Alaska Senate, House Of Reps Open With Sanskrit Shlokas

April 10, 2010

Author: Staff Writer

Source: Merinews

http://www.merinews.com/article/alaska-senate-house-of-reps-open-with-sanskrit-shlokas/15803741.shtml

Both Alaska state senate and House of Representatives in Juneau started day’s work with Hindu prayers on April nine. 

Rajan Zed, Hindu leader, read the opening prayers from ancient Sanskrit scriptures before Senators and Representatives on this day after sprinkling Ganga Jal (sacred water from river Ganga of India). After Sanskrit delivery, he then read the English translation of the prayers. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in Hinduism and root language of Indo-European languages. 

Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, recited from Rig-Veda, the oldest scripture of the world still in common use, dated from around 1,500 BCE, besides lines from Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord), both ancient Hindu scriptures. He started and ended the prayer with “Om”, the mystical syllable containing the universe, which in Hinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious work.