When addressing a stranger who is unknown to us, we generally use an honorific suffix ‘Swami’ or ‘Amma’ depending on the person’s sex.  Swami means God and Amma means mother. This is an accepted practice especially in South India.

While conversing with a vegetable vendor, we say “Swami, tell me the price of a kilo of double beans”. He replies as, “It is sixty rupees a kilo, Swami”. Here, both the addressor and the addressed are referred to as Swami. It is like two Swami’s in conversation.

“It is thirty rupees a muzham, Swami”, says the old woman selling flowers on the street when you ask, “tell me the price of the garland, Amma”. In this conversation of opposite sex, the addressor and addressed are referred to as mother and God respectively. A muzham is the length calculated from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow.

The words ‘Appa’ or ‘Ayya’ are also frequently used to denote respect for each other. A beggar seeking alms addresses you as ‘Swami’ or ‘Amma’, and in turn you address him as ‘Appa’.  Appa also means father.

Strangers using such honorific suffixes while addressing each other is unique to the Indian culture.

In our modern world, the usage of ‘Bro’, ‘Dude’ and ‘Hi’ have become more common.

‘Hi’ has replaced Namaskaram in many cases.  Addressing someone as ‘Hi’ may puzzle an Indian villager. Because ‘Hi’ is used by them to address domesticated animals like cows and horses. Whereas ‘Namaskaram’ or ‘Namastae’ means I bow to you with respect.

This opens an interesting philosophical discussion. The human personality asserts itself with both lower and higher nature.

Humans are domesticated animals when it comes to their lower nature. Lower nature is about work, eat, sleep, procreate, and die just like animals. The higher nature is a significant dimension. This higher dimension precisely is freedom from a life conditioned by the lower dimension.

The constant conflict between lower and higher nature of existence is the greatest problem confronting humanity. Only when the lower nature gets out of the way does the higher nature shines forth.

‘Namaste’, ‘Swami’, ‘Appa’, ‘Ayya’ seem to remind us of our higher nature. ‘Hi’, ‘bro’ and ‘dude’ may be reminding us about our lower nature.

Perhaps, we can consciously increase the frequency of Namaste, Namaskaram, Amma and Swami to identity with our higher nature.

The higher nature is about how far we can go. This is the power of freedom.