Reflections on the Bhagavad Gita

“Some people view the soul as something breathtaking, others describe it as such, and some hear about it as something truly wondrous, yet there are those who simply can't wrap their heads around it even after hearing all about it.” (Bhagavad-gita, 2.29)

here’s my 🙂

Ryan Thompson4 said:“Some people view the soul as something breathtaking, others describe it as such, and some hear about it as something truly wondrous, yet there are those who simply can't wrap their heads around it even after hearing all about it.” (Bhagavad-gita, 2.29)

here’s my 🙂

I assume this is Prabhupada's translation from the Sanskrit...

Anyone can grasp the concept of the soul intellectually if you explain it simply enough—even a child could get it with the right wording. But realizing that the soul actually defies intellectual capture? That idea is way beyond even Prabhupada's spiritual reach. So, here’s a better translation of that verse:

Some catch a glimpse of consciousness manifesting and find themselves wondering at it.

Some speak of Him as a marvel, and some hear of Him as a marvel.

Yet, despite seeing, speaking, or hearing, none truly know Him.

Consciousness is so subtle that the sense organs can't fathom it, yet it constantly leaves one in a state of awe.

(Per Vedic teaching, the mind is considered a sense organ)

And this translation makes much more sense too:

One perceives it as a mystery, speaks of it as a mystery, or hears of it as a mystery, yet no one truly knows it.
That (the Self, the One, the Divine) which we observe, speak of, and hear about as a wonder beyond our grasp...
because despite everything we learn from those who possess wisdom, no human mind has ever truly known this Absolute.

Sandra Morgan2 said:I assume this is Prabhupada's translation from the Sanskrit...

Anyone can grasp the concept of the soul intellectually if you explain it simply enough—even a child could get it with the right wording. But realizing that the soul actually defies intellectual capture? That idea is way beyond even Prabhupada's spiritual reach. So, here’s a better translation of that verse:

Some catch a glimpse of consciousness manifesting and find themselves wondering at it.

Some speak of Him as a marvel, and some hear of Him as a marvel.

Yet, despite seeing, speaking, or hearing, none truly know Him.

Consciousness is so subtle that the sense organs can't fathom it, yet it constantly leaves one in a state of awe.

(Per Vedic teaching, the mind is considered a sense organ)

And this translation makes much more sense too:

One perceives it as a mystery, speaks of it as a mystery, or hears of it as a mystery, yet no one truly knows it.
That (the Self, the One, the Divine) which we observe, speak of, and hear about as a wonder beyond our grasp...
because despite everything we learn from those who possess wisdom, no human mind has ever truly known this Absolute.

And here is a direct translation from the Sanskrit into English—authoritative, verse-based, and hopefully free from too many interpretive flourishes (though, let's be honest, how much can any translation ever really be free of them?):
By rare chance, some catch sight of Him,
Others, perhaps, rarely speak of Him,
And a third group rarely hears of Him:
And though they have heard, no one truly knows Him.

jadewalker51 said:And here is a direct translation from the Sanskrit into English—authoritative, verse-based, and hopefully free from too many interpretive flourishes (though, let's be honest, how much can any translation ever really be free of them?):
By rare chance, some catch sight of Him,
Others, perhaps, rarely speak of Him,
And a third group rarely hears of Him:
And though they have heard, no one truly knows Him.

Kardashev 🙂

Someone translated Jevtić's version into English:

Someone looks at Him as a wonder, others speak of Him as a wonder, a third hears of Him as a wonder, and though they
hear of Him as a wonder, no one actually knows Him.

The same passage, in Miroslav Marković's translation:

By rare luck, some behold Him,
By luck, some speak of Him,
Or someone hears of Him by luck:
They hear, but have no knowledge of Him.

These are the authoritative translations.

That quote doesn't make sense when taken out of context.

Here is the lesson regarding saMkhya (the Kardashev translation):

II. 12-30

12. Never would I not be,
You, or these kings;
Nor shall there ever cease to be,
Any of us hereafter.

13. Beings walk with those bodies,
Through childhood, youth, and age;
And others walk similarly:
Wise people are not confused by this.

14. The touches of matter create
Heat and cold, pain and pleasure;
They are fleeting, coming and going:
Endure them, Arjuna!

15. But for the wise man, Bičino,
Who is not led astray by them,
Pain and pleasure are the same,
He retreats toward immortality.

16. From non-existence, being never comes,
Nor from being, non-existence:
Between these two, they see
Those who perceive the truth.

17. It is indestructible, know this,
Everything that this encompasses;
To destroy this incorruptible,
No one has the power.

18. Bodies reach their end,
But the ownership, they say, is everlasting,
Indestructible and immeasurable:
Therefore fight, Arjuna!

19. If anyone thinks me a killer,
Or that I can be killed,
Both are mistaken:
I neither kill, nor die.

20. Neither is He born, nor does He die,
Nor will He, having become, cease to be;
Unborn, permanent, eternal, and ancient,
The body is slain, but He is not.

21. He who knows the indestructible,
The unborn, the incorruptible,
How could he kill anyone,
Or be the cause of it?

22. Just as a man discards worn-out
Clothes, then reaches for others,
And casting off old bodies,
He joins with new ones, his ownership.

23. Swords cannot cut Him,
Nor can fire burn Him,
Nor can water moisten Him,
Nor can winds dry Him.

24. Indivisible, unsleeping,
Moistening and drying, elusive,
Omnipresent, permanent, firm,
He is unmoving, always the same.

25. Unmanifest, unthinkable,
Unchanging, they say;
If you know Him as such,
You should not grieve.

26. If you think that He is born,
And that He dies again and again,
Even then, O Mighty-Armed One,
You should not mourn Him.

27. Death is certain for the born,
And birth for the dead, likewise;
Over the inevitable, Arjuna,
Therefore you should not grieve.

28. The beginnings of beings are hidden,
Their middles are obvious;
And their ends are hidden too:
Why then should there be sorrow?

29. By rare chance some see Him,
Others rarely speak of him,
And the third group seldom listens to his word:
They have heard, yet he remains unknown to them.

30. The ownership within every soul,
Is eternal and everlasting:
No living being, Arjuna,
Can ever truly destroy it.

Miroslav Marković's:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/82076775/Bhagavad-Gita-CRO (6-7)

Do you happen to have this in PDF?
I’m really looking to pick this up—I've just started diving into this kind of literature lately!

http://www.scribd.com/search?categor...=bhagavad+gita 🤷