??? (mathaa)
Meaning: noun: Forehead, head.
Quote:
???? ???? ??? ????? � ??? ???? ????
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nainee dekhau gur darsano�� gur charnee mathaa.
I gaze upon the blessed darshan of the Guru with my eyes and place my head on the Guru’s feet. -Guru Arjan Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, 1101
Message: How do you express your gratitude to the Guru or the Divine? One way may be: to bow your head (matha tek), in obeisance.
Making an effort to visit a Gurduara (popularly written as Gurdwara, a�central place�of the Sikh congregation) and humbly bowing before Guru Granth Sahib and attending to the congregation (sadh sangat) are essential parts of the Sikh tradition. We are more easily and deeply affected by Gurbani when we engage in such gatherings.
However, together with the bowing, we need real yearning for the teachings of the Guru. We need to learn to walk in humility (from within), towards the Divine by practising the divine messages and embodying them. That is perfect bowing to the Guru.
Etymology: From Sanskrit�mast/mastak�(head, skull) ? Pali�matth/matthak�(head, skull, top, summit) ? Prakrit�matth/matthaya�(head) ? Sindhi�mathu/matho�(top, surface, head), Lahndi�mathaa�and Punjabi�matthaa�(forehead).
Note: The meaning of this word steadily evolved from head to forehead. Hence, it is used to mean both head and forehead in Gurbani, and occasionally, to mean face or upper part of the body.
At some places, it is a little hard to comprehend whether it means head, forehead or face? In some regions of India, especially in the eastern parts (Bihar, Bengal, etc.), it is still used to mean head. See more here
