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AN APPRECIATION OF RADHAKRISHNAN'S TRANSLATION OF "THE BHAGVADGITA"
Jag Mohan*
Having been born an Adi Dravida in Madras, I was not privileged to learn Sanskrit. At school and college, dazzled by the British Raj, I abandoned my mother-tongue, Telugu, and opted for English as my language of communication. Perforce, I had to content myself with translations of the Bhagvadgita and books on this Sanskrit classic. It has been a major literary preoccupation of mine over the last four decades. I must have read over a score of translations and over half a dozen interpretations and commentaries. This was in pursuit of my endeavour to get at the rahasya of Bhagavadgita, which from now on I shall refer as just the Gita.
Among all the Gita books I have read and re-read, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan's monumental translation, with a splendid introductory essay, has had a special fascination for me. It was after reading the philosopherstatesman's other books like The Hindu View of Life, Indian Philosophy and An Idealist View of Life that I was led to his The Bhagvadgita. It cast a spell on me and it continues to do so even after reading thrice over. And, each reading has been an enriching, rewarding experience.
The Song Celestial or The Song of God or the Song of the Blessed as it has been variously called, through Radhakrishnan's translation enthralled me so much that for a year or so I made a ritual reading of it. Every morning, I would read a few slokas and ponder over them. This led me to an extensive research with the aim and intent of writing a script for an art film, which is still an unrealized project.
Radhakrishnan's long introductory essay, notes and footnotes to the translation of the slokas were of immense use in the removal of the "Cloud of up-knowing." Subsequently, Aldous Huxley's short, compact introduction to Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood's translation partly in verse and partly in prose and the longish introduction of Juan Mascaro's to his own prose translation of the Gita have also helped me in my pursuit of the rahasya. I am beholden to all of them.
* Executive Secretary, NAMEDIA, New Delhi
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