SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
MINDEN, Nev. — The Douglas County Board of Supervisors will start its day with Hindu invocation on August 16 at Lake Tahoe (Stateline, Nevada) for the first time, containing verses from world’s oldest existing scripture. Hindu statesman Rajan Zed will deliver the opening prayer from ancient Sanskrit scriptures before the County Board of Supervisors. After Sanskrit delivery, he then will 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, 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, Zed proposes to urge Supervisors 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 about 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, Director Interfaith Relations of Nevada Clergy Association, etc.
Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA.
Formed in 1861, Douglas County, headquartered in Minden, is home to about 13.2 percent of Lake Tahoe, part of Toiyabe National Forest, Starbucks roasting plant and 23 landmarks listed on National Register of Historic Places. Lee Bonner, Nancy McDermid and Steve Mokrohisky are chairman, vice chair and county manager, respectively.
