SONG OF THE LORD

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SONG OF THE LORD

An English translation of the timeless Hindu manual for self-

transformation

 

Source: Free Press Journal

Book Review by K. Subbarayan

 

The Bhagavad Gita, the Gospel of Hindusim, is the world's shortest

scripture consisting of just 700 verses! A renowned religious

classic, it has a dramatic setting. It originated in the battlefield

of Kurukshetra when all was set for the Mahabharata war to begin - a

war between the numerically small but righteous Pandavas, with

Krishna on their side, and the mighty but unrighteous Kauravas.

Arjuna is overcome by delusion whether he should fight or not

against his dear and near ones. Krishna, his friend and mentor,

clears his doubts regarding Dharma in all its aspects, and his nerve

steeled, Arjuna fights and wins the war.

 

The dialogue between the two - God Incarnate and man - touches

almost every aspect of life, which is the major reason for its

popularity. To Gandhi, Gita was the staff of his life. It has many

celebrated votaries in the East and West. The Gita, which is

originally in Sanskrit, has been translated into all world

languages. Among Indian scriptures, the maximum number of books has

been written on the Gita.

 

Along with the Upanishads and Brahma Sutras, it has the status of

being one of the three foundational scriptures of Hinduism. Apart

from the classical commentaries by the three Acharyas, Sankara,

Ramanuja and Madhva, well known works include Tilak's "Gita

Rahasya," Aurobindo's "Essays on the Gita," Jnaneshwara'#########

commentary "Jananeswari," and Sir Edwin Arnold's "Song Celestial."

 

The Gita verses look so simple that almost everyone familiar with

them would be tempted to translate them. But the terse and

telegraphic verses couched in Sanskrit with its subtle nuances make

it a daunting task for the translator. The translation under review

is no exception, right from the title, "Bhagwat Gita," which ought

to be "Bhagawad Gita," with 'd' in place of 't'. The subtitle

says: "An easy to read, rare, English translation." One cannot

understand how it can be classed as a "rare" translation.

 

To come to specifics: in Chapter I, verse 10, the author makes

Duryodhana say, "Led by Bhishma Pitamaha, our army is invincible in

all respects. And Pandava army, whose chief is Bhima, can easily

win." What is the poor reader to make out of such a rendering! C.12

v 15: "My devotee who is never agitated with anyone nor anyone gets

agitated with him." What is meant is, "My devotee who neither

disturbs the world nor gets disturbed by the world."

 

C 13 v 7: "Lack of pride in personal goodness, lack of ill actions

(sic), not to annoy any living being in any manner, generosity to

excuse…" Simply translated these would be 'humility,

unpretentiousness, non-injury, forbearance…' C 13 v 9: … "And

maintaining one's cool on grant of loved one or otherwise." In

simple terms, "And constant equanimity of mind with regard to the

attainment of the desirable and the undesirable." Why go on

multiplying such examples! This is not to decry the author's

sincerity or earnestness but only to emphasise how difficult is the

task he has undertaken!

 

THE BHAGVAT GITA

Translated by Satish Kakri,

101pp. Mumbai: English Edition . Rs 125