RE : ARTICLE : Bhagwad Gita Commentary

Posted By Rajan P. Parrikar (parrikar@spot.Colorado.EDU)
Wed, 15 Jan 1997 14:23:42 -0700 (MST)

I had written:

"Apropos of our issue - comparative and critical judgment of translations
calls for expertise in both Sanskrit and English and also perhaps a good
background in the tradition. I don't know Sanskrit very well and so I am not
competent to make these attempts since I have no way of definitively
ascertaining the literal adherence to the original. The people (ISKCON fellas,
to wit) who I knew and who alleged that the 'other` Gitas didn't quite cut
it were even less competent than I in that they didn't even know to read
Sanskrit much less understand it."

>From which Michael Tandy hare-brainedly deduced the underlined:

> opinion, and I think it would be honest of you to admit that that is
> all you are presenting above, since you've admitted that you don't
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> have any of the qualifications you mentioned as necessary to judge
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> the meaning of the Gita's words.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Tandy, it is possible to sit with a Sanskrit dictionary (equipped
with, say, a fair background in the language and a good background
in one of the Sanskrit-based languages such as Hindi or Marathi) and
work through the Gita by oneself, seeking assistance along the way
whenever necessary from the more-informed and progress along these
lines. I can do this. The output will probably be approximate, not
definitive.

For a detailed study of the literature, its contextual purport and
attendent subleties, comparative analyses and judgments, and such like,
much more is entailed and it is a challenge even to the professionals and
experts in the field. This kind of investigation of the Gita I am not
competent to undertake.

Do you understand the difference now? Given your very poor display of
inference and comprehension of elementary matters such as these, one
must wonder about your ability to even read, much less understand, a
work of as great a poetic and philosophical depth as the Bhagavad Gita.

Warm regards,

r

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