Testimonials
SOME EXCERPTS FROM REVIEWS
of
THE BHAGAVAD-GITA
(The Song of God )
4th Revised Edition (Click to see cover)
With Introduction, Original Sanskrit Text and Roman Transliteration,
A Lucid English Rendition, Guide for the Beginners and Daily
Reading, Commentaries with Verses from Other Religious
Scriptures in Two Colors with Glossary and Index
By Ramananda Prasad, Ph.D.
Reviewer:
gsibbery, Baton Rouge, LA.
Title: A Wonderful Translation
Appeared in amazon.com customer's book review section, September 1, 2000
" .. It's about time that we get a new translation of the Bhagavad Gita. The
most popular version nowadays seems to be Swami Prabhupada's (ISKCON) version,
but unfortunately, he seems to think he is god. Dr. Prasad takes a much more
low-key approach, simply translating the Gita to the best of his ability and
allowing the reader to make sense of it rather than forcing his own opinions on
others. Any time there is the possibility of confusion, Prasad defines his
terms and goes to the extra effort to make sure that what Vyasa was trying to
describe is clear to even ones not familiar with Indian/Eastern philosophy. More accurate than most other translations and rendered
into modern prose, this makes an excellent place to start with if you're
new to Eastern thought."
"....I personally find many translations tedious
because of complex structure and lack of brief definitions of certain
Sanskrit words. This translation is simply beautiful because it is
beautifully simple.
---- Rev. Phil Buzard,
New York
".....Dr. Prasad brings the ancient wisdom and insights of divine
message into modern applicability. A beautiful blend of melodic and
compelling commentary......"
---- H. H. Swami Chidanand
Sarasawati (Muniji), Rishikesh
Another testimonial on the popularity of our work on the
Internet:
".......I am a professor at the University of
Evansville, Indiana, who is currently creating a textbook on ancient world
cultures on the World-Wide Web. I would like to include the translation of
the Gita by Dr. Ramananda Prasad in my site. I am writing to ask for your
help in getting permission to recopy the text in our site. I am interested in
representing India fairly, and I fear that the translation of the Gita by Sir
Edwin Arnold that is distributed all over the net will do more to turn
students away rather than introduce them fairly to the text....."
----- Prof. Anthony Beavers
"....American Gita Society's deft renderings are
elegantly simple, easy to understand, and unencumbered by commentary. An
ambitious work that will be appreciated by all who study the Gita."
Hinduism Today
"....Explanations of the theory and philosophy of
selfless service has been so beautifully expounded ..."
---- Prof. S. Tilak, Concordia University, Canada
".......There is ample evidence this rendition by
Dr. Ramananda Prasad being a product of a meditative brooding to convey the
spirit of the original. As a result, clarity and simplicity characterize the
translation. The author's explanation of the verses does not suffer from any
distortion of meaning or interpretation in the translation. It reveals his
adequate familiarity with Sanskrit. Prasad's judicious use of Sanskrit in the
translation conveys its majestic beauty to the reader, steering clear of
semantic unintelligibility. His lucid English prose style makes a pleasant
reading. It is marked by terseness and clarity and is devoid of superfluity.
This book is attractively printed and refreshingly free from any sectarian
slant......."
----- Vedanta Kesari,
Calcutta, May 1997
".... The originality of the author lies in providing
a suitable gloss on all the important stanzas. While doing this, he has drawn
upon authentic sources of Indian philosophy and history, and has juxtaposed
quotes from the teachings of other religions. The author has an eye for
parallels from the Koran, the Bible, and the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. All
these are highly useful to the genuine student of the Gita. ..."
--- Prabuddha Bharata, Madras, Dec. 1997
