30 AUGUST 1935, Page 28

THE GEETA

Translated from the Sanskrit by Sir Shri Purohit Swami This is a beautifully printed edition (Faber and Faber, 21s. of the Bhagavad Gita. To the Western reader, Sir Edwin Arnold's Song Celestial will remain the most rhythmic and satisfying renddring, while if he would see, the poem through the eyes of a modern Hindu, versed in the cultures of both 'East and West, he can refer to Mr. Dan Gopal Mukerji's Song of God (Dent, 7s. ad.). The style of the latter author is good 'and he supplies the necessary notes and a glossary. Sir Shri :PurOhit Swami, on the other hand, leaves us a little at sea, ;wondering why this translation was made, when there are many other vivider and no less accurate versions. But nothing can detract froin the grandeur of the original. The Swaras labour of love will not be wasted if he brings to pew minds a reverence for this treasure of Hindu literature. His version ls at any rate Clear and grammatical, so that the sympathetic reader can see gleaming through his sentences the jewels of any Aryan thought.