Professor Dr. Harikumar Pallathadka, Professor Dr. Parag Deb Roy
Abstract- This paper celebrates the profound and multifaceted Indian greeting of “namaste” through interdisciplinary lenses including historical, linguistic, philosophical, anthropological, and sociological frameworks. By harmoniously synthesizing textual evidence from Vedic and Puranic sources with contemporary ethnographic observations, this study illuminates the magnificent evolution of namaste from its ancient spiritual origins to its current global resonance as a symbol of Indian cultural wisdom. The analysis reveals how this elegant greeting beautifully embodies core principles of Indian philosophical thought, including the affirmative recognition of divine essence within all beings, and functions as both sacred ritual and compassionate communicative practice. The paper further contextualizes namaste within broader greeting systems worldwide, demonstrating how this embodied practice reflects and reinforces fundamental ontological assumptions about personhood, social harmony, and the sacred-profane integration that characterizes Sanatan Dharma traditions across India’s diverse cultural landscape.
DOI: DOI: 10.61463/ijrtssh.vol.3.issue2.143