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Thread: spiritual ways of greeting?

  1. #1

    spiritual ways of greeting?

    Om Shanti,

    I see many ways used in the forums of saying hello, like the above ('Peace be with you,') 'Hari Om,' probably 'Namaste,' and several mantras. I would like to read about or discuss the various ways and what they mean. What was historical and what is used today?

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    Re: spiritual ways of greeting?

    Namaste DavidC,

    That is an interesting question.

    There are various ways of greetings in Hindus. I will try to explain some of them :

    a) PraNAm, Namaste, NamaskAr etc. : This means I bow to (the divinity within) you.

    The above is in Sanskrit & it gets changed from place to place with the language like "VaNakkam" in Tamil. In colloquial languages, "PAy lAgu" ( I touch your feet), "Dandwat" ( Prostrating), "CharaNa Sparsha" etc. are used to greet elders, Brahmins or the saints.

    b) Taking the name of God : "Jai Sri Krishna", "Jai Sri RAm", "Jay RAm ji ki", "Radhe-Radhe", "Alakh Niranjan", "Sat Sri AkAl", "Bam Bhole", "Jai Shiva Shankar" etc.

    c) "Jai ho Yajvan" (May you, Yajvan, be victorious), "Om Shanti" (May there be Peace), "AyushmAn Bhava" (May you have a long life) etc. :These are Ashirvachans (blessings) to youngsters, Shishyas (disciples) & common people by the saints, Brahmins & elders.

    There may be still more in many other languages which I would like to hear.


    OM
    "Om Namo Bhagvate Vaasudevaye"

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    Re: spiritual ways of greeting?

    Namaste davidC

    well from what I have read and learnt from elders, we do namaskara to show respect to our elders or even youngers but only God is recipient of that namaskara.

    from Kamkoti website --

    Only that Narayana, who has created all this and has endowed all this with vital energy (sakthi), has the "right" to accept all the namaskaras. Namaskara to any deity goes to Kesava. We recite the sloka: Sarva Deva Namaskara Kesavam Pratigachhati. When namaskaras performed to the deities go only to HIM, how can namaskaras performed to ordinary people belong to them? All these namaskaras also go to HIM only.

    For more ,you can read here -
    http://www.kamakoti.org/miscl/namoh4.html



    Quote Originally Posted by devotee View Post
    There may be still more in many other languages which I would like to hear.

    Namaste devotee ji, In my mother tongue magahi ,I say gowd laagi.
    When the light has risen, there is no day, no night, neither existence nor non-existence; Siva alone is there. That is the eternal, the adorable light of Savitri, - and the ancient wisdom proceeded thence (Svetasvatara Upanishad IV-18). :)

  4. #4

    Re: spiritual ways of greeting?

    Quote Originally Posted by devotee View Post
    [...]NamaskAr[...]
    I should have said that too.

    [...]"PAy lAgu" ( I touch your feet), "Dandwat" ( Prostrating), "CharaNa Sparsha" etc. are used to greet elders, Brahmins or the saints.
    I am particularly interested in those.

    Taking the name of God : "Jai Sri Krishna", "Jai Sri RAm", "Jay RAm ji ki", "Radhe-Radhe", "Alakh Niranjan", "Sat Sri AkAl", "Bam Bhole", "Jai Shiva Shankar" etc.
    and 'Jai Ma(hamaya ki jai,)' I think. I have heard that sadhus say 'Jai:' also for greeting?

    "Om Shanti" (May there be Peace), "AyushmAn Bhava" (May you have a long life) etc. :These are Ashirvachans (blessings) to youngsters, Shishyas (disciples) & common people by the saints, Brahmins & elders.
    There was a time after literal inner luminescence--seeing & realizing & merging to unbounded consciousness--when I considered myself a saint, though not anymore, and I am 31, and though over 30 is likely elder in Greek Philosophy, then am I using 'Om Shanti' wrongly? Also I am ordained in a Nazarean Essene church--very ecumenical--and prefer to call myself a 'perennial Philosopher' ('Sanatana Dharmi'--BTW is 'Dharmi' a word?) and base everything on Dharma ideas/terms... but if I should either be ordained in Dharma or if it is preposterous to say hello like a Brahmin I should stop (except maybe to Essenes.)

    There may be still more in many other languages which I would like to hear.
    languages of Dharma only?

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    Re: spiritual ways of greeting?

    Namaste DavidC,

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidC View Post
    There was a time after literal inner luminescence--seeing & realizing & merging to unbounded consciousness--when I considered myself a saint, though not anymore, and I am 31, and though over 30 is likely elder in Greek Philosophy, then am I using 'Om Shanti' wrongly?
    No, there is nothing wrong. "Om Shanti" is in fact, just praying for peace. So, it can be used by anyone irrespective of his age or spiritual status, imho.

    Namaste Isavasya,

    I know Magahi. "Gowd" means 'feet' in Magahi & "LAgi" means 'touching', so it is same as "Charan Sparsha" (touch feet).

    OM
    "Om Namo Bhagvate Vaasudevaye"

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    Re: spiritual ways of greeting?

    Namasté
    Can one use "ji" following a name with both females and males?
    Does this term of respect imply anything more than respect?
    Is it different in Punjabi, Hindi or other languages than Sansrkrit?

    Thank you

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    Re: spiritual ways of greeting?

    Vanakkam: (personally, my most common greeting, by far)

    There are silent almost hidden body language greetings as well. Often it is just a smile.

    At our temple when I'm landscaping often my hands are full, and I can't do the hands together thing. (Sometimes its the one handed version ... must look sort of odd.) A person will be entering the temple along the sidewalk, and we just exchange this spiritual smile, even if we're total strangers.

    Aum Namasivaya

  8. #8

    Re: spiritual ways of greeting?

    HI Snip

    Ji is used after the name of the person across India for showing respect. It can be used for both male s and females like Snip Ji

    or simply Namaste Ji ( if you dont know the name of the person ).

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    Re: spiritual ways of greeting?

    Thanks a lot Goodlife. I would be interested in understanding Indian culture in more depth, it is quite fascinating.

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    Re: spiritual ways of greeting?

    OM versus AUM

    When adding this auspiscious word/sound at the bottom or top of an email/post does it matter how it is spelt or where it is located?

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