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The Song Celestial or Bhagavad-Gita and the Light of Asia
This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.
436 pages, Hardcover
Published July 25, 2007
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About the author
Edwin Arnold
686 books33 followersSir Edwin Arnold CSI CIE was an English poet and journalist who is most known for his work, The Light of Asia.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 27, 2024
Rating the translation attempt by Edwin Arnold -- Not the source material.
Laudable in its attempt to render the original work in English via beautiful poetic verse but suffers due to:-
1) Translator’s personal religious bias leading to the employment of vocabulary that may not always accurately reflect the meaning employed by the actual Sanskrit term present in the original work.
2) Translator's disingenuous excision of passages that were present in the original work, which he assessed as interpolated, leading to a classic case of throwing out the 'baby with the bathwater'.
Laudable in its attempt to render the original work in English via beautiful poetic verse but suffers due to:-
1) Translator’s personal religious bias leading to the employment of vocabulary that may not always accurately reflect the meaning employed by the actual Sanskrit term present in the original work.
2) Translator's disingenuous excision of passages that were present in the original work, which he assessed as interpolated, leading to a classic case of throwing out the 'baby with the bathwater'.
October 3, 2019
The Song Celestial or Bhavagad Gita *** -- The version I have is a beautiful translation by Edwin Arnold in 1885. I can’t attest to its accuracy, but the verse is vivid and musical. I will admit that I haven’t given this the close reading and research it deserves, but here are my preliminary thoughts on reading it.
The book starts strongly, with Arjuna’s regret about fighting his family and friends in war. Krishna, his charioteer, urges him to fight. The first several chapters provide instructions on proper behavior and the appropriate course of action Arjuna should take that day and all others. These sections were the most compelling to me.
The following chapters provide a sweeping cosmology of the Hindu universe, I supposed to provide the background on why this course of action is appropriate. Here, however, the chapters lose some of their charm as the reader is led through numerous classifications and dissections of acts, thoughts, knowledge, reality, god, faith and more.
For example, in Chapter 18, Krishna outlines the “threefold starting-ground of acts,” the types of action, the “five things which go to every act,” the types of doers, “the three Qualities, by nature framed,” etc. These distinctions flood the reader, becoming, for an uninitiated, a blur of terms and differences without a difference.
And as with most religious texts there are many admonishments that Krishna is the only path, the only way to truth, the light and the lord. We are urged to follow him, believe in him, worship him, etc.
The Gita presents and appealing picture of the universe, imbued with soul and life, and the eternal cycle of life. Alas, there seems as little proof of this as of heaven or hell.
As with most religious texts, there seems to be some contradictions. In the beginning, Krishna tells Arjuna it is his duty to fight in the battle. That explanation is the point of the whole book. But later, he describes one who is on the “path to heavenly birth” as one who should “heed to injure nought which lives” and practice “slowness unto wrath.” These are tough attributes to have in battle.
Again, these are my thoughts on a rather cursory reading of a translation which may not be completely reliable.
The book starts strongly, with Arjuna’s regret about fighting his family and friends in war. Krishna, his charioteer, urges him to fight. The first several chapters provide instructions on proper behavior and the appropriate course of action Arjuna should take that day and all others. These sections were the most compelling to me.
The following chapters provide a sweeping cosmology of the Hindu universe, I supposed to provide the background on why this course of action is appropriate. Here, however, the chapters lose some of their charm as the reader is led through numerous classifications and dissections of acts, thoughts, knowledge, reality, god, faith and more.
For example, in Chapter 18, Krishna outlines the “threefold starting-ground of acts,” the types of action, the “five things which go to every act,” the types of doers, “the three Qualities, by nature framed,” etc. These distinctions flood the reader, becoming, for an uninitiated, a blur of terms and differences without a difference.
And as with most religious texts there are many admonishments that Krishna is the only path, the only way to truth, the light and the lord. We are urged to follow him, believe in him, worship him, etc.
The Gita presents and appealing picture of the universe, imbued with soul and life, and the eternal cycle of life. Alas, there seems as little proof of this as of heaven or hell.
As with most religious texts, there seems to be some contradictions. In the beginning, Krishna tells Arjuna it is his duty to fight in the battle. That explanation is the point of the whole book. But later, he describes one who is on the “path to heavenly birth” as one who should “heed to injure nought which lives” and practice “slowness unto wrath.” These are tough attributes to have in battle.
Again, these are my thoughts on a rather cursory reading of a translation which may not be completely reliable.
December 23, 2014
The Bhagavad Gita is the story of Arjuna's conversation with the God Krishna. In it Krishna conveys the whole message of what is said to be the truth about religion to Arjuna. The conversation begins after you find out that Arjuna is reluctant to wage war on his own people and Krishna through his explanation of the truth about the universe convinces him it is justified.
The writing has to be measured on the specific translation. This translation is old and suffers from the translator using words commonly used to explain western theological ideas. That don't fit in with Eastern religion and culture. It is also fragmented and not translated for ease of reading but is needlessly complicated.
It is hard to figure out what the pace is supposed to be because it is a continuation of a longer Indian epic poem entitled Mahābhārata. But as for the pace it reads like a broken dialogue. Broken mainly because of how the translator decided to format the lines.
I would recommend it but with one caveat. Because it is an older translation a reading of a simpler version like Bhagavad Gita As It Is, translated by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada would be better for beginners, but if you need a free copy this one does well.
