai।)
हिंदू जीवन-व्यवस्था में मनुष्य के जीवन को चार आश्रमों में बाँटा गया है।
In the Hindu scheme of life, a person's life is divided into four life-stages.
(hindoo jiivan-vyavasthaa men manushy ke jiivan ko chaar aashrmon men baantaa gayaa hai।)
ब्रह्मचर्य पहला आश्रम माना जाता है, जब व्यक्ति विद्या ग्रहण करता है।
The student stage is considered the first life-stage, when a person acquires knowledge.
(brahmchary pahlaa aashram maanaa jaataa hai, jab vyakti vidyaa grahan kartaa hai।)
काश हम भी कुछ दिन किसी आश्रम में शांति से बिता पाते।
If only we too could spend a few peaceful days at some ashram.
(kaash ham bhii kuchh din kisii aashram men shaanti se bitaa paate।)
अगली छुट्टियों में हम हरिद्वार के किसी आश्रम में ठहरेंगे।
During the next holidays, we will stay at some ashram in Haridwar.
(aglii chhuttiyon men ham haridvaar ke kisii aashram men thahrenge।)
आश्रम के नियमों का पालन कीजिए, यह कोई होटल नहीं है।
Please follow the ashram's rules; this is not some hotel.
(aashram ke niymon kaa paalan kiijie, yah koii hotal nahiin hai।)
संन्यास जीवन का अंतिम आश्रम है, जब मनुष्य सांसारिक बंधनों को त्याग देता है।
Renunciation is the final life-stage, when a person gives up worldly attachments.
(sannyaas jiivan kaa antim aashram hai, jab manushy saansaarik bandhnon ko tyaag detaa hai।)
Sense
2
:
care institution, especially old-age home
noun, masculine Usually appears as part of a compound like वृद्धाश्रम (vriddhaashram, 'old-age home') or अनाथाश्रम (anaathaashram, 'orphanage') rather than standing alone with this meaning.
Synonyms: वृद्धाश्रम (vriddhaashram, specific compound for old-age home)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This sense reflects a real social shift in urban India, where nuclear families increasingly send elderly parents to a वृद्धाश्रम (vriddhaashram) -- a topic often discussed with some cultural anxiety, since traditional expectation holds that children care for aging parents at home.
Common Mistakes: 1) On its own, आश्रम (aashram) defaults to the spiritual-retreat sense; the 'old-age home' meaning is usually signaled by the compound वृद्धाश्रम (vriddhaashram), so hearing bare आश्रम (aashram) in conversation about elderly parents can be ambiguous without context.
Sample Sentences:
आजकल शहरों में वृद्धाश्रमों की संख्या बढ़ रही है।
These days the number of old-age homes in cities is increasing.
(aajkal shahron men vriddhaashrmon kii sankhyaa badh rahii hai।)
उसने अपनी माँ को आश्रम में छोड़ दिया।
He left his mother at an old-age home.
(usne apnii maan ko aashram men chhod diyaa।)
क्या बुज़ुर्गों को आश्रम भेजना सही है?
Is it right to send elderly people to an old-age home?
(kyaa buzurgon ko aashram bhejnaa sahii hai?)
अगर बेटा साथ न रहता, तो दादी को आश्रम जाना पड़ता।
If the son hadn't lived with her, grandmother would have had to go to an old-age home.
(agar betaa saath n rahtaa, to daadii ko aashram jaanaa padtaa।)
इस आश्रम में साठ से ज़्यादा बुज़ुर्ग रहते हैं।
More than sixty elderly people live in this old-age home.
(is aashram men saath se zyaadaa buzurg rahte hain।)
पापा, प्लीज़ मुझे किसी आश्रम में मत भेजना।
Papa, please don't send me to some old-age home.
(paapaa, pliiz mujhe kisii aashram men mat bhejnaa।)
सरकार ने शहर में एक नया आश्रम खोला है।
The government has opened a new care home in the city.
(sarkaar ne shahar men ek nayaa aashram kholaa hai।)
बुढ़ापे में उन्हें आश्रम में डाल दिया गया।
In their old age, they were put into a care home.
(budhaape men unhen aashram men daal diyaa gayaa।)
काश हमारे समाज में किसी को आश्रम की ज़रूरत ही न पड़े।
I wish no one in our society ever needed an old-age home.
(kaash hamaare samaaj men kisii ko aashram kii zaroorat hii n pade।)
अगले महीने से यह आश्रम नए बुज़ुर्गों को भर्ती करेगा।
Starting next month, this care home will admit new elderly residents.
(agle mahiine se yah aashram nae buzurgon ko bhartii karegaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
आश्रम
(aashram)
(sg.m.oblique):
आश्रम
(aashram)
(pl.m.direct):
आश्रम
(aashram)
(pl.m.oblique):
आश्रमों
(aashrmon)