We encourage you to familiarise yourself with our article, a spiritual perspective on greeting. It provides important background information in order to understand this article.

1. Introduction to namastē or namaskār

Namaskār, also known as namastēis a form of greeting practiced most in the Indian Subcontinent. It is used both while greeting and upon parting company. When a person greets another withnamaskār, the greeting is accompanied by a slight bow made with hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointed upwards and closely positioned in front of the chest. Along with this, the words ‘namastē’ or ‘namaskār’are said to the person who is being greeted. The hand position is known as the NamaskārMudrā. (Mudrāmeans a particular hand gesture or position.)

While it is a popular non-contact form of greeting along with the Japanese bow and the hand-wave, its spiritual basis is what sets it apart from any other greeting we have researched. In this article, we will explore its spiritual meaning along with its benefits to us at a spiritual level.

2. The meaning of namastē or namaskār

'Namaskār' is a Sanskrut word which is derived from another Sanskrut word ‘Namaha’, which means paying obeisance. In our article on ‘What are we comprised of’, we have stated that within each of us there exists the Divine (God Principle) known as the Soul.The greeting of namaskār is when the Soul in one person acknowledges and pays obeisance to the Soul in another.

While the words namastēand namaskār are synonymous there is a spiritual difference between them.Namaskār has more sāttvikta than the word namastē.

3. Spiritual research into namaskār (namastē)

3.1 Spiritual benefits of namaskār (namastē)

When we conducted spiritual research into namastē (namaskār), we found it to be the most spiritually beneficial and sāttvik way to greet another person. The reasons for this are:

1. The intention behind the greeting:

   • As this greeting is about acknowledging the Divine in another, it enhances the spiritual potency and attracts Divine Consciousness (Chaitanya). When done with the spiritual emotion that one is actually paying obeisance to the Soul in the other, it inculcates the attitude of surrender and gratitude. This helps spiritual growth.

   • While doing namaskār, when one thinks, “You are superior to me; ‘i’ am the subordinate one. I do not know anything, You are omniscient”, it helps in reducing one’s ego and increasing humility.

2. The actual hand gesture:

   • By doing thenamaskār mudra,a greater level of Chaitanya is absorbed into the body. By sayingthe words namastē or namaskār, the Absolute Ether element (Ākāsh-tattva) is invoked. However when the words are said along with the mudrā, a second element that is the Absolute Earth element (Pruthvi-tattva) is also invoked. This is because the mudra by itself is associated with the Absolute Earth element (Pruthvi-tattva).When a higher number of the five Absolute Cosmic elements are invoked, more spiritual positivity is attracted.

3. The lack of physical contact:

   • Physical contact enhances the ease of flow of subtle energies between two people. With this greeting as there is no physical contact, the ability for one person to affect another negatively is minimised.

   • The impact of negative vibrations affecting the individuals greeting one another is further reduced due to the rise in the sattva component due to the spiritual context of the greeting.

   • Having said this, even this greeting can emit negative vibrations particularly in the case of a possessed person greeting another person with namaskār. The possessing entity can spew negative vibrations from the persons’ finger tips at the person being greeted and into the environment. However, compared with a greeting that involves physical contact, the impact of the negative entity is substantially limited. The spiritual emotion with which the greeting is done further minimizes and potentially eliminates the negative vibrations altogether

3.3 Spiritual frequencies generated from namaskār (namastē)

The subtle picture below shows the spiritual frequencies generated when two people greet each other with namaskār.In this example the person greeting is at the 30% spiritual level while the person being greeted is at the 50% spiritual level.

This subtle picture has been drawn by Ms.Priyanka Lotlikar through an advanced sixth sense of vision. It has been verified and authenticated by His Holiness Dr.Jayant Athavale. When checked through advanced sixth sense, the picture was found to be 80% accurate. (To be able to attain 80% accuracy in a subtle drawing is a very high accomplishment. Unless intense spiritual practice is undertaken subtle artists are not able to attain anywhere near this percentage of the Absolute Truth in a subtle picture.)

The table below provides the details behind each of the aspects in the above picture. Refer to the article on chakras to acquire a better understanding of the table below.

3.4 Points to remember while doing namaskār (namastē)

• Eyes should be closed while doing namaskār

  By keeping the eyes closed while doing namaskār to God or any person, it facilitates the process for one to ‘see’ within and have the vision of God within us or focus on the Soul (God) within a person.

• Do not to hold any object while doing namaskār

  While doing namaskār, if any object is held in the hands, usually the fingers and their tips are not straight. As a result, the flow of the Sattva component is restricted from entering the tips of the fingers. The Sattva component emitted towards the person doing namaskār, strikes the object held and bounces back. Additionally, if the object in the hand is Raja or Tama predominant and if it is touched to the forehead or chest while doing namaskār, then the Raja-Tama components from it may enter the body of the one who is doing namaskār.

4. In summary

• Out of all greetings, the Spiritual Science Research Foundation endorses the namaskār (namastē) as the most sāttvik form of greeting and should be adopted as far as possible.

• Even if it is not the cultural norm to greet a person in this manner, one can still greet another person mentally with namaskār.

• To do namastē (namaskār) with spiritual emotion, it is important that one should do regular spiritual practice. It is because of spiritual practice that one is able to generate spiritual emotion (bhāv).

• What is spiritual emotion

• What is the Soul?

• An introduction to the concept of a sāttvik living

• What is a subtle drawing?