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Nevada (US), Jan 25 (ANI): 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 January 24.

Distinguished 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 Brahadaranyakopanishad, Rajan Zed said: “Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrityor mamrtam gamaya”, which he then read in English as, “Lead us from the unreal to the Real, Lead us from darkness to Light, Lead us from death to immortality.” Reading from Bhagavad-Gita, he urged Councilors and others to “act selflessly, without any thought of personal profit.”

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. Mayor Geno Martini thanked Zed.

Rajan Zed is one of the panelists for “On Faith”, a prestigious interactive conversation on religion produced by The Washington Post. 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. (ANI)