The writing has to be measured on the specific translation. This translation is old and suffers from the translator using words commonly used to explain western theological ideas. That don't fit in with Eastern religion and culture. It is also fragmented and not translated for ease of reading but is needlessly complicated.
It is hard to figure out what the pace is supposed to be because it is a continuation of a longer Indian epic poem entitled Mahābhārata. But as for the pace it reads like a broken dialogue. Broken mainly because of how the translator decided to format the lines.
I would recommend it but with one caveat. Because it is an older translation a reading of a simpler version like Bhagavad Gita As It Is, translated by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada would be better for beginners, but if you need a free copy this one does well.
March 10, 2023
For the first part I asked ChatGtp to write me the review and here it is:
The Gita is a holy scripture of Hinduism, widely regarded as one of the most important texts of the religion. It is a philosophical treatise that delves into the nature of existence and the purpose of life. The book is written in the form of a dialogue between the warrior prince Arjuna and his charioteer Krishna, who is actually an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu.
The Gita is a profound and thought-provoking work, offering insights into the human condition that are still relevant today. It explores themes such as duty, morality, self-realization, and the nature of the divine. The text presents a complex and nuanced view of the world, recognizing that there are many paths to enlightenment and that each individual must find their own way.
One of the most remarkable things about the Gita is its ability to inspire people from all walks of life. The book has been praised for its practical advice on how to live a virtuous life, and its teachings have been adopted by people of many different faiths and backgrounds. The Gita's message of compassion, selflessness, and detachment has resonated with millions of people around the world.
Overall, the Gita is a timeless masterpiece of spiritual literature that continues to inspire and enlighten readers to this day. Its teachings offer a valuable perspective on the nature of existence and provide a roadmap for living a fulfilling and meaningful life. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in exploring the deeper questions of life and seeking a greater understanding of the human experience.
For the second part, Im writing it myself. Was surprised to find Empedocles's elements mentioned in chapter 15. In this book, the 4 Elements of Empedocles are 6, including the Aristotelian addition of Ether plus Individualism. Of course, this book has received revisions, so I do not know if something was added later or the Vedic tradition had those 6 elements from the very start. The significant part is that Emedocles from Magna Grecia was teaching about incarnation and the elements of life at the same time this book was written in India. Is the about the same time that Greeks and Indians had the IndoGreek kingdom of Bactria so one could easily assume that ideas travelled within the empire freely. I would love to read the original text since it reminded me so much Homer and Illiad war story.
The Gita is a holy scripture of Hinduism, widely regarded as one of the most important texts of the religion. It is a philosophical treatise that delves into the nature of existence and the purpose of life. The book is written in the form of a dialogue between the warrior prince Arjuna and his charioteer Krishna, who is actually an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu.
The Gita is a profound and thought-provoking work, offering insights into the human condition that are still relevant today. It explores themes such as duty, morality, self-realization, and the nature of the divine. The text presents a complex and nuanced view of the world, recognizing that there are many paths to enlightenment and that each individual must find their own way.
One of the most remarkable things about the Gita is its ability to inspire people from all walks of life. The book has been praised for its practical advice on how to live a virtuous life, and its teachings have been adopted by people of many different faiths and backgrounds. The Gita's message of compassion, selflessness, and detachment has resonated with millions of people around the world.
Overall, the Gita is a timeless masterpiece of spiritual literature that continues to inspire and enlighten readers to this day. Its teachings offer a valuable perspective on the nature of existence and provide a roadmap for living a fulfilling and meaningful life. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in exploring the deeper questions of life and seeking a greater understanding of the human experience.
For the second part, Im writing it myself. Was surprised to find Empedocles's elements mentioned in chapter 15. In this book, the 4 Elements of Empedocles are 6, including the Aristotelian addition of Ether plus Individualism. Of course, this book has received revisions, so I do not know if something was added later or the Vedic tradition had those 6 elements from the very start. The significant part is that Emedocles from Magna Grecia was teaching about incarnation and the elements of life at the same time this book was written in India. Is the about the same time that Greeks and Indians had the IndoGreek kingdom of Bactria so one could easily assume that ideas travelled within the empire freely. I would love to read the original text since it reminded me so much Homer and Illiad war story.
April 17, 2024
Having read several English translations of the Gita, Arnold’s clearly comes out as the best among them. Arnold’s translation accurately hits all the major themes of the Gita and his skill with the English language makes it by far the most readable, and the closest to the literary and poetic quality which I assume the original must possess. The fact that it was this translation that originally got Gandhi interested in Hinduism should tell you everything you need to know about its merits.
It is true that Arnold’s admiration for the work and his desire to make it more palatable to his Christian Western audience leads to him softening certain points of the Gita’s theology—but the original meaning is still very much present to the discerning reader.
Arnold includes no explanatory foot notes, so if you would like further interpretation of the verses you will have to look elsewhere.
5 stars not so much for the writing on its own, but for being the best available English translation of this highly significant and influential Eastern work.
It is true that Arnold’s admiration for the work and his desire to make it more palatable to his Christian Western audience leads to him softening certain points of the Gita’s theology—but the original meaning is still very much present to the discerning reader.
Arnold includes no explanatory foot notes, so if you would like further interpretation of the verses you will have to look elsewhere.
5 stars not so much for the writing on its own, but for being the best available English translation of this highly significant and influential Eastern work.
January 5, 2020
A good English translation without commentaries from the author.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews