Hindu statesman Rajan Zed will deliver the invocation
from ancient Sanskrit scriptures before the city councils of Stockton, Fowler,
Lodi, Ceres, Riverbank, Dinuba, Gridley, Shasta Lake, Rancho Cordova,
Porterville, Sanger, Madera, Eureka, Bishop, Anderson, Anaheim and Redding. In
addition, Paradise Mayor Steve "Woody" Culleton has agreed to read
the Zed supplied Hindu prayer in the Town Council.
After Sanskrit delivery, Zed, who is President
of Universal Society of Hinduism, then will read the English translation of the
prayer.
Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in
Hinduism and root language of Indo-European languages.
Rajan Zed will recite 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 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 he will then translate as “Lead me from the unreal to
the Real, Lead me from
darkness to Light, and Lead me from
death to Immortality.” Reciting from Bhagavad-Gita, he proposes to urge
Councilmembers to keep the welfare of others always in mind.
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
15-million Roma (Gypsies) in Europe. Bestowed with World Interfaith Leader
Award; Zed is Senior Fellow and Religious Advisor to Foundation for Religious
Diplomacy, Spiritual Advisor to National Association of Interchurch &
Interfaith Families, etc.
Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of
the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its
ultimate goal.
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