THE BHAGAVAD GITA
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—In his review of Mr. Dhan Gopal Mukerji's translation of the Bhagavad Gila, Major Yeats-Brown quoted two passages to illustrate the translator's style. Curiosity led me to com- pare it, not only with the original but with two translations, one by Kashinath Telang, in the Sacred Books of the East Series (Editor, Max Muller), the other by Mrs. Annie Besant. I shall give one of these passages viii, 19 and 20, as translated by these three persons :
Mn. GOPAL ESURE11.71.
The constehations of life that existed In the yesterday of Brehm, merge to-day without volition, Arjuna into the immani- feat dark and rise again Into form, and return again into nothingness at the break of to-morrow. But behind these im- mensities of light and darkness is the unfathomed existence which riseth not nor setteth, where the rumour of destruction reseheth not, nor the sounds and echoes of rebirth.
This passage, which Major Yeats-Brown has quoted, is no doubt a good example of what he calls Mr. Mukerji's " thoroughbred and well-poised English." It may be a justifiable commentary also on the original text. But is it a good translation ?—I
TEL630.
This earns assemblage of entities, being produced again and again, dissolves on the advent of night, and 0 son of Pritha, issues forth on the advent of day, without a will of its own. But there Is another entity, unperceived and eternal, and distinct from this unperceived (prin- ciple)which is not de- stroyed, when all entitles are destroyed. Has. BassWr.
This multitude of beings, going forth repeatedly, Is dissolved at the coming of night by ordination, 0 Partha, It streams forth at the coming of day. Therefore verily there existeth, higher than that namanifested, another un- manifested, eternal, which In the destroying of all beings, Is not destroyed.
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