Gayatri and other mantras opened Sparks City Council in Nevada

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13 July, 2010

City Council of Sparks, one of the fastest growing cities of Nevada (USA), started day's business with Sanskrit verses from Rig-Veda, Upanishads, and Bhagavad-Gita on July 12.

City Council of Sparks, one of the fastest growing cities of Nevada (USA), started day’s business with Sanskrit verses from Rig-Veda, Upanishads, and Bhagavad-Gita on July 12.

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed delivered invocation from ancient Sanskrit scriptures before Sparks City Council after sprinkling sacred water from river Ganga of India. After Sanskrit delivery, he then read the English translation of the prayers.

Zed, who is the President of Universal Society of Hinduism, 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 Taittiriya Upanishad, Rajan Zed said: “Om saha naavavatu, Saha nau bhunaktu, Saha viiryan karavaavahai, Tejasvi naavadhiitamastu, Maa vidhvishhaavahai,” which he then translated as, “May we be protected together, May we be nourished together, May we work together with great vigor, May our study be enlightening, May no obstacle arise between us.” Reading from Bhagavad-Gita, he urged Councilors: “Do your work with the welfare of others always in mind.”

City Councilors, city employees and public stood quietly in prayer mode with heads bowed down during Zed’s prayer, who was wearing saffron colored attire, a ruddraksh mala (rosary), and traditional sandalpaste tilak (religious mark) on the forehead.

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. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in Hinduism and root language of Indo-European languages.

Known as “City of Promise”, Sparks is a tailor-made town, custom ordered by the Southern Pacific Railway Company.