Sanskrit mantras to open Colorado House of Representatives in USA

Rajan Zed, acclaimed Hindu statesman, will read the historic opening prayer from ancient Sanskrit scriptures before Colorado House of Representatives on this day. After Sanskrit delivery, he then will read the English translation of the prayer.

According to reports, no Hindu has delivered opening prayer in Colorado House of Representatives since its formation. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in Hinduism and root language of Indo-European languages.

Zed will recite from Rig-Veda, the oldest scripture of the world still in common use, dated from around 1,500 BCE, besides lines from Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord), both ancient Hindu scriptures. He plans to start and end the prayer with "OM", the mystical syllable containing the universe, which in Hinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious work.

Reciting from Brahadaranyakopanishad, Rajan Zed plans to say "Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrtyor mamrtam gamaya", which roughly translates as "Lead us from the unreal to the Real, from darkness to Light, and from death to Immortality."

Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksha (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

Colorado House of Representatives is composed of 65 members, with each district having a population of about 71,000, and Terrance D. Carroll is the Speaker. Colorado has the highest mean elevation of any state of USA, with more than 1,000 rocky peaks over 10,000 ft high and 54 towering above 14,000 ft. Breathtaking scenery and world-class skiing make Colorado a prime tourist destination.