Throughout this website I have used my favourite translation of the Bhagavad Gita by the scholar Juan Mascaró; I also use his translation of the Upanishads. There are many translations of these most important of ancient Sanskrit scriptures, and selecting any one is always going to be fraught with questions concerning the veracity of the work, whether it authentically translates the original word for word, or whether it is also able to capture the beauty of the prose and the spirit of the truth of the work as a whole, which, for me, is equally as important.
I understand that many modern commentators feel that Mascaró’s translations are not as exact word for word as they feel important, or that he simplifies the text in some cases, but none the less, I still favour his translation for the reasons stated here. For example, he uses the word ‘Love’ throughout, rather than mere ‘devotion’ and words like ‘adore/adoration’ instead of ‘obeisance’ or ‘prostrate to me’, which other translators and commentator do, including Swami Prabhupāda, whose translation ‘The Bhagavad Gita As It Is’ I sometimes use for comparative purposes.
Here is what Juan Mascaró himself says:
“The aim of this translation is to give, without notes or commentary, the spiritual message of the Bhagavad Gita in pure English. In a few verses of the poem I have interwoven one or more words to make clear the meaning, or to explain a proper name, as when in 1.8 Kama is described as ‘the enemy of Arjuna, his half brother’. Considering that ‘the letter kills, but the spirit gives life’, I have avoided in a few cases the accepted translation of a word.. The most conspicuous example is the very first word of the poem, ‘Dharma’, which I have in this particular case translated by ‘Truth’. I came to this conclusion after years of thought; and I was very pleased when I read afterwards that Rabindranath Tagore in his ‘Sadhana’, Chapter 4, says that ‘Dharma’ is ‘the truth in us’. The words of a poem have many waves of suggestion: I take the word ‘Dharma’ in this case to mean the Truth of the universe. As the Gita emphasizes God on earth more than the Brahman or Atman of the Upanishads, I have sometimes translated the word Brahman or Atman by ‘God’. In rendering a verse I have most carefully considered all the previous translations and interpretations I could find; but I have followed my own light.”
Here are some comparative examples:
Juan Mascaró:
11. 53. Not by the Vedas, or an austere life, or gifts to the poor, or ritual offerings can I be seen as thou hast seen me. 54. Only by love can men see me, and know me, and come unto me.
The Bhagavad Gita As It Is:
11.53 The form you are seeing with your transcendental eyes cannot be understood simply by studying the Vedas, nor by undergoing penances, nor by charity, nor by worship. It is not by these means that one can see Me as I am. 54.My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding.
Juan Mascaró:
18. 65 Give thy mind to me, and give me thy heart, and thy sacrifice, and thy adoration. This is my Word of promise: thou shalt in truth come to me, for thou art dear to me. 66 Leave all things behind, and come to me for thy salvation. I will make thee free from the bondage of sins. Fear no more.
The Bhagavad Gita As It Is:
18.65 Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend. 66 Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I will deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.
Juan Mascaró:
18. 58 If thy soul finds rest in me, thou shalt overcome all dangers by my grace; but if thy thoughts are on thyself, and thou wilt not listen, thou shalt perish.
The Bhagavad Gita As It Is:
18.58 If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditioned 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.
There are many other examples. The majority of scriptural texts were written over a thousand or more years ago (consider the New Testament), in times and cultures that could scarcely be more different to the world we live in now. Many of the traditional classical Indian scriptural interpretations, as made in this case by Swami Prabhupāda, are based upon ancient Hindu mythology, much of which is impenetrable and meaningless to a modern western mind. I have two very different friends who told me they attempted to read the Gita, not the translation by Mascaró, but one of the more conventional versions. One said he found it ‘repellent’; the other also told me she was alienated by it, so I recommended the Mascaró translation as simpler and which speaks straight to the heart.
I have lately discovered one of the latest translations: ‘The Bhagavad Gita Comes Alive. A Radical Translation’ by Author Jeffery Armstrong/Kavindra Rishi. I certainly like this translation much more than the ‘Bhagavad Gita As It Is’. The author explains his purpose and approach and offers an excellent and helpful glossary of terms. However I still prefer Mascaró’s translation for personal enjoyment, whilst intellectually endorsing that by Jeffery Armstrong. Now I will often use both side by side to see what each offer for the translation of some key verse. I have no doubt that the translation by Armstrong is more ‘accurate’ in terms of the actual Sanskrit, but I still feel that Mascaró captures the spirit authentically in a way that speaks straight to the heart of many people from Western cultures.
The Gita has been my life companion and spiritual guide for years and the guide book on that difficult pathway through life where one can so easily go astray. Thanks to it, and to that other timeless spiritual guide, Jesus, I have arrived today where I am, with the hopes and indeed the expectations of completing my journey safely to its ultimate destination – the Self. Enough said.
