Namaste

Origin

Namaste is derived from Sanskrit and is a combination of two words, "Namaḥ" and "te." Namaḥ means 'bow,' 'obeisance,' 'reverential salutation' or 'adoration' and te means 'to you' (dative case of 'you'). Therefore, Namaste literally means "bow to you," translated as "I bow to you."'Namaskar' is derived from Sanskrit and is a combination of the two words, "Namaḥ" and "kaar." As noted above, "Namaḥ" is a salutation. "Kaar" means 'form' or 'shape' and refers to the phenomenon that the other entity (person) presents. Thus, the older salutation essentially means "I salute [your] form," which implies an understanding that all beings in this existence are part of the surface phenomena of Maya and that beyond the surface, so to say, all beings are part of Brahman, or the One ultimate essence that underlies all.

Description

Namaskar/Namaskaram) is a common spoken valediction or salutation originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is a customary greeting when individuals meet, and a valediction upon their parting. A non-contact form of salutation is traditionally preferred in India and Nepal; Namaste is the most common form of such a salutation.

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. This gesture, called Añjali Mudrā or Pranamasana, can also be performed wordlessly and carries the same meaning.

As it is most commonly used, namaste is roughly equivalent to "greetings" or "good day," in English, implicitly with the connotation "to be well". As opposed to shaking hands, kissing or embracing each other in other cultures, Namaste is a non-contact form of respectful greeting and can be used universally while meeting a person of different gender, age or social status.

The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. In Sanskrit the word is namah + te = namaste (Devnagari/Hindi: नमः + ते = नमस्ते) which means “I bow to you” - my greetings, salutations or prostration to you. Namaskār (Devnagari/Hindi: नमस्कार) literally means "I bow to [your] form".