ਵਿਸ਼ਵਾਸ

Meaning

What does vishwas mean in Punjabi? Vishwas (ਵਿਸ਼ਵਾਸ) is the Punjabi word for trust, faith and belief. It is the quiet confidence you place in a person, a promise or Waheguru: the feeling that someone will keep their word, or that things will turn out right. Where bharosa is the trust you lean on day to day, vishwas is the deeper belief underneath it.

The word comes from Sanskrit viśvāsa, which means confidence, trust, reliance, faith and belief. Poetistic Dictionary lists vishvas as faith, trust and belief with a Sanskrit origin, and Wiktionary gives the same Sanskrit source for the word. In Punjabi the word keeps that full range: it can mean trusting a person, believing a promise, or holding faith in God.

How is vishwas different from bharosa?

Vishwas and bharosa are close cousins, and Punjabi speakers often use them side by side. Bharosa is the practical side: you put your bharosa in someone when you count on them to do something, like looking after your shop while you are away. Vishwas is the wider belief behind it: the feeling that a person is honest, that a promise is true, or that Waheguru is watching over you. You can have vishwas in an idea or a person you have never met; bharosa usually grows out of things you have seen someone do.

What does vishwas mean in Sikh life?

In Sikh life, vishwas often means faith in Waheguru and trust in the Guru's word. A Sikh keeps vishwas that honest living and remembering Waheguru lead to a good life, even when times are hard. The word also appears in everyday talk about people: saying you have vishwas in someone is one of the highest compliments in Punjabi, because it means you trust their character, not just their words.

How do you use vishwas in a sentence?

Vishwas usually appears with the verbs rakhna, to keep, and karna, to do: vishwas rakhna means to have faith or to trust, and vishwas karna means to believe or to place trust. You say 'mainu tuhade te vishwas hai' when you trust someone completely, and 'vishwas tutna' when that trust breaks. The examples below show the word in everyday Punjabi.