Published: February 15, 2011
Nevada Senate Opens With Gayatri Mantra
Nevada State Senate reverberated with Sanskrit mantras from ancient Hindu scriptures in Carson City (USA) on the 14th of February 2011.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed delivered invocation from Sanskrit scriptures before the Nevada Senate. After the Sanskrit delivery, he then read the English translation of the prayer. Sanskrit is considered as a sacred language in Hinduism.
Zed, who is the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, recited from Rig-Veda, the oldest scripture. He also recited some lines from Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord), both ancient Hindu scriptures. He started and ended the prayer with "Om", the mystical syllable containing the universe. "Om" in Hinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious work. It was followed by Gayatri Mantra, the most sacred mantra in Hinduism.
Rajan Zed (right) with Nevada Lieutenant Governor Brian K. Krolicki (left) just before the Hindu opening prayer. |
Nevada State Senators, Senate employees and the public prayed quietly with heads bowed down during the prayer. Wearing saffron colored attire, a ruddraksh mala, and traditional sandalpaste tilak on the forehead, Rajan Zed sprinkled few drops of sacred water from river Ganga in India around the podium. He presented a copy of Bhagavad-Gita to Lieutenant Governor Brian K. Krolicki of Nevada.
Reciting from Brahadaranyakopanishad, Zed said, "Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrtyor mamrtam gamaya." He then translated it to English as "Lead me from the unreal to the Real, Lead me from darkness to Light, and Lead me from death to immortality."
Rajan Zed is one of the panelists for "On Faith", a prestigious interactive conversation on religion produced by The Washington Post. He was awarded the "World Interfaith Leader Award." He is the Senior Fellow and Religious Advisor to New York at present.
With Krolicki as President, Nevada State Senate has 21 members. It is the largest gold producer and the 7th largest state. Nevada is also called the "Silver State." Mr. Brian Sandoval is the Governor.
Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world. It has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.
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