Each week I select a verse from the Bhagavad-gita and compare/contrast four different translations. These translators all subscribe to the Gaudia-Vaisnava philosophy. This examination isn’t to prove one more superior to another, but to highlight the similarities and learn from the differences in ideologies.

The four Gitas are:
-Bhagavad-gita: As It Is by Srila Prabhupada (1972 edition)
-Bhagavad-gita: It’s Feeling and Philosophy by Tripurari Swami
-Srimad Bhagavad-gita by Narayana Maharaja
-Bhagavad-gita: The Beloved Lord’s Secret Love Song by Garuda dasa (Graham Schweig)

Though I’m hardly qualified to do so, I dissect each translation, sometimes interjecting my own unsolicited commentary. More on this can be found here.

For the month of March and for this Gaura Purnima time of year, I’ve decided to tackle the chatur shloki. The chatur shloki are the four verses that pretty well sum up the contents of the Bhagavad-gita. If you’re only going to read four verses from Bhagavad-gita, these are the four to read.

Krishna tells Arjuna at the beginning of this tenth chapter to listen close, He’s about to drop some knowledge that’s even better than the knowledge he dropped in chapters one through nine. And Chapter Four is a tough act to beat.

But, of course, He lives up to His word.

Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 10, Verse 8

I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.
-Srila Prabhupada

I am the source of everything; all proceeds from me. Realizing this, the wise imbued with love adore me.
-Tripurari Swami

I am the source of both mundane and spiritual worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this well, engage in My bhajana with great joy in their hearts.
-Narayana Maharaja

"I am, of everything,
    the coming forth into being;
    from me everything
    is set forth into motion."
Mindful [of these words],
    they offer their love to me,
    the enlightened ones,
    being fully immersed
    in feelings of love.
-Garuda dasa (Graham M. Schweig)

In Sufism, there seems to be an expression, “everything is the God.” From my limited exposure to it, it’s said as a reminder that everything is happening according to God’s plan and that everything, material and spiritual, comes from God. The Bhagavad-gita has a similar idea (as is often the case).

The first line aham sarvasya prabhavo, is roughly “I am the source of everything.” The word aham simply means “I am.” In the Torah and the biblical book of Exodus, God refers to Himself as “Ehyeh asher ehyeh,” commonly translated: “The I am that I am.” This is basic stuff here. God is what He is. And what is He?

He is the source of everything.

Srila Prabhupada makes it clear that the word sarvasya is everything spiritual and material. Narayana Maharaja does the same by explaining that Krishna is “the source of both mundane and spiritual worlds.” Tripurari Swami sticks closer to the Sanskrit with “I am the source of everything.”

Garuda dasa’s poetical translation puts this first line as “I am, of everything; the coming forth into being.” This seems an odd way to put it. He seems to simply be listing the definitions of the words. “I am” is, of course from aham. The word sarvasya does mean “of everything.” And prabhavo literally means “the source” or “the source of generation” – from where everything comes. He seems to be saying that Krishna isn’t just the source of everything coming into being, He’s also the act of coming into being.

In his footnotes, Garuda dasa writes, “The coming forth into being: Translates prabhavah, as it is used in a cosmological context. The word is often translated as ’source’ or ‘origin.’”

Our second line, mattah sarvam pravartate, very literally translates as “from me, everything emanates.” Srila Prabhupada and Narayana Maharaja both translates it as “Everything emanates from Me.” Tripurari Swami, who translates pravartate slightly differently, puts it: “all proceeds from me.” And Garuda dasa, taking it a step farther has it as, “from me everything is set forth into motion.”

While we now have three different definitions for the verb pravartate, each brings with it a slightly different, but very complementary, understand of God. These different definitions are not at adds with one another.

As is often the case when translating poetry from another language, one line seems to run in and mix with the next. Such is the case here. The third and fourth lines have to be taken as a whole. This allows iti matva bhajante mam budha bhava-samanviah to be translated in some interesting ways.

Most of us are familiar with Srila Prabhupada’s “The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.” Prabhupada translates the word bhajante in his word-for-word section simply as “becomes devoted.” But in his verse, he goes a bit deeper into it with “perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me.” Often he would remind us that devotional service to God is worship. Here is another such case.

Tripurari Swami takes a slightly different approach to bhajante. He defines is at “adore.” While he doesn’t specifically address this in his purport, he does write: “Spiritual love that knows no reason cares little for the Godhood of Godhead, yet it is this kind of love that brings one in touch with the fullest expression of the Absolute, the source of everything and its feeling, the Supreme God.”

Often, Narayana Maharaja will not translate certain words in his verses. The word bhajante is within “The wise who know this well, engage in My bhajana….” In his word-for-word section, he translates it simply as “worship.”

The last word, bhava-samanvitah, is the real nectar of this verse. Srila Prabhupada writes that the wise “worship Me with all their hearts.” He glosses it as “with great attention” in his word-for-word, but in his verse, he gives it heart. Following suit, Tripurari Swami puts it as “imbued with love.”

And Narayana Maharaja’s is very sweet. He writes that the wise “engage in My bhajana with great joy in their hearts.” In his word-for-word, it’s “filled with ecstasy.”

I greatly appreciate Garuda dasa’s translation of the Bhagavad-gita back into poetry, though sometimes I’m confused with his choice of words, after a bit of study, it all becomes clear. Here is such an example. What can be translated simply (albeit, coldly) as “having comprehended this, the wise ecstatically worship Me,” is “Mindful [of these words], they offer their love to me, the enlightened ones, being fully immersed in feelings of love.”

You can go through and pick out which English phrase corresponds with which Sanskrit word if you like, “the enlightened ones” is “budhah,” “immersed in feelings of love” is “bhava-samanvitah.” Something, however, still seems muddled. This is a clear example of undertaking such a difficult task as translating poetry to poetry.

His meaning here is that the “enlightened” ones are fully immersed in feelings of love. In turn, they offer that love to God. It is cyclical. Because they love God, they are enlightened. Because they are enlightened, they offer that love to God. God then immerses them in love and they then shower Him with love.

These verses have been translated, explained, purported up and taught in Sunday Feast lectures by everyone from the lowliest bhaktas to the most exalted gurus. There are many meanings within, as is obvious from reading the three very different purports from Srila Prabhupada, Tripurari Swami and Narayana Maharaja.

Because of this, there is a great deal of discussion of these topics. We are fortunate in this regard. An example of this fortune is this four-verse commentary by Srila B.R. Sridhara Goswami, a godbrother of Srila Prabhupada, contemporary of Narayana Maharaja and sisksa-guru (teacher) of Tripurari Swami.

His translations capture the mood of our Gaudia-Vaisnana philosophical line rather than a direct word-for-word recitation (though that is there too). You can read what he has to say, here.

I apologize for being so long-winded, but this isn’t something you sum up. As Narayana Maharaja translated, we should do this with “great joy” in our hearts. God isn’t someone to just study, He is someone to adore. This adoration immerses us in love of God. With this love, as Srila Prabhupada explains in his purport, we should proceed “with determination and firmness.” Our determination and firmness, our strength, is built upon our love of God and His love for us.