Hindu invocation (opening-prayer) is scheduled to be read on May two in the Alabama House of Representatives reportedly for the first time since the creation of Alabama legislature in 1818; containing verses from world’s oldest extant scripture.
Another first: For the first time, two Hindu invocations are scheduled to be read on May two, instead of the usual one. Arpita Patel and Hindu statesman Rajan Zed will be the invocators. May two is also National Day of Prayer.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, will deliver the invocation from ancient Sanskrit scriptures in the Alabama House of Representatives. After Sanskrit delivery, he then will read the English interpretation of the prayers. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in Hinduism and the 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, Zed plans to say “Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrtyor mamrtam gamaya”; which he will then interpret as “Lead us from the unreal to the real, Lead us from darkness to light, and Lead us from death to immortality.” Reciting from Bhagavad-Gita, he proposes to urge House members and others present to keep the welfare of others always in mind.
Rajan Zed, a global Hindu and interfaith leader, has been bestowed with the World Interfaith Leader Award. Zed was invited by the President of the European Parliament in Brussels (Belgium) for a one-on-one meeting to promote interfaith dialogue, is on the Advisory Board of The Interfaith Peace Project, etc. He has been panelist for “On Faith”, a prestigious interactive conversation on religion produced by The Washington Post; and produces a weekly multi-faith panel “Faith Forum” in a Gannett publication for over 13 years.
Zed has thanked the Alabama House of Representatives for its inclusivity gesture in welcoming the Hindu prayer. A hard-working, harmonious and peaceful community; Hindus had made a lot of contributions to the nation and Alabama; and continued to do so; he added.
Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about 1.2 billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in the USA.
The Alabama House of Representatives in Montgomery is comprised of 105 members. Nathaniel Ledbetter is the Speaker.