NAMASTÉ: WHAT DOES IT MEAN AND WHAT IS ITS SYMBOL? - ARTE - 2025

Namaste spiritually means "The divine in me bows to the divine in you." However, generally in India it does not mean that, it is more of a Hindu greeting that is used with anyone who deserves respect. It would be like saying hello, but with an element of respect.

Sometimes pronounced "Namaskar or Namaskaram", it comes from the ancient Sanskrit language. This sacred language is the main liturgical language of Hinduism and also a philosophical language in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

According to linguists, it is also a perfect and complete language from a grammatical point of view. The word Namaste, therefore, owes its remote origin to Hindu culture.

Despite its antiquity and sacred origin, it is used very frequently as a daily greeting in India and Nepal, especially in the Himalayan area. The Hindus use the word Namaste as a form of greeting and farewell, as well as to give thanks, as a sign of respect.

It comes from the word Namaha, which means "greeting, reverence, or adoration" and "te" which means "you", so all together in a literal meaning could mean "I greet you" or "I bow" although as we will see then its meaning is something more complex and profound.

As for the symbol of Namasté, it can be seen in the following image:

What is the spiritual significance of Namaste?

Although its literal translation is somewhat complex due to the peculiarities of Sanskrit and the broadness of its concept, in a rough translation, the meaning of the word Namaste could be "the divine within me greets the divine within you", or " The Spirit within me honors and respects yours.

The word "Spirit" or "the divine" in this context has no particular religious connotation, but is used to identify a concept that goes beyond the body and is part of our essence.

We could substitute it for heart, soul, or any other word that is closer to this explanation according to your beliefs, it does not matter, what is truly relevant regardless of our religion is "that the best part of me wishes the best to the deepest part of you yours, recognizing it.

Its deep meaning is always the same whether we use it in the context in which we use it, and it is based on the knowledge that we are all made of the same positive consciousness.

By sharing Namaste we represent the belief that there is a spark of divinity (or of components that transcend our body and mind), within each one of us, located in the heart of our Chakra, so when we perform this greeting, we transmit and acknowledge the knowledge of one soul towards another.

Namaste's gesture

When "Namasté" is said, it is generally accompanied by a gesture. This (like any other gesture) is considered a "mudra", which is a symbolic gesture or position of the hands widespread in Eastern religions.

It consists of joining the palms of the hands in the shape of a prayer, placing them in the center of the chest and making a slight inclination with the head closing the eyes. The hands are placed in front of the chest since it is the place where we have the heart chakra.

This greeting can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye (facing the head), bowing the head, and then bringing the hands closer to the heart. This is an especially deep form of respect.

In this position we have a certain balance that allows us to rest and make our energy flow. The right and left side of your brain are one of the many dualities that appear in nature, complementing each other in balance, so when they are in this position, they are temporarily balancing each other, returning to their most original state.

When the hands come together in the center of the heart, it means that our actions have to be in harmony and rule with correct knowledge.

On the other hand, and focusing on its meaning for Hinduism, this position has its meaning in connection with the representation of the divine: the right palm symbolizes the sole of God's feet, and the left palm the head of the person who prays.

In other religious contexts, the person who makes the gesture of joining the two hands eliminates his differences with the person whom he reveres, thus establishing a connection with him, where the right hand represents the highest nature (deep, spiritual), while that the left represents the ego (the corporeal, the mundane).

Although in the West the word "Namaste" is usually used in conjunction with the gesture, in India, the same gesture is understood to mean Namaste, and therefore, as it is understood, it is not necessary to say the word while bowing the head.. Why this gesture?

By bringing our hands together near the heart chakra, the belief affirms that we increase the flow of positive energies, and by tilting our head and closing our eyes, we help our mind to focus on the flow of such energy that makes love grow. the others, creating a flow in which the mind for a moment surrenders in favor of the heart.

Furthermore, this bow of the head is a symbolic indication of respect universally recognized in other cultures as well.

Curiosities of Namaste and Yoga

• Namaste is a good way to avoid shaking hands, which leads to sharing germs by direct contact.
• The term "yoga" originates from the Sanskrit "yuj", which literally means "to join" or "to unite." Many who adopt the regular practice of yoga consider that it encompasses an integration of mind, body and spirit.
• Yoga has been practiced for more than 5000 years. In fact, the earliest information on yoga dates back to stone carvings from the third millennium BC. C., in the Indus Valley of India.
• On June 21, 2016, the second annual Yoga Day is celebrated (the first was held in 2015) after the United Nations General Assembly voted unanimously to establish a day for yoga on December 11, 2014.
• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi established June 21 as Yoga Day because it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and is marked as a day of harmony between humanity and nature in many parts of the world.
• You don't even have anyone to practice yoga, you can practice it with your dog. It is called "doga", a style of yoga that helps to achieve harmony between human yogis and dogs.

Why use Namaste?

By using it as a greeting, farewell, or simply interacting in front of another, Namaste allows two people to come together energetically to a place of connection and timelessness, free from the bonds of the ego. If done with deep feeling in the heart and with a free mind, a deep union of spirits can flourish.

It is a symbol of respect, of gratitude, and allows us to connect with those around us, so it is a positive symbol that helps to interrelate.

By making this gesture for a moment we allow ourselves to leave behind the burden of our ego, connoting an attitude of humility in front of the other.

Both in spiritual and psychological terms this "surrender" and acceptance of a position of humility is beneficial and helps us to become aware of our presence within the context in which we find ourselves.

If this greeting is done from the heart, a genuine connection is established between people, above expectations, prejudices and social masks.

It is not necessary to create a physical or verbal contact, a simple gesture is enough to recognize, identify and respect each other, creating good vibrations to share between two people equally.

References

1. Fuller, CJ (2004), The Camphor Flame: Popular Hinduism and Society in India, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, pp. 66–70.
2. Uses Of “Namaste” By Andrea Denhoed. The New Yorker. 4th June 2014.
3. The Meaning of Namaste. Rita Geno. Yoga Journal 3rd October 2014.
4. G. Chatterjee (2003), Sacred Hindu Symbols.