These hymns are drawn up like the excellent hymns of Europeans for public worship. They are entitled Jepamalai or Rosary of Prayers because they are intended to accompany daily prayer, both morning and evening.
Part I consists of 31 Jepamalai in number, adapted for 31 days of the month, setting forth the glories of the triune God, the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost, the divine attributes, the work of salvation and meeting the prejudices of heathenism. It also contains praises to be used on occasions of joy, of affliction, of death, fifteen prayers for congregational use, the Litany and other admonitions appertaining to piety.
Part II contains Hymns in the Viruttam Metre numerically from one to twelve, on the facts of scripture narrative. If priests, catechists, and schoolmasters could get it by heart, they would be able to give proper answers to the questions posed to them, from the Old and New Testaments.
In ancient times, David, Asaph, &co., inscribed their names to the Psalms they composed. In like manner Vedanayagam has thought fit to inscribe his name at the end of each Japamalai, not from motives of pride or vain glory, but from a desire of being remembered at the throne of grace, as also that the readers may know the author, vide Exodus, Ch.28 verses 9 to 12 and 29.
O Brethren, the members of Christ’s church who use this book of prayer! Vedanayaga Veda Shastri, observing that a guide for maintaining decency and order in the prayer meeting was needed for you to agreeably use in the mode of your worship, i.e. after the manner of Common Prayer now in use among the Europeans, has composed this work with great labor and attention; he was engaged in this matter for the space of 45 years, that is from 1810 to 1855, and presents it to you now as a monument of his love with a request that you and your children and your children’s children may remember him and love him and his descendants for the sake of the Lord.
VEDANAYAKA SHASTRY