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Woman performing namaste gesture.
Woman performing namaste gesture.

Namasté or Namaskar (Sanskrit: नमस्ते [nʌmʌsˈteː] from internal sandhi between namaḥ and te) is a common spoken greeting or salutation in the Indian subcontinent. Sandhi ( Sanskrit saṃdhi sa संधि "joining" is a cover term for a wide variety of phonological processes that occur at Morpheme This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia For geopolitical treatments see South Asia. Namaskar is considered a slightly more formal version than Namaste but both express deep respect. It is commonly used in India and Nepal by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists, and many continue to use this outside the Indian subcontinent. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists. Historical Buddhist thinkers and founders of schools Individuals are grouped by nationality except in cases where the In Indian and Nepali culture, the word is spoken at the beginning of written or verbal communication. However, the same hands folded gesture is made wordlessly upon departure. In yoga, namaste is said to mean " I am your humble servant" which you say to your instructor.

Taken literally, it means "I bow to you". The word is derived from Sanskrit (namas): to bow, obeisance, reverential salutation, and (te): "to you". Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical A salute (also called obeisance) is a Gesture (often Hand gesture) or other action used to display respect [1]

When spoken to another person, it is commonly accompanied by a slight bow made with hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointed upwards, in front of the chest. The gesture can also be performed wordlessly and carry the same meaning.

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Uses in South Asian culture

In everyday life, "namaste" is not necessarily considered a religious gesture by everyone. However, many believe it has a spiritual basis, in recognizing a common divinity within the other person. [2]

When greeting a peer, a "namaste" with hands in front of chest and a slight bow is considered polite. To indicate deep respect, one may place the hands in front of the forehead, and reverence for a god or the holiest of persons may be indicated by placing the hands completely above the head. [2]

Namaste is also used as a friendly greeting in written communication, or generally between people when they meet.

In some parts of India (for example, Punjabi-speaking areas), Namaste is used not only to greet Hindus but everyone. Punjabi (pa ਪੰਜਾਬੀ in Gurmukhi script pa-PK {{Nastaliq پنجابی}} in Shahmukhi script Pañjābī in Transliteration) is an A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical The proper greetings for Muslims are Assalamu Alaikum and for Sikhs Sat Sri Akaal respectively. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion As-Salāmu `Alaykum ( ar السلام عليكم) is an Arabic Spoken greeting used by Muslims as well as non-Muslim Arabic speakers Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. Sat Sri Akaal (ਸਤਿ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ sati śrī akāla) is a Punjabi Sikh greeting ( Sat = truth Sri = conquers But namaste is accepted in India by Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians (in fact all religions).

However in Sri Lanka, this usually has a somewhat different meaning. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island The gesture is used to greet (as well as a parting remark) people with the verbal "Aayubowan", hence it's called Aayubowan. Aayubowan roughly means 'may you live long'. When used at funerals to greet the guests, the verbal part is usually omitted. The aayubowan gesture is also a cultural symbol of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan hospitality. This is also the means used by Sri Lankan air hostesses to greet passengers, and used in other hospitality settings. When the gesture is performed with hands in front of the chest it is usually considered as aayubowan. When hand position is higher it usually means reverence and/or worship. The higher the hands, or the expression with hands placed on top of one's head, is usually the sign of utmost reverence or respect.

Symbolism in Hinduism

A sadhu performing namaste in Madurai, India.
A sadhu performing namaste in Madurai, India. In Hinduism, sadhu is a common term for an Ascetic or practitioner of Yoga ( Yogi) who has given up pursuit of the first three Madurai

The gesture used when bowing in Namaste or gassho is the bringing of both hands together, palms touching, in front of the person—usually at the chest, or a higher level such as below the chin, below the nose, or above the head. Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term

This gesture is a mudra, a well-recognized symbolic hand position in eastern religions. A mudrā ( Sanskrit: मुद्रा lit "seal" is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. One hand represents the higher, spiritual nature, while the other represents the worldly self. By combining the two, the person making the gesture is attempting to rise above his differences with others, and connect himself with the person to whom he bows. The bow is symbolic of love and respect.

Particularly in Hinduism, when one worships or bows in reverence, the symbolism of the two palms touching is of great significance. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It is the joining together of two extremities—the feet of the Divine, with the head of the devotee. The right palm denotes the feet of the Divine and the left palm denotes the head of the devotee. The Divine feet constitute the ultimate solace for all sorrows—this is a time-honored thought that runs through the entire religious ethos.

Meanings in global culture

Namaste is one of the few Sanskrit words commonly recognized by Non-Hindi speakers. This is a list of English words of Sanskrit origin Many of these words were not directly borrowed from Sanskrit In the West, it is often used to indicate South Asian culture in general. "Namaste" is particularly associated with aspects of South Asian culture such as vegetarianism, yoga, ayurvedic healing, and Hinduism. Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes Meat (including game and slaughter by-products Fish (including Shellfish and other sea Yoga ( Sanskrit: योग, IAST: yóga, joːgə refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India, to the Ayurveda ( Devanāgarī: आयुर्वॆद the 'science of life' is a system of Traditional medicine native to India, and practiced in other Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent.

In recent times, and more globally, the term "namaste" has come to be especially associated with yoga and spiritual meditation all over the world. In this context, it has been viewed in terms of a multitude of very complicated and poetic meanings which tie in with the spiritual origins of the word. Some examples:

References

  1. ^ Oxford English Dictionary, Draft Revision June 2003.
  2. ^ a b Sivasiva Palani (November 1991). "Never Shake Hands With God". Hinduism Today.  
  3. ^ Yoga Heals Us (2007). Yoga Philosophyy - Namaste. Yoga Heals Us. Retrieved on November 10, 2007.
  4. ^ Dass, Ram (1976). Grist For The Mill. Unity Press.  
  5. ^ TEDTalks (2005). Rev. Tom Honey: How could God have allowed the tsunami?. Video Podcast. TED Conferences. Retrieved on November 10, 2007.
  6. ^ Finnegan, Dave (1993). Zen of Juggling. Jugglebug. ISBN 9780961552152.  

Further reading

See also

External links

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