ਤਰਸ

Taras (ਤਰਸ) is the Punjabi word for pity, compassion and mercy: the soft feeling that rises when you see another person suffering, in pain, in trouble or left helpless. It does not stop at feeling sorry. Taras moves a person to help, to forgive, or to let go.

What does taras mean in Punjabi?

Taras means pity, compassion and mercy. Rekhta's dictionary gives exactly those three English words for taras, and its phrase taras khana, to eat taras, means to feel pity for someone, to be compassionate, and to show mercy to them. In Punjabi the feeling is just as often spoken with taras auna: taras aa gaya, pity came over me, the heart softened on seeing someone's state.

How is taras different from daya and reham?

Taras, daya and reham are close neighbours, and Rekhta lists daya and raham among the meanings of taras itself. In everyday use, taras is the spoken word for the moment pity strikes: a warm, human reaction. Daya leans toward kindness as a steady quality of character, and reham toward mercy shown by someone who has the power to punish or refuse. All three pull a person toward helping rather than hurting.

What does taras khana mean?

Taras khana means to feel pity for someone and show them mercy, and Rekhta gives that exact meaning: to pity, to be compassionate, to show mercy to. The khana, eating, is the same lively Punjabi habit seen in other feeling phrases: the feeling is taken in, and it changes what the person does next, from helping with food or money to forgiving a fault.

That is why taras sits close to the warm side of Punjabi life. A traveller, a hungry stranger or a neighbour in loss is first met with taras, and taras is what turns a bystander into help. Where irkha burns at another's good luck, taras softens at another's bad luck, and the two words together map how a Punjabi heart reacts to a neighbour's fortune, good or bad.