Some Problems of Translating Early Jaina Texts

Author(s): B K Khadabadi
Publisher: Z_Aspect_of_Jainology_Part_2_Pundit_Bechardas_Doshi_012016.pdf

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B. K. Khadabadi
(40) That daughter of the great King, Steadfast in her restraint and vows, Protecting the honour of her clan And of family and virtue, spoke to him :
(41) Were you handsome like Vaiśramana, Were you pleasing like Nalakūbera, And the very Purandara incarnate were you,
I should have no desire for you. At times we have to adjust the translation to the genius of the English expression while choosing a word or a phrase for the corresponding Prākṣta one in the original text. I was, a few days back, rendering the FAT-fail and could not be satisfied with the literal rendering of the last recurring line of the verses in the hymn, namely,
तं गोम्मटेसं पणमामि णिज्जं ।
by using 'bow' or 'bow down' for 'quaf#', for it did not bring down the due sense of the original Prāksta word, nor did it suit the English expression. After some serious thinking, the following translation struck to my mind and to my satisfaction :
Before that Gommateś a ever I kneel !12 These are some of the problems, surely not exhaustive, of translating early Jaina works into English, discussed in general and also in the light of my own experiments. German scholars, as noted above, have been pioneers in translating into English the early Jaina texts, as also they have been so in Jaina studies in general. Then some other foreign and Indian scholars have tried their hands, now and then, at this work. It is high time that some more Indian scholars should come forward to take up this work on a systematized plan, so that it can encourage the Jaina studies among the Westerners as well as among those using English as medium in their higher learning.
Notes and References A summarised and revised version of thoughts presented at the "Symposium on the Problems of Translating the Jaina Works', held at the P. V.
Research Institute, Varanasi, in March 1981. 1. (i) For some more details in this regard, one can go through N. M.
Tatia's (1) A Random Selection of Researches in Jainology by Foreigners, Tulsi Prajñā, Vol. V, Nos 9-10, and (2) A further Selection of the Researches by Foreigners, Tulsi Prajila, Vol. V, Nos. 11-12.