The Message and Ministrations of Dewan Bahadur R. Venkata Ratnam, volume 2/Chapter 18
XVIII
SERVICE:
BRAHMOTSAV.
(1916)
Praise and glory—the praise of our whole-hearted adoration, the glory of universal dominion—praise and glory unto Thee, the supreme, the victorious One! The praise of our deep gratitude, the praise that springs spontaneously from the fountain of feeling hearts, is Thine. The glory of eternal dominion, the glory of unrivalled supremacy, the glory of unapproachable majesty, the glory of all-ruling sovereignty, the glory of all-surpassing ascendancy, is Thine. Within our hearts, are embossed in inextinguishable characters of holy fire the hymns of Thy praise. On the imperishable tablets of the universe, in the radiant star, in the smiling blossom, in the crystal brook, in the gentle zephyr, is proclaimed Thy universal domain. Praise and glory unto Thee!
Seated in the centre of the universe, radiating in unquenchable effulgence from the farthest extremities of space, enduring from all eternity and yet perennially unfolding the wonderful pageantry of time and incident, Thou art All-in-all, alike transcending and pervading, at once self-contained and immanent, our All-perfect Lord. Praise and glory unto Thee!
Thou the Supreme One, the Loving One, the Adorable One, what words can give fitting expression to our surging feelings on this, day? Thou, ever-beloved God of all mankind, merciful, irrepressibly eager for our weal-even for us sinners-the supreme, majestic Ruler of us all, Monarch of all monarchs, the unrivalled Emperor to whose, sceptre all mortal heads, however exalted, bow and submit in reverence! And yet Thou carest for us; Thou wouldst not give us up; even this vile worm is precious unto Thee! Thou, in Thy glorious triumphs of love, descendest into depths, into lowly, receding, engulfing depths, which baffle, human comprehension. Thou art not merely the towering God but also the deepdiving God, plunging into the sunken retreats of the fallen. Blessed, thrice-blessed, be Thou that Thou caresteven for me! I rejoice in triumph, I thrill with unutterable joy, that Thou carest even for me I My Father holds me dear ; my Mother appraises me beyond all computation of human values. I am dhanya, I am dhanya, elated, blessed, beyond all calculation. In profound gratitude, I proclaim Thy victory, Jai, Jai, Jai, glory, glory, glory unto the Supreme Ruler, the Sole Master, the Eternal Sovereign of all!
Hymn-Ashtangananiaskaramakhilantharyami
Verily Thou art All, All-in-all, the All-sufficing, All-absorbing God. Thou art All-in-all unto us. Truly, verily, we spring out of Thee; we grow in Thee; and we are resumed unto Thee. In the very conception of our being, Thou art implied. In the growth and development of life, in the unfolding and outflowering of the soul, in the quest and accomplishment of human destiny, Thou art the eternal Preserver, Fulfiller and In-gatherer. And as we have sung, Thou art the free Giver of all good things, the bountiful Bestower of all boons, the ready Fulfiller of all desires, the prompt Response to all prayers. Our debt immense of endless gratitude how can we express in human language, compute in human expression? We owe a11 that we have, all that we can be, all that we desire to be, to Thee alone. And, in return, what can we possibly render unto Thee but our ashtanganamaskarams, the obeisance of all our faculties, the adoration of all our powers, the devotion of our whole existence? So with all the faculties and all the powers incessantly growing and expressing themselves in and through us we adore Thee! With our eyes we adore Thee; with our ears we adore Thee; with every other sense in us we adore Thee. With the messages that the eye receives we adore Thee; with the blessings that the eye realises we adore Thee; with the truth that the eye perceives we adore Thee; with all the bounty that the eye enjoys we adore Thee; with the radiance that the eye loves to dwell upon we adore Thee. With every sweet, every charming word of sympathy, every holy whisper received into the soul through the portal of the ear, we adore Thee. Aye, with every other sense in us we strike up a universal chorus, a song celestial of praise and a Hymn heavenly of glory unto Thee!
CONGREGATIONAL CHANT:
Asatho ma-Sadgamaya, thamasoma jyothirgamaya, mrithyormamritham gamaya, aviraveermayedhi rudra yaththe dakshinam mukham thena mam pahi nithyam.
Thou hast been surely leading us out of all untruth—sham and show, fashion and pretension—into the truth, certitude and reality of wisdom, sympathy, fellowship, trust. Thou hast been wisely guiding us out of darkness-prejudice, selfishness, self-seeking, pride, conceit—into the light, the holy vision of Thy face, the manifestation of Thy presence, the revelation of Thy purpose. Thou hast been graciously lifting us out of death—apathy, unconcern, heartlessness, passion, hatred, malice, inhumanity, godlessness—into the immortality of divine life, holy communion, disinterested service, consecrated duty, devoted love. For all this we render Thee our thanks. And with the yearning of limited for unlimited experience, we once again implore Thee : Lead us out of untruth into truth; lead us out of darkness into light; lead us out of death into larger and holier life. Oh! Thou awe-inspiring One, Thou resplendant One, do Thou, in Thine inexhaustible radiance, shed the smile of Thy countenance on our craving hearts; deliver us from the fear of death; fortify us against the inroads of temptation and cherish us for ever in the embrace, of Thy loving protection. This is our humble supplication. Do Thou mercifully grant it out of Thy abundant grace.
Om! Brahma Kripahi Kevalam!
Om! Santhih! Santhih! Santhih!