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We Indians respect and value the blessings that our elders bestow upon us. We automatically revere our elders for being a repository of wisdom and good judgement; and cherish their blessings which are accorded as a matter of course and have been over the ages. Though we always welcome our elder’s blessings, so many of the blessings we receive are somewhat amusing in the modern context, making one wonder how they came about:

Ayushman Bhava: This one is perhaps the most universal of blessings, where elders wish younger people a long life. Probably the unspoken but accepted part of this blessing is wishing the person not just a long life but a healthy and happy one as well. There is really no point in living a long life if one is not surrounded by dear ones who are caring and loving. There is also little point of a long life that is marred by infirmity and dependence of old age.

Saubhagyawati bhava or Suhagan Raho: This is a blessing oft given to women; married women, wishing them to always remain married. In effect this blessing is a covert way of telling the woman that she should die before her husband, so that the woman presumably does not have to deal with the grief of her husband passing away before her eyes. This however may be rather a practical blessing, seeing the grim fate that widows in India historically have had to endure and at many places in the country still have to endure. Also this is an indication of the mindset that a woman is complete only when seen in conjunction with a man as a life partner; that otherwise her life is lacking in some way.

Putrawati Bhava or Doodho Nahao Pooto Phalo: The former blessing, wishing that women would be the mother of sons should perhaps now change to ‘Putri’wati bhava, seeing the skewed sex ratio in the country where the number of boys far outnumbers girls. The second blessing, wishes the recipient bathes in milk; presumably indicating that the person should be prosperous enough to do so. So in that sense in a blessing wishing the person prosperity; but intertwined in that blessing is the wish again that that person should have sons (may you be fruitful with sons).

Well meaning as these blessings are, is it perhaps time that we tweaked them just a tad, to make them a little more modern and in line with current realities?