Say जन्मदिनस्य शुभाशयाः (Janmadinasya shubhashayah). It means "good wishes on your birthday", and it is the everyday greeting in spoken Sanskrit. This page has 45 birthday wishes in Sanskrit, each in Devanagari and in Roman letters you can read aloud, with the meaning in plain English.
Some are modern lines for cards. The rest are traditional blessings and verses, checked against published texts, with the source named wherever one is known.
How to say happy birthday in Sanskrit
Literally, शुभाशयाः (shubhashayah) means "good intentions". Greetings use the word in the plural, which is why it ends in ाः.
- जन्मदिनस्य शुभाशयाः। (Janmadinasya shubhashayah.) Meaning: Good wishes on your birthday. The everyday one, as good on a card as over the phone.
- शुभं जन्मदिनम्। (Shubham janmadinam.) Meaning: Happy birthday, word for word "a good birthday". The easiest to say over the candles.
- जन्मदिनस्य हार्दिकाः शुभाशयाः। (Janmadinasya hardikah shubhashayah.) Meaning: Heartfelt good wishes on your birthday. हार्दिक (hardika) is from हृद्, the heart. Good for a teacher's card, stiff said aloud to a friend.
- जन्मदिनशुभाशयाः। (Janmadinashubhashayah.) Meaning: Birthday wishes, as one word. Neat on a small card, a mouthful to say.
Hindi's शुभकामनाएँ becomes शुभकामनाः (shubhakamanah) in Sanskrit, with the visarga at the end.
Short birthday wishes in Sanskrit for a card or message
On a gift tag or under a photo, one of these modern birthday wishes in Sanskrit is enough. None of them comes from scripture. तव (tava) and ते (te) both mean "your", but ते never opens a sentence. Our birthday wishes collection has English lines to pair with them.
- सदा तव मुखे स्मितं भवतु। (Sada tava mukhe smitam bhavatu.) Meaning: A smile on your face, always.
- नूतनं वर्षं ते गुड इव मधुरं भवतु। (Nutanam varsham te guda iva madhuram bhavatu.) Meaning: May your new year be as sweet as jaggery. गुड (guda) is gur.
- सर्वे तव मनोरथाः सिध्यन्तु। (Sarve tava manorathah sidhyantu.) Meaning: May every wish you've made come true.
- मित्राणि सदा तव समीपे भवन्तु। (Mitrani sada tava samipe bhavantu.) Meaning: Let your friends always be close by.
- बहु हस, अल्पं चिन्तय। (Bahu hasa, alpam chintaya.) Meaning: Laugh a lot, worry a little.
- दीप इव तव जीवनं प्रकाशताम्। (Dipa iva tava jivanam prakashatam.) Meaning: Let your life glow like a diya.
- गृहे ते सदा सङ्गीतं भवतु। (Grihe te sada sangitam bhavatu.) Meaning: May there always be music in your house.
- उत्सवं कुरु, मिष्टान्नं खाद। (Utsavam kuru, mishtannam khada.) Meaning: Celebrate, and eat the sweets. Bossy, so save it for a friend.
- प्रतिदिनं ते प्रभातं शुभं भवतु। (Pratidinam te prabhatam shubham bhavatu.) Meaning: A good start to every morning.
- अस्मिन् वर्षे नूतनं नगरं पश्य। (Asmin varshe nutanam nagaram pashya.) Meaning: See a new city this year.
Blessings for a long life, and who says them
भव (bhava) means "be", and it is what turns most of these lines into blessings. Blessings go from older to younger, so a grandchild doesn't say आयुष्मान् भव to a grandfather. For an elder, use the polite lines in the parents' list, or our 70th birthday wishes for a grandparent turning seventy.
- आयुष्मान् भव। (Ayushman bhava.) Meaning: May you live long. Grandparents say it as a grandson touches their feet on his birthday morning. For a girl, आयुष्मती भव (Ayushmati bhava).
- दीर्घायुर्भव। (Dirghayur bhava.) Meaning: Have a long life. दीर्घ (dirgha) is long, आयुः (ayuh) is life, and the visarga becomes र् before भव. Same for a girl.
