Indians greet each other with “Namaste”. This welcoming is for all – people younger than us, of our own age, those older than us, friends and even strangers. There are five forms of formal traditional greeting enjoined in the shaastras of which “Namaskaaram” is one. It refers to paying homage as we do today when we greet each other with a namaste.
Namaste could be just a casual or formal greeting, a cultural principle or an act of worship. However there is much more to it than meets the eye. In Sanskrit “Namaha” literally is interpreted as ‘na ma” (not mine). It has a spiritual connotation of reducing one’s ego in the presence of another. The real meeting between people is the meeting of their minds. When we greet another, we do so with namaste, which means “may our minds meet”, it’s a form of extending love and humility. The spiritual meaning is even deeper. The life force, the holiness, the self or the lord in me is the same in all. Recognizing this oneness we salute the holiness in the person we meet. The gesture is often accompanied by words like “Ram Ram”; “Jai Shri Krishnna” ; “Hari Om” etc….indicating the recognition of this holiness.
When we know this significance; our greeting does not remain just a superficial gesture or word but paves the way for a deeper spiritual union with another in an atmosphere of love and respect.
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