Namaskara, Namaskāra: 20 definitions
Introduction:
Namaskara means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
Alternative spellings of this word include Namaskar.
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In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Namaskāra (नमस्कार, “obeisance”) refers to “offering obeisance” and represents one of the sixteen upacāra, or “sixteen types of homage and services”, as described while explaining the mode of worshipping the phallic form (liṅga) of Śiva in the Śivapurāṇa 1.11. Accordingly, “[...] the devotee shall worship the mobile emblem with the sixteen types of homage and services (upacāra) as prescribed. It accords the region of Śiva gradually. The sixteen types of service are [for example, offering obeisance (namaskāra)] [...] Or he shall perform all the sixteen rites in the phallic emblem of human, saintly or godly origin, or in one naturally risen up (svayambhū) or in one of very extraordinary nature installed duly”.
The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.
Shaktism
Namaskāra (नमस्कार) refers to “salutations”, according to the Kularatnoddyota verse 2.21-27.—Accordingly, “[...] He worshipped the Great Transmission with hymns and excellent divine lauds, by exhibiting the Great Gestures and with salutations (namaskāra) and the waving of lamps along with divine words of praise and rites of adoration centered on the maṇḍala and the Krama. Taking up then the energizing (substances), O fair one, he who does all things, was conjoined with the goddess. O Supreme mistress, praised by the heroes, the Lord of the heroes and the universal Self took up the vessel with the meat and put it in (his) mouth along with the sacrificial pap. [...]”.
Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.
Ganapatya (worship of Ganesha)
Namaskāra (नमस्कार) refers to “prostrations” (during the worship of Gaṇeśa), according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.4.18 (“Gaṇeśa crowned as the chief of Gaṇas”).—Accordingly, as Śiva said to Gaṇeśa: “[...] After prostrations (namaskāra), various routines shall be carried on. He who performs Vratas like this can secure the desired fruits. O Gaṇeśa, he who performs your worship upto his ability, with faith, shall derive the fruit of all desires. The devotee shall worship you, the lord of Gaṇas with vermillion, sandal paste, raw rice grains and Ketaka flowers as well as with other services. [...]”.
Ganapatya (गाणपत्य, gāṇapatya) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Ganesha is revered and worshipped as the prime deity (ishta-devata). Being a minor though influential movement, Ganapatya evovled, llike Shaktism and Shaivism, as a separate movement leaving behind a large body of literature.
General definition (in Hinduism)
Namaskāra (नमस्कार) refers to “offering prostration”, representing one of the various services (upacāra) of a pūjā (ritualistic worship of a deity) which aim at the purification of the devotee.—The worshipper makes one or several prostrations (namaskāra) with (five, six or) eight limbs (cf. illustration), prostrates himself “like a stick” (daṇḍavat) on the ground or simply greets by joining both hands, a symbol of supplication. Salutation to one’s superior or to elders is believed to increase knowledge, span of life, fame and strength. The verse “namo ‘stu ... “ which is recited here is also found as the concluding verse of the Viṣṇusahasranāma in certain South Indian editions.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
Namaḥkāra (नमःकार).—m Pronouncing the word namaḥ as at the time of casting the offering into the fire. Ex. namaḥ kārēṃsīṃ avadāna || mantrōccārēṃ ṭākīta ||.
namaskāra (नमस्कार).—m (S) namasyā f S Worship, obeisance, reverential or respectful address or salutation. It is performed by joining the palms, inclining the head, and pronouncing the word namaskāra. v kara, ghāla.
namaskāra (नमस्कार).—m namasyā f Worship, obeisance.
Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.
Sanskrit dictionary
Namaḥkāra (नमःकार).—f.
Derivable forms: namaḥkāraḥ (नमःकारः).
Namaḥkāra is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms namas and kāra (कार). See also (synonyms): namaḥkṛti.
Namaskara (नमस्कर).—nt., = °kāra (masc.), homage-paying: nidāna-namaskarāṇi samāptāni Mahāvastu i.2.12 (colophon).
Namaskāra (नमस्कार).—m.
(-raḥ) 1. Respectful or reverential address or salutation. 2. A sort of poison. f. (-rī) A sensitive plant. E. namas bowing, and kāra making, fem. affix aca0 gaurā0 ṅīṣ; or namas + kṛ + ghañ .
Namaskāra (नमस्कार).—[namas-kāra], m. and nama- skriyā namas-kriyā, f. Adoration, [Nala] 5, 16; Mahābhārata 15, 954.
Namaskāra (नमस्कार).—[masculine] exclamation of namas, worship, adoration.