- शतायुर्भव। (Shatayur bhava.) Meaning: Live a hundred years, often said with a hand on the child's head. Same for a girl.
- चिरञ्जीवी भव। (Chiranjivi bhava.) Meaning: Live for a very long time. For a girl, चिरञ्जीविनी भव (Chiranjivini bhava).
- यशस्वी भव। (Yashasvi bhava.) Meaning: May you do well and be known for it. A teacher's line for a student's diary. For a girl, यशस्विनी भव (Yashasvini bhava).
- सुखी भव। (Sukhi bhava.) Meaning: Be happy. Short enough to say while tying the red puja thread on a wrist. For a girl, सुखिनी भव (Sukhini bhava).
- कल्याणमस्तु। (Kalyanam astu.) Meaning: May good things come to you. One form fits everyone, and it closes a handwritten card well.
Parents can pair these with a line from our birthday wishes for son.
Verses from the Vedas
These are the oldest lines here, and they are scripture, so quote them exactly. If one is too long for the card, pick a shorter verse.
शरदः (sharadah) means autumns and शतम् (shatam) a hundred; Vedic poets counted years in autumns. Before you read aloud, a note on pronunciation: the ऋ in शृणुयाम is a vowel, said "ri" in the north and nearer "ru" in Maharashtra and parts of the south.
- पश्येम शरदः शतम्।
जीवेम शरदः शतम्।
बुध्येम शरदः शतम्।
रोहेम शरदः शतम्।
पूषेम शरदः शतम्।
भवेम शरदः शतम्।
भूषेम शरदः शतम्।
भूयसीः शरदः शतम्॥
(Pashyema sharadah shatam. Jivema sharadah shatam. Budhyema sharadah shatam. Rohema sharadah shatam. Pushema sharadah shatam. Bhavema sharadah shatam. Bhushema sharadah shatam. Bhuyasih sharadah shatam.)
Meaning: May we see a hundred autumns and live a hundred, and understand, grow, thrive and flourish through a hundred, and more. Atharvaveda 19.67 in the Shaunaka text; some editions read भूयेम (bhuyema) in line seven and शतात् (shatat) at the end. - तच्चक्षुर्देवहितं पुरस्ताच्छुक्रमुच्चरत्।
पश्येम शरदः शतं जीवेम शरदः शतं
शृणुयाम शरदः शतं प्रब्रवाम शरदः शतमदीनाः
स्याम शरदः शतं भूयश्च शरदः शतात्॥
(Tachchakshur devahitam purastach chhukram uchcharat. Pashyema sharadah shatam, jivema sharadah shatam, shrinuyama sharadah shatam, prabravama sharadah shatam adinah syama sharadah shatam, bhuyash cha sharadah shatat.)
Meaning: That bright eye, set there by the gods, rises in the east. For a hundred autumns may we see it and live, hear and speak, never helpless, and longer still. The eye is the sun. Shukla Yajurveda 36.24. - भद्रं कर्णेभिः शृणुयाम देवा भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः।
स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवांसस्तनूभिर्व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः॥
(Bhadram karnebhih shrinuyama deva bhadram pashyemakshabhir yajatrah. Sthirair angais tushtuvansas tanubhir vyashema devahitam yad ayuh.)
Meaning: Gods, may our ears hear good things and our eyes see good things. Praising you with steady limbs, may we live the span the gods have set. Rigveda 1.89.8, also the first verse of the opening prayer of the Mundaka Upanishad. - तच्चक्षुर्देवहितं शुक्रमुच्चरत्।
पश्येम शरदः शतं जीवेम शरदः शतम्॥
(Tachchakshur devahitam shukram uchcharat. Pashyema sharadah shatam jivema sharadah shatam.)
Meaning: That bright eye, set there by the gods, is rising. May we see a hundred autumns, and live a hundred. Rigveda 7.66.16, a shorter and older form of the same prayer, small enough for a gift tag. - शतं जीव शरदो वर्धमानः शतं हेमन्ताञ्छतमु वसन्तान्।
शतमिन्द्राग्नी सविता बृहस्पतिः शतायुषा हविषेमं पुनर्दुः॥
(Shatam jiva sharado vardhamanah shatam hemantan chhatam u vasantan. Shatam indragni savita brihaspatih shatayusha havishemam punar duh.)
