Wishesh magazine february 2018 Wishesh magazine february 2018 | Page 31

The Significance of
Namastay from
Indian Culture,
practised by Hindu’s
Namaste is an Indian gesture of greeting one another. Wherever
they are, when Hindus meet people, they know or strangers
with whom they want to initiate a conversation, “namaste” is
the customary courtesy greeting. It is often used as a salutation
to end an encounter as well.
Namaste is not a superficial
gesture or a mere word, it
is a way of showing respect
and that you are equal to one
another. It is used with all
people one meets, from young
and old to friends and strangers
Though it has its origins in
India, Namaste is now known
and used throughout the world.
Much of this has been due to its
use in yoga. Students will often
bow in respect to their teacher
and say “Namaste” at the end
of a class. In Japan, the gesture
is “Gassho” and used in similar
fashion, typically in prayer and
healing practice.
Because of its global
usage, Namaste has many
interpretations. In general,
the word tends to be defined
as some derivation of, “The
divine in me bows to the
divine in you.” This spiritual
connection comes from its
Indian roots.
Namaste According
to the Scriptures
Namaste—and its common
variants namaskar,
namaskaara, and
namaskaram—is one of the
various forms of formal
traditional greeting mentioned
in the Vedas. Although this
is normally understood to
mean prostration, it actually is
the means of paying homage
or showing respect to one
another. This is the practice
today when we greet each
other.
The Meaning of
Namaste
Namaste is derived from
Sanskrit word “namah + te
= namaste”. Namah means
‘bow’, ‘obeisance’, ‘reverential
salutation’ or ‘adoration’ and te
means ‘to you’ (dative case of
‘you’). It means -- I bow to you
-- my greetings, salutations or
prostration to you. Namaha
can also b e literally interpreted
as ‘na ma’ (not mine).
FEBRUARY 2018 | WWW.WISHESH.NET