1) Namaḥkāra (नमःकार):—[=namas-kāra] [from namas > nam] m. the exclamation ‘namas’, adoration, homage, [Atharva-veda; Brāhmaṇa] etc.
2) [v.s. ...] a sort of poison, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Namaskāra (नमस्कार):—[nama-skāra] (raḥ) 1. m. Respectful or reverential address. a. Sort of poison. f. (rī) Sensitive plant.
Namaskāra (नमस्कार):—
Namaskāra (नमस्कार):——
1) m. — a) der Ausruf namas , Verneigung , Verehrung , Huldigung. — b) *ein best. Gift. —
2) *f. ī eine best. Pflanze.
Namaskāra (नमस्कार) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Ṇokkāra.
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
Hindi dictionary
Namaskāra (नमस्कार) [Also spelled namaskar]:—(nm) salutation, a term of greeting; adieu !, so long; —[karanā] to salute, to greet; to say good bye; •[, dūra se] keep away, not to have anything to do with.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Namaskāra (ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ):—
1) [noun] a gesture of worship, obeisance, greeting, respect, etc. made by bending one’s head, prostrating oneself or joining both the palms with fingers, being closer to each other, pointing upward and thumb being closer to the breast.
2) [noun] a term used while greeting another respectfully.
3) [noun] the invocation, calling on a god, preceptor, saint, etc. by a poet, for blessing, inspiration, etc. at the beginning of a literary work.
4) [noun] ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ ಮಾಡು [namaskara madu] namaskāra māḍu = ನಮಸ್ಕರಿಸು [namaskarisu]; ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ ಹಾಕು [namaskara haku] namaskāra hāku = ನಮಸ್ಕರಿಸು [namaskarisu]; 2. to bid good-bye, farewell, adieu; 3. to abandon (a job, learning, etc.); ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ ಹೊಡೆ [namaskara hode] namaskāra hoḍe = ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ ಹಾಕು [namaskara haku].
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Namaskāra (नमस्कार):—n. I bow to you'; the greeting which acknowledges the atman in another person; a term of greeting usually accompanied with folded palms;
Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches (+0): Namas, Kara.
Starts with (+0): Namaskaram, Namaskaramantapam, Namaskaramgey, Namaskaramudra, Namaskaramudre, Namaskarana, Namaskaranamgey, Namaskaranem, Namaskarapakutam, Namaskarasahita, Namaskarastava, Namaskaravant, Namaskaravidhi, Namaskaray.
Full-text (+82): Nirnamaskara, Pratinamaskara, Suryanamaskara, Namaskaram, Cashtankanamaskaram, Pancamandalanamaskara, Namahkaravat, Namahkaravidhi, Namahkarastava, Damdanamaskara, Nirnamonamaskara, Namaskarapakutam, Namaskaramantapam, Namaskriti, Attankanamaskaram, Tirayankanamaskaram, Curiyanamaskaram, Ashtankanamaskaram, Namarkaram, Pancankanamaskaram.
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Search found 106 books and stories containing Namaskara, Namahkara, Namaḥkāra, Namas-kāra, Namas-kara, Namaskāra; (plurals include: Namaskaras, Namahkaras, Namaḥkāras, kāras, karas, Namaskāras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 6 < [Hindi-Malayalam-English Volume 3]
Page 260 < [Tamil-Hindi-English, Volume 2]
Page 311 < [Hindi-Assamese-English Volume 2]
108 Tirupathi Anthathi (English translation) (by Sri Varadachari Sadagopan)
Kappu verse 1 (Namaskaram to twelve Alvars)
Kappu verse 5 (Namaskaras to Svami Parasara Bhattar)
Chaitanya Bhagavata (by Bhumipati Dāsa)
Verse 3.8.152 < [Chapter 8 - Mahāprabhu’s Water Sports in Narendra- sarovara]
Verse 2.7.50 < [Chapter 7 - The Meeting of Gadādhara and Puṇḍarīka]
Verse 1.15.173 < [Chapter 15 - Marriage with Śrī Viṣṇupriyā]
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Effect of suryanamaskar on human body andamp; mind < [2023: Volume 12, November special issue 20]
Utility of chandra namaskara in daily life < [2015: Volume 4, March issue 3]
Effect of suryanamaskara in sthaulya (obesity) - a review < [2020: Volume 9, June issue 6]
Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra (by Helen M. Johnson)
Part 12: Story of the two bulls < [Chapter III - Mahāvīra’s first six years as an ascetic]
Part 7: The two physicians < [Chapter X - The recovery of draupadī]
Part 7: Defense of Prasenajit < [Chapter III - Birth, youth, initiation, and omniscience of Śrī Pārśva]