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| Namkaran and Annaprasana or Naming, Rice-giving or Bread-giving Ceremony |
The following liturgy for the Namkaran and Annaprasana or Naming, Rice Giving or Bread Giving Ceremony has been taken from the Manual of Brahmo Rituals and Devotions by Sitanath Tattwabhushan. The book was first published in 1924 with its second edition in 1971 by the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj. The language is archaeic and can be suitably modified keeping in mind with the occassion and times.
This ceremony usually takes place toward the close of the first year of the child's birth. When the guests have assembled in the place of worship, the father or mother or any near relative of the child brings it neatly dressed and presents it to them with words like the following:
"Dear sisters and brethren, it is necessary that this child, born in your community, should be known to you by a distinct name and that solid food should be given to it. I humbly invite you to give it a name, bless it and pray for its healthy growth in body and soul."
After a hymn, the minister conducts the usual invocation and adoration with special reference to the occasion. After the general prayer and a hymn, the father or mother of the child prays in the following manner or spirit:
Our Divine Father and Mother, thou hast, in thy unspeakable love and kindness, nursed and preserved this child and enabled us to see this day of its naming and breadgiving. Thou art its life and strength, its breath and nourishment. We are only humble instruments in thy hands. Thou hast constantly watched it in its sleep and waking, its hunger and thirst, its health and illness. How wonderfully hast thou nourished every limb of body and every power of its soul! For all thy love and care we bow down to thee in heartfelt gratitude and reverence. For giving us a particle of thy loving care, for enabling us so far to serve the child in the midst of countless difficulties we bow down to thee again and again.
We feel, O Lord, how weak we are, how unworthy to take care of this heavenly-gift of thine. Now that thou art leading it to higher growth, enabling it to think, feel and act, and take its place in thy kingdom, we feel our unworthiness the more deeply
Glve us more Wisdom, that we may avoid ruinous errors in training it. Give us more patience and endurance, and more of thy divine watchfulness, that we may take better care of thy child and overcome the innumerable difficulties, inward and outward, that beset our path. Make our thoughts holy, our feelings warm, our words kind and truthful and our deeds righteous not sully thy heavenly flower with our unholy touch, but may always keep it holy and make it more and more fit for thy service. Enable us to feel constantly that the service of this child is thy own service and a means of our salvation and everlasting union with thee.
The minister then takes the child in his arms or places it before him and says:
"In the holy presence of God and in this assembly of his worshippers, I give unto this son (or daughter) of Srijut (Mr.)......... and Srimati(Mrs.) .......... the name of Sriman / Srimati (Master / Miss).......
May the growth and training of this child: be so that this name will be a dear and sweet one to the child's parents, friends and neighbours !
O our loving Father and Mother, with the growth of this child, with its daily increasing power of understanding, feeling and action, thou art adding to our joy and multiplying our responsibilities. Enable us to feel and remember how our thoughts, words and deeds, specially our direct dealings with it may affect the growth of its body and soul both for good and for evil. Enable us so to shape our lives and characters, that with its daily growth this child may know and feet that it is born into a heavenly family, a body of thy loving children and faithful servants. With the daily increase of bodily strength, may it grow in wisdom, love and righteousness of its relation to thee!"
The service closes with a suitable hymn. At the conclusion of the service the child is taken to the dining room and placed on a seat specially intended for it. Then in the presence of friends and relatives the minister or a near relative puts some rice or bread into its mouth with a prayer like the following:
Bless this food, O Lord. May it help the growth of the child's soul as well as its body.
The above relative may be followed by other relatives and friends in feeding the child. Some donations are to be made to the Brahmo Samaj or for some charitable purposes |
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