Meaning: Live a hundred autumns, growing, a hundred winters and a hundred springs. With an offering for a hundred years of life, Indra and Agni, Savitar and Brihaspati have given him back for a hundred years. Rigveda 10.161.4, from a hymn for someone who was ill. Its first four words work alone as a wish.
Shlokas for everyone's wellbeing
If your family does a small puja or havan on birthdays, these suit the end, when everyone says them together. The first has no known source text, so call it a traditional prayer.
- सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत्॥
(Sarve bhavantu sukhinah, sarve santu niramayah. Sarve bhadrani pashyantu, ma kashchid duhkhabhag bhavet.)
Meaning: May everyone be happy and free from illness. May everyone see good things, and may no one have to carry sorrow. A traditional prayer. - असतो मा सद्गमय।
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय।
मृत्योर्माऽमृतं गमय।
(Asato ma sadgamaya. Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya. Mrityor mamritam gamaya.)
Meaning: Lead me from the unreal to the real, and from darkness to light. From death, lead me to what does not die. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28. Some prayer books print the last line as मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय (mrityor ma amritam gamaya). - मित्रस्य मा चक्षुषा सर्वाणि भूतानि समीक्षन्ताम्।
मित्रस्याहं चक्षुषा सर्वाणि भूतानि समीक्षे।
मित्रस्य चक्षुषा समीक्षामहे॥
(Mitrasya ma chakshusha sarvani bhutani samikshantam. Mitrasyaham chakshusha sarvani bhutani samikshe. Mitrasya chakshusha samikshamahe.)
Meaning: May all beings look at me with a friend's eye. I look at them the same way, and so we look at one another. Shukla Yajurveda 36.18, after its opening words दृते दृंह मा (drite drimha ma), "make me strong". For a friend's birthday it beats any modern line. - ॐ सह नाववतु। सह नौ भुनक्तु। सह वीर्यं करवावहै।
तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥
(Om saha navavatu. Saha nau bhunaktu. Saha viryam karavavahai. Tejasvi navadhitam astu ma vidvishavahai. Om shantih shantih shantih.)
Meaning: May we be protected and nourished together, teacher and student, and work hard together. May our study shine, and may we never turn against each other. Om, peace, peace, peace. It opens two parts of the Taittiriya Upanishad; a class can say it on a teacher's birthday.
When it's a parent, a teacher or a friend
Sanskrit gives you two ways to say "you". त्वम् (tvam), with तव (tava) for "your", is familiar, the way you'd speak to a friend or to God. भवान् (bhavan) for a man and भवती (bhavati) for a woman are polite and take the verb like "he" or "she". Use भवान् or भवती for a teacher, because a Sanskrit teacher will spot a त्वम् before the cake is cut. Every line here is modern.
For parents
- मम प्रथमो गुरुस्त्वमेव। (Mama prathamo gurus tvameva.) Meaning: You are my first teacher. It works for either parent.
- अद्य पायसं मया पक्वम्। (Adya payasam maya pakvam.) Meaning: Today I made the kheer. पायसम् (payasam) is the old word for it.
- तव हस्तयोरेलाया गन्धः। (Tava hastayor elaya gandhah.) Meaning: Your hands smell of cardamom. हस्तयोः (hastayoh) means "in both hands", because Sanskrit counts a pair as a pair.
- शतं वर्षाणि जीवतु भवान्। (Shatam varshani jivatu bhavan.) Meaning: May you live a hundred years, said politely. For a mother, end with भवती (bhavati).
- भवत्याः स्वास्थ्यं सदा शोभनं भवतु। (Bhavatyah svasthyam sada shobhanam bhavatu.) Meaning: Good health to you, always. For a father, use भवतः (bhavatah).
For a teacher
- गणितं भवतः कृपया सरलं जातम्। (Ganitam bhavatah kripaya saralam jatam.) Meaning: Maths became easy because of you. For a woman teacher, write भवत्याः (bhavatyah) for भवतः in these lines.
