ਸ਼ਾਂਤੀ

Shanti (ਸ਼ਾਂਤੀ) is the Punjabi word for peace or calm: a state in which noise, conflict and worry are absent. It describes both the world outside, like a village sleeping at night, and the world inside, the settled feeling people call man di shanti, peace of mind. It comes from the Sanskrit shanti and is used across Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu speech.

What does shanti mean?

Shanti is a noun meaning peace, calm or tranquillity. It is the opposite of disturbance: no shouting, no fighting, no restlessness. A room is shant when it is quiet, and a person's mind is shant when it is settled. The word covers the whole spectrum, from a silent morning to the deep calm people reach in prayer.

Is shanti the same as aman?

Aman (ਅਮਨ) is the other Punjabi word for peace, and the two are close but not identical. Aman is about the absence of conflict, like two sides at peace with each other; it came into Punjabi through Urdu. Shanti is about the absence of disturbance, calm and stillness, and it comes from Sanskrit. In daily speech the difference is small: shanti rakho means stay calm and keep the peace. A quiet morning has shanti, while two neighbours living without quarrel have aman.

How do Punjabis use shanti?

The most loved phrase is man di shanti, peace of mind, the thing people wish for when life gets noisy. Shanti naal means calmly, as in shanti naal socho, think calmly. In farewells and blessings people say shanti naal jao, go in peace. And when trouble passes, elders say shanti ban gayi, peace has been restored. It is a word used as easily at home as in a prayer hall.