Publications
Publication details [#20633]
Németh, Orsolya. 2009. Avatars d’un texte. Commentaires et traductions de la Bhagavad-gītā [Avatars of a text. Comments and translations of the Bhagavad-gita]. In Lassave, Pierre, ed. Traduire l'intraduisible [Translating the untranslatable]. Special issue of Archives de sciences sociales des religions 147 (3): 187–207. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
Publication type
Article in Special issue
Publication language
French
Source language
Abstract
The Bhagavad-gita, a major scripture of the Brahmanical tradition and a synthesis of different philosophies, has been commented and translated many times. Its first translation into a western language, notably English, was made by Charles Wilkins in 1785. Since then more than 270 English versions and some fifteen French ones have been published. The language of the text allows several interpretations even from Sanskrit to Sanskrit, testified by a long exegetical tradition dating back at least to the 8th century. The Gita has been claimed by several schools of philosophy as their foundational text and presents a constant challenge to western translators. Since each attempt at translation inevitably reduces the hermeneutical possibilities of the original ever new translations are published regularly. In fact, the text survives due to this constant sense of dissatisfaction. Although secular interpreters and translators admittedly aim at objectivity they are prey to the inherent subjectivity of their viewpoint just like believers.
Source : Abstract in journal