This is What “Namaste” Actually Means & How To Use It Correctly

Regardless of what you’ll have seen or heard, namaste doesn’t immediately translate to, “The sunshine in me sees the sunshine in you” however is fairly a greeting that interprets to one thing like, “Salutations to you.”

In accordance with Steven Vose, Ph.D., a spiritual research skilled and visiting assistant professor on the College of Colorado at Denver, namaste is definitely two phrases, with namah translating to phrases like “reward,” “honor,” “bowing,” “reverential salutation,” and “adoration.”

The second phrase, te, means “to you,” on this context. So put it collectively and namaste means, “Reward to you,” “Salutations to you,” “Honor to you,” or “[I] bow to you.”

Vose tells mindbodygreen that Namaste or namaskāra seem in Sanskrit literature going again to the Rig Veda and Atharva Veda round 1500 to 1000 BCE, and likewise seem within the Mahābhārata (400 BCE to 400 CE) and Bhāgavata Purāṇa (tenth century CE). Namaste additionally seems in main works of Sanskrit literature and in numerous inscriptions, he provides.

“In trendy utilization in India, [namaste] has the symbolic weight of ‘hi there’ in most contexts, except one is particularly praising one’s guru, instructor, elder, and so forth.,” Vose explains, including that different greetings, like “Jai Shri Krishna,” are gaining popularity in India right now than namaste.

Lastly, it is necessary to notice that Jains, Buddhists, and even Sikhs have additionally used the time period, so it isn’t unique to Hindus, in accordance with Vose.