Theos-Talk Archives (April 2003 Message tt00089)

Friday, April 18, 2003

Re BHAGAVAD GITA and Gandhi

Dear Laura:

To my knowledge, Gandhiji never said or wrote that he was aware
of Mr. Judge’s rendition of the BHAGAVAD GITA

The BHAGAVAD GITA was Gandhiji’s favorite book. He read it in
the original Sanskrit, as also in Gujerati, Hindi, and perhpas
other Indian languages that he knew. But, he did not need English
translations. He understood it, and its message, by direct
reading and study. He tried to apply it to himself and to all
affairs in life, including the direct and totally honest politics
needed to secure India’s freedom from British rule.

He also wrote a commentary on the BHAGAVAD GITA in Gujerati,
Hindi and English.

The story goes that while he was a student in London during H P B
’s life, (late 1880’s) he was asked by several student friends to
help them to study the BHAGAVAD GITA -- as he could read the
original (Sanskrit) -- and he could render it better in
translation and explanation, than the translations then available
in the West, such as referred to by Mr. Judge in the “Antecedent
Words.” [J. Cockburn Thomson, Subba Row, Tookeram Tatya, Wilkins]

Two of them, I believe, were members of the THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY,
and they brought him to meet H P B. If anything happened then,
there is no record that I know of.

Gandhiji refers to this briefly in one of his autobiographical
writings. (The Story of My Experiments with Truth, I believe.)

In India he apparently found that the objectives of Annie Besant
as President of the THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY (and also a fighter for
India’s freedom), did not agree with his or those he found in the
BHAGAVAD GITA, so, thereafter, he avoided any special contact
with her, I was told.

The Indian National Congress, you may recall, was started by Mr.
A. O. Hume (recipient in the early 1880’s, along with A. P.
Sinnett, of the Mahatma Letters) with the objective of securing
gradual “Home Rule” for India.

To my knowledge Gandhiji was unaware of Mr. Judge’s translation
of the BHAGAVAD GITA, but this does not mean he was never given a
copy of it. He does not mention it.

Best wishes,

Dallas.

==================


-----Original Message-----
From: L Gray
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 8:53 PM
To:
Subject: Bhagavad Gita

Dear Dallas:

Thank you for your continued efforts on the internet. I have a
question that was asked tonight on the reading of WQJ rendition
of the Gita. The comment was that it was the favorite of
Gandhi's. Do you know where this is recorded?

L


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