OmniLight Invocations 365

சத்திய ஞான சபை (Sathiya Gnana Sabhai) or The Great Hall of Truth-Knowledge, and place of special manifestation of OmniLight, designed by Ramalingam without any formal training in architecture. It was constructed in 1871 and opened to the public in January 1872. It has no anthropomorphic idols or images.

Travelers & Plane Tree by Arthur Rackham – “TWO TRAVELERS, worn out by the heat of the summer’s sun, laid themselves down at noon under the widespreading branches of a Plane-Tree. As they rested under its shade, one of the Travelers said to the other, “What a singularly useless tree is the Plane! It bears no fruit, and is not of the least service to man.”
The Plane-Tree, interrupting him, said, “You ungrateful fellows! Do you, while receiving benefits from me and resting under my shade, dare to describe me as useless, and unprofitable?’
Some men underrate their best blessings.” (Aesop: Aesop’s Fables: 294. The Travelers and the Plane-Tree)

Arutperunjothi Agaval: Couplet: 699

கோடைவாய் விரிந்த குளிர்தரு நிழலே

மேடைவாய் வீசிய மெல்லிய காற்றே!

The

Cool

Shade

Of

The

Boughs

Of

A

Tree,

And

The

Wafting

Breeze,

Alleviating

The

Suffering

Of

A

Scorching

Summer,

OmniLight Of Supreme Compassion!

Notes:

This couplet employs the symbols of the cooling shade provided by the boughs of a tree, the gentle and soothing breeze, and their alleviation of distress in the intense heat of a summer, to describe the succor provided by the OmniLight, to those who have attuned to it, in the face of the sufferings caused by the passions.

The Arutperunjothi Agaval is Ramalingam’s magnum opus of spiritual enlightenment poetry composed in 798 couplets in 1872. In later posts, I will offer commentaries on these couplets.