Indians greet each other with namaste. The two palms are placed together in front of the
chest and the head bows whilst saying the word namaste. This greeting is for all - people
younger than us, of our own age, those older than friends, even strangers and us.
There are five forms of formal traditional greeting enjoined in the shaastras of which
namaskaram is one. This is understood as prostration but it actually 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 convention or an act of
worship. However there is much more to it than meets the eye. In Sanskrit namah + te =
namaste. It means - I bow to you - my greetings, salutations or prostration to you. Namaha
can also be literally interpreted as "na ma" (not mine). It has a spiritual significance of
negating or 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," indicated by the folded palms
placed before the chest. The bowing down of the head is a gracious form of extending
friendship in love and humility
The spiritual meaning is even deeper. The life force, the divinity, the Self or the Lord in me
is the same in all. Recognizing this oneness with the meeting of the palms, we salute with
head bowed the Divinity in the person we meet. That is why sometimes, we close our eyes
as we do namaste to a revered person or the Lord – as if to look within. The gesture is often
accompanied by words like "Ram Ram,” "Jai Shri Krishna", "Namo Narayana", "Jai Siya Ram",
"Om Shanti" etc - indicating the recognition of this divinity.
When we know this significance, our greeting does not remain just a superficial gesture or
word but paves the way for a deeper communion with another in an atmosphere of love and
respect.
