One of the most endearing experiences that anyone who visits
India carries back with them is being greeted in the most recognizable Indian
phrase there is; Namaste. A form of greeting that is synonymous with this
country now, it involves bringing together your palms and slightly bowing, with
your thumbs pointing at you and the fingers pointing upwards.
But what is truly behind the meaning of
Namaste? To find out, one needs to look back into history when
ancient scriptures and methods of speech inspired everyday phrases. Derived
from olden Sankskrit words, the phrase stands for ‘The soul/spirit in me
recognizes/salutes the soul/spirit in you’.
Thus, it is believed that to offer namaskaram or namaskar is
to accept the fact that, beyond all of our differences, we are part of the same
consciousness and were created from the same power. In this sense, the greeting
is a call to the one offering it to be able to accept the other person as he or
she is, without passing judgement or assessment over anything. This is thought
to be important for success in any field as it appeals to us to absolve our
preconceptions, our biases and our tendency to categorize/stereotype people and
ideas due to past experiences. The idea here is to accept a person as they are
now, different from the past. This is the defining meaning of namaskar.
Why offering this greeting is also regarded scientifically
important, is because one’s palms have plenty of nerve endings that let them
‘talk’ for us, more than our mouths or eyes. The systems of mudras and asanas
in Indian culture allow our hands to communicate and set right the balance of
our bodies in ways that cannot be ascertained by generic science. Thus, the use
of one’s palms is thought to channelize energy in an attempt to give your
salutation and acknowledgement to the other person when offering this greeting.
Apart from its religious significance, this form of greeting
holds many other connotations in Indian culture. It indicates that politeness,
courtesy and hospitality must pass from one person to another. It is one of
several forms of ‘pranama’ and is also known as Pranamasana in Hinduism. Usable
for expressing gratitude or respect, while the world knows India through this
gesture, it has even been integrated in other parts of life. For instance,
every hostess on an India-bound flight or in the Indian hospitality sector
greets patrons in this manner.
Therefore, what may seem like a mere greeting actually
carries with it a world of historic beliefs encapsulated in it!
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