Pranāma


Praṇāma is a form of respectful or reverential salutation before something, or another person – usually grandparents, parents, elders or teachers or someone deeply respected such as a deity. It is found in Indian culture and Hindu traditions.

Etymology

Pranama is derived from pra and ānama ; pra as prefix means "forward, in front, before, very, or very much", while ānama means "bending or stretching". Combined pranama means "bending, bowing in front" or "bending much" or "prostration". In cultural terms, it means "respectful salutation" or "reverential bowing" before another, usually elders or teachers or someone deeply respected such as a deity.

Types of Pranāma

There are six types of Pranam:
A form of pranama is Charanasparsha a bowing combined with the touching of the feet, as a mark of respect. It may be seen in temples during darshan. This related type of pranama is most common in Indian culture. It is done in order to show respect towards elderly people like parents, grandparents, elderly relatives, teachers and saints.