Stress and Joy of Salutation

                                             Stress and Joy of Salutation 

 As a man's salutations, so is the total of his character;

in nothing do we lay ourselves so open

as in our manner of meeting and salutation.

 Johann Kaspar Lavater

 

In April 1956, my eldest brother took me to the Shri Sanatan Dharm, Sanskrit English, High School, Patiala for admission to the sixth standard and when we reached the school, classes were still to start, we were ahead of the scheduled time; we were walking through the central courtyard of the school when a smartly dressed person came swiftly to us and said to my brother, “What brings you here Sahibji”. My brother replied “Janab, I have to admit my younger brother here in your school.” There was a loud laughter and tight hugging. I did not realize then, what was happening but now I feel there was a magic in the words, “Sahibji” and “Janab”, in fact they were close friends and later I came to know they usually addressed each other by the first name or simply by “Oye” (Punjabi slang), words “Sahibji” and “Janab” were used by them in a loving sarcastic manner. This is how sometimes your salutation is.

 

A salutation, as I came to learn in my sixth standard, meant how a letter or an application is concluded and the words normally taught to us were “Yours Faithfully” meaning “loyal to you” and “Your Obediently”  conveying “will obey your orders”. In personal letters, it was “Yours affectionately” meaning “in a way that shows liking or love or affection”. In commercial letters particularly those written by money lenders to their customers, it was customary to end the letter with words, “Sir, I beg to remain, “Yours most obedient servant”. These were formal words, perhaps the general atmosphere at that time was formal and “respect”, “regard”, “consideration” had the meaning with the people everywhere, more so with people of the same habitat may be a village or a town.

 

Now the society believes more in informal and no interference in personal matters even in childhood, not to talk of adults; so these salutations have also changed from respectful to more informal much nearer to worldly reality than the social and family manners where earlier any person from one’s own village had a relation.

 

These informal salutations have now trickled down to employment where boss is no longer “Sir”, he is just addressed by the first name. My view is that reduces the “Chair” he is occupying to that a person who happens to occupy it and also the respect, discipline and decorum.

 

Informal salutations have also played their havoc in family and blood relations. “Ji or Jee” was a respectful additive to family relations like Mataji, Pitaji, Mamaji, Mamiji. Even the strangers got the respect for age and his known name had Jee as respectfully additive. Now this “Jee” has flown to the world above with rockets and seniors are addressed like Dadu, Dadi, Mata, Pita, Chachi and sometimes even that has gone and all relations are substituted by the word “Vyee”. I do not know exact meaning of this “Vyee” perhaps it is a slang or have something to do with “Oye” may be, they are singular (Oye) and plural (Vyee): both of them by any standards, at least, for me do not carry with them respectful connotation. Some treat “Oye” as abuse and it really looks like that.

 

Salutation may consist of words or may not; but it must carry with the respect and regards for the person whom it is addressed. One should speak in such a way that the people like to listen and should listen in such a way that people like to speak. Your manner, tenor, tone, and volume of your speech speak volumes about the meaning of the salutation and your personality. When somebody speaks lowly or meekly or not with proper words it is really difficult for the addressee to make out what is being said and to bless or not to bless or just ignore as having not been addressed.

Body language is another ingredient which tells us about your compulsion to salute somebody such an adverse salutation gives the receiver more stress than the pleasure as he is comes under stress as whether to acknowledge or give blessings too: whatever it may be nothing happens from the core of the heart as both are quick enough to part the company.

 

Salutation can be even without words like be attentive or armed forces orders of “Attention”, just slightly bowing, nodding of head, even blinking of eyes, facial expressions, sounds without words. I remember an incident when after a session was over and a lecturer was saying concluding remarks and as soon as he finished; there was a silence for a fraction of minute a boy got up from his seat and wanted permission to say a few words and he mentioned about what he had learnt from the class: this was much more than a formal salutation.

 

Some people just throw the salutation on seniors like “Paiee Lagoon”, “Pairon Payiena”, meaning “I touch your feet”, they just throw and move away quick and fast. Still there are others who do not even when there is appropriate occasion to seek the blessings of the seniors. They just become mute spectators as if everything is routine.

 

Life laughs at you when you are unhappy; Life smiles at you when you are happy; But life salutes you when you make other happy.

                                                                    — Charlie Chaplin

 

Even clothes have also adopted this modern “informal” concept; anything informal is “my choice fashion”, “who are you”, even torn clothes, odd sized front and rear, some usual parts missing clothes like a trouser with one full and one less than half leg and so on.. Despite all this people are formal when it comes to their job and life.

 

Should the salutations be always limited to known and seniors only? Answer is certainly not. Salutations with good intentions and manners conveyed even to the strangers and unknown give pleasure to both and invoke for the giver love and affection in addition to the blessings- a God’s arm that works in silence at the appropriate time. So say good words when you happen to meet anyone in the morning that brings smiles and positive vibes to you and the other person.

 

Always give a word or a sign of salute

when meeting or passing a friend,

even a stranger, when in a lonely place.

Show respect to all people and grovel to none.

When you arise in the morning

give thanks for the food and for the joy of living.

If you see no reason for giving thanks,

the fault lies only in yourself.

— Tecumseh

Salutation is not only for living persons it is for non-living also. One must salute while passing by the side of a graveyard, or a cremation ground, a temple, a church, a mosque, a Gurudawara, or any other religious place, it is salute to them and to all those activities which are relevant even today.

Salutation to place of work before starting the work to earn one’s livelihood is not uncommon throughout the world particularly in India. Do your task with full devotion and dedication that is salutation to work and then the work will salute you.

IF you Salute your work,

You do not have to salute anybody.

IF you pollute your work,

You have to salute everybody.

 

                                   — Abdul Kalam