Namaste (pronounced /ˈnɑːməsθeɪ/, nah-məs-thay; Devanagari: नमस्ते; formal: 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 Namaste is the most common form of such a salutation. In Nepal, younger persons usually initiate the exchange with their elders. Initiating the exchange is seen as a sign of respect in other hierarchical settings.
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 Abhinandan,[1] Añjali Mudrā or Pranamasana, can also be performed wordlessly and carries the same meaning.
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Namaste is derived from Sanskrit and is a combination of two words, "Namo Aste". In detail, "Naman Astitva" means the recognition of one's existence by another person. In other words, when one says "Namaste" to another it means "I salute or recognize your presence or existence in society and the universe."
Namaste is a friendly greeting in written communication, or generally between people when they meet. When used at funerals to greet the guests, the verbal part is usually omitted. When the hand position is higher, it usually means reverence and/or worship. The expression with hands placed on top of one's head is usually the sign of utmost reverence or respect. When the gesture is performed with hands in front of the chest, it is usually considered as aayushman.
The aayubowan (meaning: wish you a long life) gesture is also a cultural symbol of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan hospitality.
In Nepalese culture, namaste is performed when a younger family member meets older relatives. It also varies depending upon social status and prestige. The person with lower status or prestige performs namaste first to show respect for the higher station the other person has achieved.
In Sikh scripture Namaste, Namastung or Namastvung is referenced as salutation to the Primal being, the One God. The salutation is followed by an attribute respecting a quality of the creator of all religions, Akal.
In Sindh, Pakistan, the añjali mudra, though extremely rare, is still maintained even by Sindhi Muslims.
The gesture is widely used throughout Asia and beyond. It first (?) appears c.4000 years ago on the clay seals of the Indus Valley Civilization.[2]Poor source
In Tamil culture, the gesture is known as கும்பிடு (kumpiṭu),[3] which is composed of two words கும்பு (kumpu) meaning 'to coup hands' and இடு (iṭu) meaning 'to do';[4] while an equivalent of the salutation would be வணக்கம் (vaṇkkam) which is roughly translated as 'greetings'.
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 against 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. [5]
Namaskār (Devnagari/Hindi: नमस्कार) literally means "I bow to [your] form".
"The spirit in me respects the spirit in you," "the divinity in me bows to the divinity in you," and others, are modern interpretations, extrapolated from the Sanskrit root of namaste. It is worth noting, however, that there is no implicit mention of divinity, spirit, light, or other such concepts in the greeting. They are usually associated with western yoga and New Age movements.
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