Shradhanjali messages: condolence words in English and Hindi
Gentle shradhanjali and condolence messages in English and Hindi for a parent, friend or colleague, for WhatsApp, a card, a prayer meeting or a barsi.
A shradhanjali (shraddhanjali) message is a short tribute offered when someone has died: a few words of respect for the person, a prayer for their peace, and comfort for the family. The simplest is "Bhavpurna shraddhanjali. May their soul rest in peace. Om Shanti." Below are messages you can send or say for a parent, grandparent, friend, colleague or young person, in English and Hindi, for WhatsApp, a card, a prayer meeting or a first death anniversary.
Shraddhanjali means "an offering of respect"; bhavpurna means "from the heart". You do not need perfect words. A short, sincere message is always enough. Use the person's name where it says name.
How to write a shradhanjali message
- Name the person, with ji if they were older: "Sharma uncle", "name ji".
- Say one true thing about them: their kindness, their laugh, how they helped you.
- Offer a prayer for their peace: "May God give their soul peace", "Om Shanti".
- Hold the family: "Thinking of you", "I am here if you need anything."
Keep it short. A grieving family reads many messages; three warm lines mean more than a long one.
Short messages for WhatsApp
Bhavpurna shraddhanjali. May name's soul rest in peace. Om Shanti.
भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजलि। ईश्वर दिवंगत आत्मा को शांति दें। ॐ शांति।
Deeply saddened to hear about name. My prayers are with you and the whole family.
नाम जी के निधन का समाचार सुनकर बहुत दुख हुआ। मेरी प्रार्थनाएँ आपके और पूरे परिवार के साथ हैं।
There are no words for this. I am here for you, whenever you need me.
कहने को शब्द नहीं हैं। जब भी ज़रूरत हो, मैं आपके साथ हूँ।
May God give your family the strength to bear this loss.
ईश्वर आपके परिवार को यह दुख सहने की शक्ति दें।
For a parent
When a friend has lost their father:
Your father was a man of quiet strength and kindness, and so many people were helped by him. My heartfelt condolences to you and the family.
आपके पिताजी बहुत सरल और नेक इंसान थे। उनकी कमी हमेशा महसूस होगी। भगवान उनकी आत्मा को शांति दें।
When a friend has lost their mother:
A mother's love does not leave us. It stays in everything she taught you. Praying for her peace, and for your strength.
माँ का प्यार कभी नहीं जाता, वो उनकी हर सीख में हमारे साथ रहता है। माँ जी को भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजलि।
For your own parent, to share with family and friends:
Papa, everything you taught us is the path we will walk. We will miss you every day. Om Shanti.
पापा, आपने जो सिखाया, वही हमारा रास्ता रहेगा। आपकी कमी हर दिन खलेगी। ॐ शांति।
For a grandparent
Dadi ji lived a full life and gave all of us so much love. May she rest in peace, and may her blessings stay with the family always.
दादी जी ने भरपूर जीवन जिया और सबको बहुत प्यार दिया। उनका आशीर्वाद हमेशा परिवार पर बना रहे।
Nanaji's stories and his laughter will stay with us forever. Bhavpurna shraddhanjali.
नानाजी की कहानियाँ और उनकी हँसी हमेशा हमारे साथ रहेंगी। भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजलि।
For a friend
To a friend you have lost:
I still can't believe you are gone. Thank you for every laugh and every long talk. I will miss you, my friend. Om Shanti.
यकीन नहीं होता कि तुम अब हमारे बीच नहीं हो। हर हँसी और हर बात के लिए शुक्रिया, दोस्त। बहुत याद आओगे।
To your friend's family:
name was one of the kindest people I knew. I am so sorry. Please tell me if there is anything at all I can do.
For a colleague
From the office, to the family:
We are deeply saddened by the passing of name. A respected colleague and a kind presence, name will be missed by all of us. Our thoughts are with the family.
नाम जी के निधन से पूरा दफ़्तर दुखी है। वे एक सम्मानित सहकर्मी और बहुत अच्छे इंसान थे। ईश्वर परिवार को यह दुख सहने की शक्ति दें।
To a colleague who has lost someone:
I am very sorry about your loss. Please take all the time you need; we will look after things here.
For a young person
name had so much light and so much life ahead. There are no words for a loss like this. We are holding your family in our prayers.
इतनी कम उम्र में नाम का जाना असहनीय है। कोई भी शब्द इस दुख को कम नहीं कर सकते। हम सब आपके परिवार के लिए प्रार्थना कर रहे हैं।
When a young person dies, parents often find it hard to read even kind words. Keep it brief, avoid explanations, and simply say you are there.
For a card or flowers
- With deepest sympathy. May the memories you share bring you comfort in the days ahead.
- In loving memory of name. Their kindness lives on in all of us.
