Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi read a passage from the sacred Bhagavad-Gita at the Bipartisan Interfaith Prayer Service on the first day of the 119th Congress.
The Bipartisan Interfaith Prayer Service was held on January 3 to bless the new Congress before it gets officially constituted for another two years.
Krishnamoorthi, 51, was sworn-in as member of the US House of Representatives for the fifth consecutive term on January 3. He represents the 8th Congressional District of Illinois.
"Years ago, Hindu Americans were not included at prayer services in our nation's capital," said Krishnamoorthi, who was the only speaker to represent the Hindu faith. Other speakers at the widely attended service included Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
"I'm grateful that we now have a seat at the table and that I can play a part in spreading the beautiful blessings of the Hindu faith to my colleagues, both Republican and Democrat. Together we prayed for peace and prosperity, and in doing so are better equipped to tackle our nation's toughest challenges ahead," he said,
Krishnamoorthi then recited a poem from Bhagavad-Gita.
It said, "The Supreme Lord said: In all activities just depend upon Me and work always under My protection. In such devotional service, be fully conscious of Me.
If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditional life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost.
Krishnamoorthi is one of the four Hindu lawmakers in the US Congress. The other three are Ro Khanna, Shri Thanedar, and Suhash Subramaniam.
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