Just before the Hindu prayer in Nevada State Assembly, from left to right are Nevada Assembly Speaker John Hambrick, Assemblyman Erven T. Nelson, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, Assemblywoman Teresa Benitez-Thompson and Assemblywoman Heidi Swank.
Both Nevada Senate and Assembly in Carson City opened with Hindu invocations on April 17, when verses from world’s oldest existing scripture were read.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed delivered the opening prayers from ancient Sanskrit scriptures before the Nevada Senate and Assembly. Sanskrit, the root language of Indo-European languages, is a sacred language in Hinduism. After Sanskrit delivery, Zed read the prayers’ English translations.
Zed, 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 prayers with “Om,” the mystical syllable containing the universe, which in Hinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious work.
Reciting from Brahadaranyakopanishad, Rajan Zed said, “Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrtyor mamrtam gamaya,” which he interpreted 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 urged state Senators and Assembly members to keep the welfare of others always in mind. Senators, Assembly members, state employees and public were seen standing in prayer mode with their heads bowed down during these invocations.
Wearing saffron colored attire, a ruddraksh mala (rosary), and traditional sandalpaste tilak (religious mark) on the forehead, Zed sprinkled few drops of water from river Ganga of India, considered holy by Hindus, around the podium before the prayers. Zed presented a copy of Hanumanchalisa to Nevada Lt. Gov. Mark A. Hutchison, who introduced and thanked Zed in the Senate.
Bestowed with World Interfaith Leader Award, Zed is a global Hindu and interfaith leader, who besides taking up the cause of religion worldwide, has also raised huge voice against the apartheid faced by about 15-million Roma (Gypsies) in Europe.
In the state of Nevada, Zed has a lready delivered Hindu prayers at City Councils of Las Vegas, Henderson, Sparks and Boulder City; in addition to Clark County Board of Commissioners and Carson City Board of Supervisors. Besides Nevada, he has also read opening prayers in United States Senate, US House of Representatives, various state senates and houses of representatives, county boards and city councils all over USA.
Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA.