Nevada (US), July 12 (ANI): The city council of Sparks (Nevada, USA), incorporated in 1905, reverberated with Sanskrit mantras from ancient Hindu scriptures on July 11 afternoon.
Esteemed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed delivered invocation from Sanskrit scriptures before Sparks City Council on this day. After Sanskrit delivery, he then read the English translation of the prayer. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in Hinduism and root language of Indo-European languages.
Zed, who is the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, recited from Rig-Veda, the oldest scripture of the world still in common use, besides 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, which in Hinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious work. Om was followed by Gayatri Mantra, considered the most sacred mantra in Hinduism.
City council members, City employees, and public stood quietly in prayer mode with heads bowed down during the prayer. Wearing saffron colored attire, a ruddraksh mala (rosary), and traditional sandalpaste tilak (religious mark) on the forehead, Zed sprinkled few drops of sacred water from river Ganga in India around the podium before the prayer.
Reciting from Brahadaranyakopanishad, he said "Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrtyor mamrtam gamaya", which he then translated as "Lead us from the unreal to the Real, Lead us from darkness to Light, and Lead us from death to Immortality." Reciting from Bhagavad-Gita, he sought Lord's help in guiding public officials to the values of purity, impartiality, selflessness, efficiency, etc. Mayor Geno Martini introduced and thanked Zed.
Zed is one of the panelists for "On Faith", a prestigious interactive conversation on religion produced by The Washington Post. He has been awarded "World Interfaith Leader Award" and is Senior Fellow and Religious Advisor to New York headquartered Foundation for Interreligious Diplomacy, Director of Interfaith Relations of Nevada Clergy Association, Spiritual Advisor to National Association of Interchurch and Interfaith Families, etc.
Sparks, whose city slogan is "It's Happening Here", is a custom-made town, tailored ordered by the Southern Pacific Railway Company. Shaun Carey is the City Manager. Notable people associated with Sparks include: actress Jena Malone, political pundit Karl Rove, swimmer Brian Retterer, and cartoonist Brian Crane.
Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. (ANI)
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