- भवतः कक्षा मम प्रियतमा। (Bhavatah kaksha mama priyatama.) Meaning: Yours is my favourite class.
- सदा भवतः पुस्तकालये नूतनानि पुस्तकानि भवन्तु। (Sada bhavatah pustakalaye nutanani pustakani bhavantu.) Meaning: May there always be new books in your library.
- गृहकार्यं श्वो दास्यामि, अद्य तु शुभाशयाः। (Grihakaryam shvo dasyami, adya tu shubhashayah.) Meaning: I'll hand in the homework tomorrow. Today, just good wishes. Only for a teacher with a sense of humour.
For a friend
- अद्य तव दिनम्, श्वः पुनर्मम। (Adya tava dinam, shvah punar mama.) Meaning: Today is your day. Tomorrow it's mine again.
- एकं मोदकं मह्यमपि देहि। (Ekam modakam mahyamapi dehi.) Meaning: Give me one laddoo too. मोदक (modaka) is the old word for a round sweet.
- वर्षाणि गच्छन्ति, त्वं तु न परिवर्तसे। (Varshani gachchhanti, tvam tu na parivartase.) Meaning: The years go by, and you never change.
- मम सर्वाणि रहस्यानि त्वं जानासि, तथापि मित्रमसि। (Mama sarvani rahasyani tvam janasi, tathapi mitramasi.) Meaning: You know all my secrets, and you're still my friend.
- आवयोर्मैत्री शतं वर्षाणि तिष्ठतु। (Avayor maitri shatam varshani tishthatu.) Meaning: May our friendship last a hundred years. आवयोः (avayoh) is "of us two", so it's for one friend.
- दूरभाषेऽपि तव हासः श्रूयते। (Durabhashepi tava hasah shruyate.) Meaning: Even over the phone, your laugh comes through. दूरभाष (durabhasha), "far-speech", is a telephone; send it to a friend in another city.
Getting the visarga and halant right
Two small marks cause most mistakes. The visarga (ः) ending शुभाशयाः is a breath with a faint echo of the vowel, close to "shubhashayaha". The halant (्) under the न of आयुष्मान् means the word ends on the n, "ayushmaan".
Type the lines yourself. Devanagari copied from an image or a PDF comes apart, with the ि sign on the wrong letter or a half letter missing. On a phone, add a Hindi keyboard that takes Roman letters (Gboard has one) and type the spelling. It suggests the Devanagari, though a Sanskrit word Hindi doesn't use may need a letter fixed by hand. Then check the end of शुभाशयाः. A colon (:) looks almost like ः but is a different character.
Sending a Sanskrit wish in a HeartCraft card
The letter is the best place for a Sanskrit line in a HeartCraft birthday card. Balloons and candles come first on their screen. The cake gets cut after that, and only then do your photos and letter appear, so the verse arrives once the noise is over.
For a grandparent, the Classic design is calm, with a night sky. Put the Devanagari first and the Roman line under it, and check every matra in the preview before you pay. Its QR code can go on a paper card too.
Frequently asked questions
Is "Janmadin shubhechha" Sanskrit?
Not quite. Both words are Sanskrit, but without a case ending the pair is a modern Indian-language greeting. In Sanskrit, write जन्मदिनस्य शुभेच्छाः (Janmadinasya shubhechchhah).
How do you reply to a Sanskrit birthday wish?
A plain धन्यवादः (Dhanyavadah), thank you, is enough. If an elder blesses you with आयुष्मान् भव, fold your hands and answer प्रणामः (Pranamah), "my respects".
What is the Sanskrit word for birthday?
It's जन्मदिनम् (janmadinam), and जन्मदिवसः (janmadivasah) means the same; both join जन्म (janma), birth, to a word for day.
Is there a Sanskrit birthday song?
Yes. Many schools and Sanskrit classes sing जन्मदिनमिदम् अयि प्रिय सखे (Janmadinamidam ayi priya sakhe), a modern song by Swami Tejomayananda. Its words belong to its author, so they aren't printed here.