अभिनन्दनम्
Congratulations in Sanskrit
The standard word is अभिनन्दनम् (Abhinandanam). Said alone, it works as a general exclamation — but Sanskrit usually attaches the specific reason for the congratulations grammatically, rather than leaving it implied the way English often does. Here's how to get that right for each occasion.
अभिनन्दनम्
abhinandanam
"Congratulations" or "felicitation" — from abhi (towards) + the root nand (to rejoice, delight in). A neuter noun, often used in its plural form abhinandanāni (अभिनन्दनानि) the way English "congratulations" itself is grammatically plural.
For emphasis, it's very commonly paired with हार्दिकम् (hārdikam), "hearty" or "cordial" — हार्दिकम् अभिनन्दनम् (hārdikam abhinandanam), "hearty congratulations," the most natural default when you don't need to specify a reason.
Congratulating someone for a specific reason
Sanskrit typically states what the congratulations is for using the dative case (roughly "for/toward X") before अभिनन्दनम्, rather than a separate preposition the way English uses "on" or "for."
| Occasion | Sanskrit / Devanagari | IAST | Meaning |
| General | हार्दिकम् अभिनन्दनम् | hārdikam abhinandanam | Hearty congratulations. |
| Achievement / success | सफलतायै अभिनन्दनम् | saphalatāyai abhinandanam | Congratulations on your success. |
| Promotion | पदोन्नत्यर्थम् अभिनन्दनानि | padonnatyartham abhinandanāni | Congratulations on your promotion (padonnati, "position-elevation"). |
| Graduation / degree | उपाधिप्राप्त्यर्थम् अभिनन्दनानि | upādhiprāptyartham abhinandanāni | Congratulations on obtaining your degree (upādhi, "degree/title"). |
| Award / prize | पुरस्कारप्राप्त्यर्थम् अभिनन्दनम् | puraskāraprāptyartham abhinandanam | Congratulations on receiving the award (puraskāra, "award/prize"). |
| Wedding | विवाहस्य अभिनन्दनानि | vivāhasya abhinandanāni | Congratulations on your marriage. |
| New beginning / venture | नूतनारम्भस्य शुभाशयाः | nūtanārambhasya śubhāśayāḥ | Good wishes for your new beginning (nūtana, "new" + ārambha, "beginning"). |
| Formal / public occasion | समारोहस्य अभिनन्दनानि | samārohasya abhinandanāni | Congratulations on the occasion/ceremony. |
Note the "new beginning" entry uses शुभाशयाः (good wishes), not अभिनन्दनम् — see why below.
Congratulations vs. good wishes — a real distinction
English uses "congratulations" fairly loosely, sometimes for things that haven't fully happened yet ("congratulations on the new job" said before day one). Sanskrit keeps these more separate. अभिनन्दनम् (abhinandanam) responds to something already achieved or completed — a result, a milestone reached. शुभकामना/शुभाशय (śubhakāmanā/śubhāśaya), "good wishes," look forward instead, toward something still ahead. That's why "new beginning" above takes शुभाशयाः rather than अभिनन्दनम् — a beginning, by definition, hasn't produced its result yet. For an ongoing venture or someone about to start something, good wishes are the grammatically honest choice; congratulations are for what's already been accomplished.
"Well done!" — Sadhu Sadhu
A related but distinct expression: साधु साधु (sādhu sādhu), literally "good, good" repeated — a classical exclamation of approval or praise, closer to "Bravo!" or "Well done!" than to a formal "congratulations." It's the kind of thing said in the moment, reacting to something just witnessed, rather than a considered congratulatory message. If you want the immediate, appreciative register rather than the formal one, साधु साधु fits better than अभिनन्दनम्.
Vardhapanam — congratulations tied to a recurring milestone
A second word worth knowing: वर्धापनम् (vardhāpanam), also meaning "congratulations," but carrying a specific association with anniversaries and recurring milestones — it's the root behind वर्धापनदिनम् (vardhāpanadinam), "day of celebration/anniversary." It's a reasonable alternative to अभिनन्दनम् for a wedding anniversary or a yearly milestone specifically, though अभिनन्दनम् remains correct and more broadly understood.
Common mistakes
Using अभिनन्दनम् for something not yet done
It's a response to a completed achievement. For anything forward-looking, use शुभकामनाः (good wishes) instead.
Leaving the reason unstated
Where English happily says just "congratulations," Sanskrit more naturally names what it's for — via the dative case or the connector अर्थम् (artham, "for the purpose of").
Treating साधु साधु as formal
It's an in-the-moment exclamation of approval, not a considered congratulatory message — register matters here.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say congratulations in Sanskrit?
The standard word is अभिनन्दनम् (abhinandanam). Alone, it works as a general exclamation; to congratulate for a specific reason, that reason is usually added in the dative case before it, as in सफलतायै अभिनन्दनम् (saphalatāyai abhinandanam), "congratulations on your success."
What's the difference between Abhinandanam and Shubhkamnah?
Abhinandanam (congratulations) responds to something already accomplished. Shubhkamnah / Shubhashayah (good wishes) look forward, toward something still ahead. They aren't interchangeable.
Is Sadhu Sadhu the same as congratulations?
Not exactly — साधु साधु (sādhu sādhu) means "Well done! Well done!," a classical exclamation of approval, closer to "Bravo!" than a formal congratulations. अभिनन्दनम् is the more direct equivalent of the English word.
How do you congratulate someone on a promotion in Sanskrit?
पदोन्नत्यर्थम् अभिनन्दनानि (padonnatyartham abhinandanāni) — literally "congratulations for the sake of position-elevation," using padonnati (promotion) plus the connector artham ("for the purpose of").
What's a good general Sanskrit congratulations message for a card?
हार्दिकम् अभिनन्दनम् (hārdikam abhinandanam), "hearty congratulations," is the safest general-purpose choice when you don't need to specify the exact occasion.