GridleyCity Council in California (USA) will open its meeting with a Hindu prayer inSanskrit on June 18, containing verses from world’s oldest existing scripture.Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed will deliver the invocationfrom ancient Sanskrit scriptures before the City Council. After Sanskritdelivery, he then will read the English translation of the prayer. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language inHinduism and root language of Indo-European languages.
Zed, who is the President of Universal Societyof Hinduism, will recite from Rig-Veda, the oldest scripture of theworld still in common use, besides lines from Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita(Song of the Lord), both ancient Hindu scriptures. He plans to start and endthe prayer with “Om”, the mystical syllable containing the universe, which inHinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious work. Reciting from Brahadaranyakopanishad,Rajan Zed plans to say “Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrtyormamrtam gamaya”, which he will then translate as “Lead me from the unreal tothe Real, Lead me fromdarkness to Light, and Lead me fromdeath to Immortality.” Reciting from Bhagavad-Gita, he proposes to urgecouncilmembers to keep the welfare of others always in mind.
Zedis a global Hindu and interfaith leader, who besides taking up the cause ofreligion worldwide, has also raised huge voice against the apartheid faced by15-million Roma (Gypsies) in Europe. Bestowed with World Interfaith LeaderAward; Zed is Senior Fellow and Religious Advisor to Foundation for ReligiousDiplomacy, Spiritual Advisor to National Association of Interchurch &Interfaith Families, etc.Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion ofthe world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is itsultimate goal. erryAnn Fichter and Dave Garner are Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem respectively of Gridleywhose tagline is "A small town that loves company" and it is knownfor its "Silk Stocking Row".