- उनकी अच्छाई हम सबके दिलों में हमेशा रहेगी। विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि।
At a prayer meeting: uthala, chautha or terahvi
Families hold a prayer meeting a few days after a death: the uthala or chautha (often on the third or fourth day) in many North Indian and Punjabi families, the terahvi on the thirteenth day in others, a path of the Gita, Ramayana or Gurbani, kirtan, or simply silence. Names and customs differ; follow the family's lead.
If you are asked to speak, a minute is enough:
We are here to remember name. What I will always remember is how [one memory]. May God give name peace, and give this family strength. Om Shanti.
हम सब यहाँ नाम जी को याद करने के लिए इकट्ठा हुए हैं। मुझे हमेशा याद रहेगा कि वे [एक याद]। ईश्वर उनकी आत्मा को शांति दें और परिवार को हिम्मत दें। ॐ शांति।
If you are not speaking, you do not need to say anything. Fold your hands, sit with the family for a while, and if you speak to them, "bahut dukh hua" (I am so sorry) is enough.
For the first death anniversary (barsi)
A year has passed, and not a day without missing you. Remembering you today with love. Om Shanti.
एक साल बीत गया, पर एक भी दिन ऐसा नहीं गया जब आपकी याद न आई हो। पहली बरसी पर भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजलि।
To the family:
Thinking of you all on name's first barsi. They are remembered with so much love.
Replying to condolence messages
Thank you for your kind words and prayers. They mean a great deal to our family right now.
आपके संवेदना संदेश और प्रार्थनाओं के लिए दिल से धन्यवाद। इस समय आपका साथ हमारे लिए बहुत मायने रखता है।
Sanskrit lines traditionally said
These lines are often said at the end of a message, at a prayer meeting, or quietly at home.
Om Shanti
ॐ शान्ति शान्ति शान्तिः Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi
"Let there be peace, peace, peace." Said three times, for peace within, around us and beyond. It is the most common close to a shradhanjali message. Listen on Mahakatha.
Asato Ma Sadgamaya
असतो मा सद्गमय। तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय। मृत्योर्मा अमृतम्गमय। ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥ Asato Ma Sadgamaya, Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya, Mrityor Ma Amritamgamaya, Om Shaanti Shaanti Shaantihi
"Lead us from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality. Peace, peace, peace." From the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, often recited at prayer meetings. Listen on Mahakatha.
From the Bhagavad Gita (2.22)
वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि। तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णान्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही॥ Vasamsi Jirnani Yatha Vihaya, Navani Grihnati Naro'parani, Tatha Sharirani Vihaya Jirnany, Anyani Samyati Navani Dehi
"As a person puts off worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, so the soul puts off worn-out bodies and takes on new ones." Krishna's words to Arjuna, often read at prayer meetings as a reminder of the tradition's teaching that the soul is not lost.
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
"I bow to the One who lives in all beings." Many families chant it in the days after a death, asking that their loved one be held in peace. Listen on Mahakatha.
A gentle note on what to avoid
Try not to explain the loss ("it was God's will", "everything happens for a reason") or compare it with your own. Avoid forwarding long images or quotes in place of your own words. And if you did not know what to say at the time, it is never too late to send a message; families remember who reached out.
Remember them on air
If you would like to do something more for someone you have lost:
- Have a prayer in memory read aloud on Mahakatha Radio. Offer a prayer from ₹251 or $7. It is written gently into a short prayer, read aloud during Prayer Requests at 7:00 am or 7:00 pm India time, and followed by a mantra chosen for the person you are remembering. We email you when it airs, so the family can listen together. Offer a prayer
- Add it to the prayer wall for free. A line such as "In loving memory of Maa, always with us" goes on the prayer wall, where other listeners hold it with you.
For prayers and mantras to say at home, see prayer for a departed soul. Mahakatha Radio plays mantras day and night, free and without ads: listen live.
Questions people ask
How do you say shradhanjali?
You don't wish shradhanjali; you offer it. Say or write "Bhavpurna shraddhanjali" (heartfelt tribute), followed by the person's name and a prayer such as "May their soul rest in peace. Om Shanti."
What is the best condolence message for someone who lost their mother?
Something short and warm: "A mother's love does not leave us. It stays in everything she taught you. Praying for her peace and your strength." Add a memory of her if you have one.
How do I write a message when someone has passed away?
Name the person, say one true thing about them, offer a prayer for their peace, and tell the family you are there for them. Three or four lines are enough.
What is a good RIP message?
"Rest in peace, name. Thank you for the love and kindness you gave us all. Om Shanti." In Hindi: "ईश्वर उनकी आत्मा को शांति दें। भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजलि।"
What does Om Shanti mean in a condolence message?
Om Shanti means "Om, peace". Said three times, it is a prayer for peace for the person who has died and for everyone who grieves.