shanti

/ʃɑːnti/

Etymology

Transliteration of Sanskrit शान्ति (śānti, “calmness, peace, tranquillity; quietness, rest”), from शम् (śam, “to exert or fatigue oneself, toil at; to become tired, come to an end, finish, stop; to be calm, contented, quiet, or satisfied; to calm, pacify, settle, soothe”) (from Proto-Indo-European *ḱemh₂- (“to exert oneself, toil”)) + -ति (-ti, suffix denoting a state of being).

shanti means A call for peace, often recited three times as a prayer for peace of the soul. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 82 out of 100.

Why this word is great

SHANTI — [Interjection] A precise call for peace, often chanted three times to invoke tranquility of body, mind, and spirit. Its etymology is the transliteration of Sanskrit शान्ति (śānti, "calmness, peace, tranquillity"), from the root शम् (śam, "to be calm, to pacify") + the suffix -ति (-ti, denoting a state of being), with the root ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱemh₂- ("to exert oneself, toil"), framing peace as an active achievement, not a passive state. Unlike "tranquility," which suggests a passive, personal calm, or "ceasefire," a temporary halt in hostilities, *shanti* is an active, vocalized benediction for holistic harmony. It is the triple echo in the temple hall, the vibration of a bronze bowl hanging in incense-thick air, and the murmured thread connecting a circle of seated figures—a single syllable cast like a stone into the world’s din, creating concentric circles of quiet that widen until they dissolve.

intj

A call for peace, often recited three times as a prayer for peace of the soul.“[lines 431–432, page 49] Datta. Dayadhvam. Damyata. / Shantih shantih shantih […] [page 64, note 433] Shantih. Repeated as here, a formal ending to a Upanishad. "The Peace which passeth understanding" is a feeble translation of the content of this word.”

noun

Peace, tranquility.