Penguin Classics Bhagavad Gita: Amazon.ca: H Unknown, S Brodbeck, Mascaro, Juan Mascaro: Books

Product Description

Book Description

"The Bhagavad Gita" is an intensely spiritual work that forms the cornerstone of the Hindu faith, and is also one of the masterpieces of Sanskrit poetry. It describes how, at the beginning of a mighty battle between the Pandava and Kaurava armies, the god Krishna gives spiritual enlightenment to the warrior Arjuna, who realizes that the true battle is for his own soul.

About the Author

Juan Mascaró taught at Oxford University, Parameshvara College at Jaffna, the University of Barcelona, and Cambridge University. He also translated The Dhammapada and The Upanishads for Penguin Classics. He died in 1987.

Simon Brodbeck studied at the Universities of Cambridge and London and completed a Ph.D. thesis on The Bhagavad Gita at the School of Oriental and African Studies.

Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
On the field of Truth, on the battle-field of life, what came to pass, Sanjaya, when my sons and their warriors faced those of my brother Pandu? Read the first page

Explore More
Concordance

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

(What's this?)

Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)

bhagavad gita(1)

eastern philosophy(1)

easwaran(1)

eknath(1)

eknath easwaran(1)

sanskrit(1)

yoga(1)

Customer Reviews

12 Reviews

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Simple and effective, Jun 15 2001

By

racx (Malaysia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Penguin Classics Bhagavad Gita (Paperback)

Juan has done a fantastic job of translating the Gita into such concise writing. Every verse interpreted (though it biased towards Juan's opinion or philosophies) was succinct and did not require the reader to crack his/her head over the meaning. For me it was certainly an excellent introduction to the marvellous poem. Another version by Ramanand Prasad is more in depth and profound in it's translation. The free version by him could be found at www.gita-society.com Here's an example of the two contrasting profundity and distinctive styles of translations:

For verse 2:27 Juan's translation was :

Set thy heart upon thy work, but never on its reward. Work not or a reward; but never cease to do thy work.

as for the one by Ramanand Prasad, it came out as :

You have Adhikaara over your respective duty only, but no control or claim over the results. The fruits of work should not be your motive. You should never be inactive. (2.47) (The word Adhikaara means ability and privilege, prerogative, jurisdiction, discretion, right, preference, choice, rightful claim, authority, control.)

A reader wishing to venture into the depths of the Gita should consider reading this version by Juan as an overview of it.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars I didn't read this translation..., Sep 20 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Penguin Classics Bhagavad Gita (Paperback)

...but I feel compelled to comment on the book itself, especially in comparison to the myths of judeo-christian society. The stories, conflicts, and personalities involved are so incredibly strong, colorful, and heart-wrenching when compared to the old and new testaments that I wonder what's wrong with our societies when we have to choose the most lifeless creator myths around to build our superstitions around. They're all superstitions, make no mistake, but at least in the Bhagavad-gita you can imagine people acting the way they do, and feel that the characters are majestic, and possibly worth inspiring superstitions. I in no way advocate building your life around these stories (I would hardly tell you to do so with the bible or the koran) but in any case you can see the richness of imagination present in the ancient societies of the Indian subcontinent. And in comparison, the creation myths of the middle east are sorely lacking.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Important work, but Mascaro's translation should be avoided, Feb 9 2004

By

Christopher Culver - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Penguin Classics Bhagavad Gita (Paperback)

The BHAGAVAD GITA is one of the most important of the scriptures of Hinduism, and one of the highest points of all literature in Sanskrit. It is actually a brief extract from the Mahabharata, India's huge epic, which describes a war between two halves of a family for the throne. The BHAGAVAD GITA tells of how, as the two armies are squared off on the battle field, the divine manifestation Krishna appears to the noble warrior Arjuna, to calm his doubts and show him a path of righteousness.

The work begins with an ironic turn for one expecting a passive and pacifist work. Arjuna does not wish to kill, and would rather withdraw from the slaughter about to ensue. Krishna, however, tells him that it is okay to kill, because the soul is in any event indestructible and his enemies will be reborn. Instead of abstaining from one's work for moral reasons, says Krishna, it would be better to do it and dedicate it, whatever it might be, to the divine. "Action is greater than inaction" is the moral of the first part of the book. From there, the work begins to emphasise Krishna as the way to salvation and recommends love to him.

I found Juan Mascaro's translation disappointing. While his language is generally quite clear and readable, he uses "thou" which I feel only makes the result feel archaic instead of like a living text. A great problem is that, Mascaro actually believes in the next, as is immediately apparently from his rather jumbled and confused introduction (which seems more concerned with the Vedas than the Bhagavad Gita). He speaks for pages about its "truth" which we must all follow, and how its insights are not only compatible with other religions such Christianity, but must be combined with them. I feel this sentiment could have greatly biased his translation; better to get a translation from a neutral, dispassionate scholar of Sanskrit. I would also have liked to know more about how Mascaro was qualified to translate the text, but Penguin's biography unhelpfully neglects to tell us much, except that he studied Sanskrit at some unknown level and lived for a brief time in Sri-Lanka.

The BHAGAVAD GITA is a classic of literature, whatever one might think about its religious truth. And it also helps to shed light on the many new religious movements of the last hundred years which have based their thought on the text. I'd wholeheartedly recommend reading it, though ideally in a translation done by a more neutral party.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 12 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Want to see more reviews on this item?

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 25 reviews 4.2 out of 5 stars

Most recent customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars gita
all i want to say is that if you want to interprete gita in its fullest then don't go for any translations.first study sanskrit and then read gita in its original form. Read more

Published on Sep 12 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars read this!
no words!!just read it!!my words are nothing comparing to Bahagavad Gita!!read it whoever you are!Thanx

Published on Mar 8 2003