Namaste

Namaste (Namas + te) is derived from Sanskrit and is a combination of the word namas and the second person dative pronoun in its enclitic form, te. The word namaḥ takes the form namas before the sound te. It is found in the Vedic literature. Namas-krita and related terms appear in the Hindu scripture Rigveda such as in the Vivaha Sukta, verse 10.85.22 in the sense of "worship, adore", while Namaskara appears in the sense of "exclamatory adoration, homage, salutation and worship" in the Atharvaveda, the Taittiriya Samhita, and the Aitareya Brahmana. It is an expression of veneration, worship, reverence, an "offering of homage" and "adoration" in the Vedic literature and post-Vedic texts such as the Mahabharata. The phrase Namas-te appears with this meaning in Rigveda 8.75.10, Atharvaveda verse 6.13.2, Taittirya Samhita 2.6.11.2 and in numerous other instances in many early Hindu texts. It is also found in numerous ancient and medieval era sculpture and mandapa relief artwork in Hindu temples. According to the Indologist Stephen Phillips, the terms "te and tvam" are an informal, familiar form of "you" in Sanskrit, and it is typically not used for unfamiliar adults. It is reserved for someone familiar, intimate, divine or a child. By using the dative form of tvam in the greeting Namas-te, there is an embedded secondary, metaphorical sense in the word. This is the basis of the pragmatic meaning of Namas-te, that is "salutations to the (divine) child (in your heart)", states Phillips. In the contemporary era, namaḥ means 'bow', 'obeisance', 'reverential salutation' or 'adoration' and te means 'to you' (singular dative case of 'tvam'). Therefore, namaste literally means "bowing to you". In Hinduism, it also has a spiritual import reflecting the belief that "the divine and self (atman, Self) is same in you and me", and connotes "I bow to the divine in you". According to the sociologist Holly Oxhandler, it is a Hindu term which means "the sacred in me recognizes the sacred in you". A less common variant is used in the case of three or more people being addressed namely Namo vaḥ which is a combination of namaḥ and the enclitic second person plural pronoun vaḥ. These archaeological findings are dated to the Mature Harappan. File:Kubera Namaste, 13th century Keshava temple Somanathpur.jpg|Hindu god Kubera on the left with a person in Añjali Mudrā (13th century Chennakesava Temple, Somanathapura, Karnataka). File:A Namaste relief at Thirunelli Maha Vishnu temple Kerala India.jpg|Entrance pillar relief (Thrichittatt Maha Vishnu Temple, Kerala). ==Anjali mudra==

The gesture of folding hands during a namaste is called the Añjali Mudrā. In addition to namaste, this mudra is one of the postures found in Indian classical dance such as Bharatanatyam, and in yoga practice. It is widely found in Indian temple reliefs and sculpture in mandapam, at entrances and iconography such as the Lingobhavamurti of Shaivism. The Anjali mudra differs from namaste by being a non-verbal gesture, while namaste can be said with or without any gesture. According to Bhaumik and Govil, the Anjali mudra and Namaskara mudra are very similar but have a subtle difference. The back of the thumbs in Anjali mudra face the chest and are perpendicular to other fingers, while the thumbs in Namaskara mudra are aligned with the other fingers. Anjali mudra is described in Sanskrit texts such as in verse 9.127–128 of the Natya Shastra (200 BCE – 200 CE), in temple architecture texts dated after the sixth-century CE such as in verse 5.67 of the Devata murti prakarana and those on painting called the Citrasutras. The Natya Shastra, a classical Indian dance text, describes it to be a posture where the two hands are folded together in a reverential state and that this is used to pray before a deity, receive any person one reveres and also to greet friends. The Natya Shastra further states that for prayers inside a temple, the Anjali mudra should be placed near one's head or above, while meeting someone venerable it is placed in front of one's face or chin, and for friends near one's chest. == Uses ==

Greeting Añjali Mudrā is widely used throughout the Indian subcontinent, parts of Asia and beyond where people of South and Southeast Asian origins have migrated. In some contexts, namaste is used by one person to express gratitude for assistance offered or given, and to thank the other person for their generous kindness. Since namaste is a non-contact form of greeting, some world leaders adopted the gesture as an alternative to hand shaking during the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic as a means to prevent the spread of the virus. File:Joko Widodo greets Emmanuel Macron at the 2021 G20 Rome Summit.jpg File:The Prince of Wales meeting the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, in Glasgow, Scotland on November 01, 2021 (1).jpg Hindu veneration practice Namaskara is one of the 16 upacharas (veneration practices) used in temples and places of formal puja (worship). Namaste in the context of deity worship, scholars conclude, has the same function as in greeting a guest or anyone else. It expresses politeness, courtesy, honor, and hospitality from one person to the other. It is used in goodbyes as well. This is sometimes expressed, in ancient Hindu scriptures such as Taittiriya Upanishad, as Atithi Devo Bhava (literally, treat the guest like a god). Namaskara is one of the six forms of pranāma, and in parts of India these terms are used synonymously. File:Namaste to the rising sun, Hindu culture religion rites rituals sights.jpg|A Hindu man making the Añjali Mudrā File:1500-1200 BCE, Vivaha sukta, Rigveda 10.85.16-27, Sanskrit, Devanagari, manuscript page.jpg|The ninth line from the top, last word in the Rigveda manuscript above is namas in the sense of "reverential worship" File:Thai wai.jpg|Wai gesture in a Thai temple File:Yakshi on elephant.Bharhut.Bharat Kala Bhavan.jpg|Yakshi salabhanjika, 100 BCE, Satna, Madhya Pradesh File:1 namaste greeting statue in Bali Indonesia.jpg|Statue in Bali, Indonesia In modern yoga 'Namaste' has been adopted in modern yoga as exercise as a respectful word, spoken in unison at the end of a class, or by a solitary practitioner as a personal meditation; from there, it has become a T-shirt slogan. The British Pakistani yoga teacher Nadia Gilani writes that the western pronunciation "nama-stay" is incorrect; South Asians pronounce it "num us teh", while the association of 'namaste' with yoga is a modern western invention. Rita Geno, writing in Yoga Journal, calls the usage "at the very least, puzzling"; it quotes the Indian yoga therapist Susanna Barkataki as saying it's a "rather formal" greeting, reserved for teachers and elders; it is not used to at a parting. Geno suggests that usage may be changing, quoting the author Deepak Singh as saying that the greeting was given to "every tourist" when he visited Rajasthan. On the other hand, T-shirt puns like "Nama'stay in bed" or "Namaslay" are, Geno writes, straightforwardly offensive, misusing a "respectful and spiritually resonant" term. As for use in a yoga class, the Indian American yoga teacher Aadil Palkhivala suggests that Namaste and Añjali Mudrā could be used both at the start, as a respectful greeting, and at the end, in gratitude and connection. File:Sharon namaste Guzman 280.jpg|The modern yoga guru Sharon Gannon, co-founder of Jivamukti Yoga, making the Añjali Mudrā File:Namaste in bed.jpg|'Namaste' has been adopted in modern yoga as exercise as a respectful word, and less appropriately as a T-shirt slogan. ==See also==