Historic Hindu prayer opened Nevada’s capital Carson City meet for first time since 1858

NEVADA - Board of Supervisors of Nevada’s capital Carson City in USA reverberated with Sanskrit mantras from ancient Hindu scriptures reportedly for the first time on February 18.

Rajan Zed, acclaimed Hindu statesman, delivered invocation from Sanskrit scriptures before Carson City Board of Supervisors on February 18. 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, dated from around 1,500 BCE, 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.

Reciting from Brahadaranyakopanishad, Rajan Zed 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, Lead us from death to Immortality.” Reciting from Bhagavad-Gita, he urged Members to keep the welfare of others always in mind. Mayor Bow Crowell welcomed Zed.

Rajan Zed is one of the panelists for “On Faith”, a prestigious interactive conversation on religion produced jointly by Newsweek and washingtonpost.com. He has been awarded “World Interfaith Leader Award” by National Association of Interchurch and Interfaith Families.

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

Carson City, spread out in about 153 square miles of area, was founded in 1858. Although only nine state capitals have smaller populations than Carson City, but when it comes to area, it is one of the largest state capitals in USA. Associated with author and humorist Mark Twain, Carson City is also known for the legends of prehistoric human footprints, mystery of the Ferris wheel, State Capitol fence myth, Great Carson City stagecoach robbery, ghost stories, and one of the oldest Capitol building (1870). Its vision is an “inviting, prosperous community where people live, work and play.” (ANI)