"'Om! Salutation be to Thee, who art the
Being true, and the cause of the world! Salutation
be to Thee, the all-intelligent, and the support
of all worlds! Salutation be to Thee, who
art without a second, and the bestower of salvation!
Salutation be to the supreme, the all-
pervading, and the everlasting! Thou only art
the protector, Thou only art the adorable, Thou
only art the supporter of the world, and the self-
manifested! Thou only art the creator, the
preserver, and the destroyer of the universe! Thou
only art the excellent, the immutable of purpose!
Thou art He whom fearful objects fear, whom
dreadful objects dread, the asylum of beings, and
the purifier of purifiers! Thou alone art the
governor of all exalted dignities in the earth, the
most excellent of excellent objects, and the
preserver of preservers! We contemplate Thee;
we adore Thee; we salute Thee, who beholdest
the world! We take refuge with Thee, who art
the true, the one, the dwelling-place of all, the
self-dependent, the governor, and the ark of the
ocean of the world.

"'Om! Those who speak of God, say: From
whom creatures receive being, through whom,
after receiving being, they subsist, and whom
they at last depart unto and enter, desire to know
Him: He is God. From Him, the blissful, do
these creatures receive being; through Him, the
blissful, they, after receiving being, subsist; and
Him, who is blissful, they at last depart unto
and enter. Knowing the blissful nature of God,
whom speech and thought fail to apprehend, no
one feareth anything. He is the cause of happiness.
Obtaining Him, who is the cause of happiness,
one becometh happy. Who would have
lived, who would have moved, if in all space, He
the blissful, were not? It is He that maketh
happy. When in this invisible, incorporeal,
undefinable, and abodeless Being, a person attaineth
a place, with fearlessness, he becometh devoid
of fear. Knowing Him, the blissful, whom
speech and thought fail to apprehend, no one
ever feareth. This Being is the best destination
of creatures; this their best prosperity; this
their best world to live in; this their best
happiness. Of the happiness of this Being, other
beings but scanty portions enjoy.

"'Om! peace, peace be to all!

"'Blessed be God! Om!'*
* The above are extracted from the Vedas, the
sacred writings of the Hindoos, and constitute the
usual formulæ of-worship in the Brahmic congregations.

"'O Holy Spirit! The stream of thy mercy is
ever flowing over us, and Thou hast devised
various means to lead us to the path of righteousness.
Thou art the giver of all good and salvation.
Thou art our happiness and peace. Thou
art the Life of our lives, and our everlasting
friend. Turn our whole love towards Thyself,
and encourage us to do that which is pleasing
and acceptable to Thee, that we may in all
conditions and at all times magnify Thy glories.

Let this truth be ever present in our minds that
Thou art the aim of our lives; and enable us to
perform all our worldly duties, while constantly
fixing our eye on Thy essential Truth. O Lord!
vouchsafe unto us such power and mind that we
may present to Thee our lives, our hearts, and
our all, and that we may employ our whole energies
to perform works which are acceptable to
Thee.'

"Immediately after the above service, the
father of the bride, holding the right hands of
the bridegroom and bride, said to the former:

"'This bride I give to thee.'

"The bridegroom said, 'I accept her.'

"Then the father of the bride said, 'Om!
THAT is Truth. To-day, being the month of
Sraban, the sun having entered the sign of
Cancer, the fifth lunar day of the dark fortnight,
I, Devendra Nath Sarma, of the race of Sandilya,
in order that it may be acceptable to God, GIVE
this modest virgin, Sukumari Devi, adorned with
clothes and ornaments, and enjoying health, the
daughter of Devendra Nath, of the race of
Sandilya, and of the line of Sandilya, Asita, and
Devala, the granddaughter of Dwarka Nath,
of the race of, &c., the great-granddaughter
of Ramloehun, of the race of, &c., to THEE,
Hernendra Nath, of the race of Bharadwaj, of
the line of Bharadwaj, Augiras, and Barkuspatya,
the son of Rajaram, of the race of, &c.,
the grandson of Kasinath, of the race of, &c.,
the great-grandson of Ramsundar, of the race
of,' &c.

"The bridegroom said, 'Amen!'

"The father of the bride said, 'Om! THAT is
Truth! To-day, being the month, &c. (as before),
in order to complete this auspicious presentation
of a virgin, I, Devendra Nath, give thee, Hemendra
Nath, this gold coin as a parting gift.'

"The son-in-law said, 'Amen!'

"Then the bridegroom and the bride looked on
each other. The father seated his daughter on
the right side of the bridegroom, and having tied
the usual connubial knot with the corners of
their garments, placed her on her husband's left
side.

"The minister then addressed the pair thus:

"'To-day, by the grace of God, who is good,
you are bound by the chain of marriage. Hitherto
you have each singly walked in the way of life,
having self-improvement in view! now, this
relationship places in your hands a very important
charge. To-day, you are taking the first
step in the world of social life. Advance with
care. The ways of the world are difficult; the
temptations many; its risks and dangers are
waiting for you. Beware! Do not forget the
Giver of all happiness, when you enjoy prosperity.
Wholly depending upon Truth, seek to improve
and gladden each other. Consider all the duties
of the household as duties we owe to God, and
constantly bear in mind the great lesson which
the Brahma religion teaches, viz.: " A householder
should be pious and devoted to the