fortunate heredity; blessings passed down; rewards of virtue
Literary term for good fortune or blessings that flow from the virtue of ancestors to their descendants. Often contrasted with 余殃 (よおう), 'misfortune passed down'. Rare in everyday speech.
Antonyms: 余殃
It was believed that the fortunate heredity from ancestors' good deeds extends to their descendants.
misfortune from ancestral sins; retribution for forebears' misdeeds
From Chinese 餘慶／余庆 (yúqìng). The kanji 余 means 'surplus' or 'remaining', and 慶 means 'celebration' or 'blessing', together suggesting blessings that overflow to later generations.