दक्षिणा (dakshinaa)
noun
A ritual gift or offering, usually money, given to a priest, teacher, or holy person after a religious ceremony or as a mark of respect for guidance received.
Sense
1
:
ritual/priestly offering
noun, feminine
Synonyms: भेंट (bhent, gift given respectfully), नज़राना (nazraanaa, offering to a superior/deity)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear this word constantly around pooja (poojaa) and havan (havan) ceremonies -- after the pandit (pandit) finishes the rituals, the host offers दक्षिणा (dakshinaa), often just a few coins or notes wrapped with a coconut or fruit, more a gesture of respect and tradition than payment in the commercial sense. It also survives in the phrase गुरु दक्षिणा (guru dakshinaa, teacher's fee/tribute), the traditional offering a student gives a guru upon completing their education, an idea familiar to anyone who knows the Mahabharata story of Dronacharya and Eklavya.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use दान (daan) interchangeably, but दान is charitable giving to the needy or a temple in general, while दक्षिणा (dakshinaa) is specifically the payment or offering made to a priest, guru, or officiant for performing a ritual or imparting teaching. 2) It is usually a fixed or symbolic amount handed over at the end of a pooja (poojaa) or yagya (yagy), not an open-ended donation.
Sample Sentences:
पंडित जी ने हवन के बाद दक्षिणा ली।
The pandit accepted the ceremonial offering after the havan.
(pandit jii ne havan ke baad dakshinaa lii।)
पूजा खत्म होने पर हम पंडित जी को दक्षिणा देते हैं।
When the pooja ends, we give the priest a ceremonial offering.
(poojaa khatm hone par ham pandit jii ko dakshinaa dete hain।)
उसने दक्षिणा में नारियल के साथ कुछ रुपये रख दिए।
As the offering, she placed a few rupees along with a coconut.
(usne dakshinaa men naariyal ke saath kuchh rupye rakh die।)
कृपया दक्षिणा स्वीकार करें, यह हमारी श्रद्धा है।
Please accept this offering, it is a token of our devotion.
(kripyaa dakshinaa sviikaar karen, yah hamaarii shraddhaa hai।)
अगर पंडित जी दक्षिणा न लें, तो यजमान को अच्छा नहीं लगता।
If the priest does not accept the offering, the host feels uneasy about it.
(agar pandit jii dakshinaa n len, to yajmaan ko achchhaa nahiin lagtaa।)
एकलव्य ने गुरु द्रोणाचार्य को गुरु दक्षिणा में अपना अंगूठा दे दिया।
Eklavya gave his thumb to Guru Dronacharya as his teacher's tribute.
(eklavy ne guru dronaachaary ko guru dakshinaa men apnaa angoothaa de diyaa।)
यदि उस समय दक्षिणा दी जाती, तो पंडित जी और खुश होते।
If the offering had been given at that time, the pandit would have been even happier.
(yadi us samay dakshinaa dii jaatii, to pandit jii aur khush hote।)
समारोह में गुरुजी को दक्षिणा के रूप में एक शॉल भेंट की गई।
At the ceremony, a shawl was presented to the guru as a ceremonial tribute.
(samaaroh men gurujii ko dakshinaa ke roop men ek shol bhent kii gaii।)
बेटा, जाकर पंडित जी को दक्षिणा दे आओ।
Son, go give the priest his offering.
(betaa, jaakar pandit jii ko dakshinaa de aao।)
शायद पंडित जी थोड़ी ज़्यादा दक्षिणा की उम्मीद कर रहे हों।
Perhaps the pandit is expecting a somewhat larger offering.
(shaayad pandit jii thodii zyaadaa dakshinaa kii ummiid kar rahe hon।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
दक्षिणा
(dakshinaa)
(sg.f.oblique):
दक्षिणा
(dakshinaa)
(pl.f.direct):
दक्षिणाएँ
(dakshinaaen)
(pl.f.oblique):
दक्षिणाओं
(dakshinaaon)