To: Ananda Marga Discourses <anandamargadiscourses@sunlink.net>
Subject: Ekendriya Chapter English Version Ruined
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2015 13:42:05 +0530
Bábá
Ekendriya Chapter English Version Ruined
Respected Márgii Brothers and Sisters,
Namaskár,
The discourse Ekendriya-3 has been given by Bábá in Bengali, in Calcutta.(1) Reviewing the As-Is transcription of Bábá’s original Bengali discourse as well as the published English translation, I have found that the English version contains serious distortion in comparison to Bábá’s original Bengali.
Bábá Points out Advaetavádiis - followers of non-dualistic philosophy
In the concerned section of the discourse, Bábá explains in detail that those involved with advaetaváda commit themselves to the wrong idea that the world is false and defend this idea with endless debate and discussion about advaetaváda. That is all those advaetavádiis do; they don’t do sádhaná, don’t ideate on Parama Puruśa. They give importance to study of their advaetaváda scripture, and that is all. So here Bábá is pointing out these máyávádiis, that they ruined their lives by not doing sádhaná, not ideating on Parama Puruśa, and just remaining busy in debates of non-dualistic philosophy. In this way they ruined their lives—this is the jist of what Bábá is conveying in this section of the discourse.
Our Tiljala Publishers Confused Advaetavádiis - followers of non-dualistic philosophy - for Communists
But because of poor translation, in the English published version this section got fatally distorted. And due to the section’s central importance in the discourse meaning, the overall message of the discourse itself has been ruined.
In their translation, our Tiljala Publishers depicted Bábá as attacking communists rather than advaetavádiis, by indicating that members of the group “deny the existence of Parama Puruśa”.
In this discourse Ekendriya-3, our Tiljala Group Dadas have published the following serious distortion: “The life of a person obsessed with philosophical theory, who denies the existence of Parama Puruśa, is bound to become wrought with frustrations.”
But Bábá is talking about advaetavádii pańďitas, not about communists. Advaetavádiis do not at all deny the existence of Parama Puruśa.
This is a fundamental philosophical blunder.
English Version of Discourse Ruined by Our Tiljala Publishers
Due to the mistake in the above yellow highlighted section, the translation has been ruined. In the original discourse Bábá says in Bengali, “Those who do not do meditation on Parama Puruśa, but instead spend all their time feverishly involved in philosophical debate”. Whereas in the English translation it is ruined, by referring to this idea as “those who do not believe in Parama Puruśa”. In the yellow highlighted section, the words are not matching between the original Bengali and the translated English. The English translation is taking the subject in a different direction, pointing out communists when Bábá is talking instead about advaetavádiis, who believe in Parama Puruśa but instead of doing meditation, merely waste their lives arguing over scriptures.
Namaskár,
Gopal Roy Choudhary
Note: See Below For Detailed Comparison
For in-depth study, here below two larger excerpts are given from (1) the As-Is transcription of Bábá’s original Bengali discourse and (2) the corresponding published English. Please pay attention to the yellow highlighted part of both. Within that highlighted section, the underlined words are the “eye of the storm” as they stray markedly from Bábá’s Bengali original.
Those who read superficially, may not understand the seriousness of this blunder. But if one reads carefully, then one will understand that due to this mistake, the entire section went away from máyávádiis, to communists. That was not the intention of Bábá. So, the conclusion is that Bábá’s original Bengali discourse and our Tiljala Group dadas’ published English translation, are moving in two markedly different directions.
(1) As-Is Transcription of the original Bengali, Ekendriya – 3, 3 May 1981 Calcutta, exactly as Bábá stated it:
তোমরা দেখো, বিশুদ্ধ-অদ্বৈতবাদ নিয়ে খুৰ মাতামাতি হয়েছিল, দীর্ঘ দিন ধরে ভারতে | এটা সৰাই স্বীকার করৰে যে সেই বিশুদ্ধ-অদ্বৈতবাদ আজ ধরাশায়ী | হ্যাঁ | কিন্তু যারা সেই বিশুদ্ধ-অদ্বৈতবাদকে জীবনের সার মেনেছিল, তার মনের পুঞ্জীভূত শক্তিকে এই বিশুদ্ধ-অদ্বৈতবাদের রেখায়, লেখায়, শাখায়, উপশাখায় ন্যস্ত করেছিল, বিন্যস্ত করেছিল, তারা যখন দেখৰে যে যে গাছের শাখা উপশাখায় আমি পল্লবিত হয়েছিলাম, সে গাছের গুঁড়িটাই নেই, তখন তার কি অবস্থা হৰে ? সে জানতে মারা হয়ে যাৰে | তার সমস্ত আশা-আকাঙ্ক্ষা চূর্ণীকৃত হয়ে যাৰে | সৰ শেষ হয়ে যাৰে | পরমপুরুষের কথা না ভেবে, যে দার্শনিক তত্ত্ব নিয়ে মাতামাতি করে এসেছিল, তার জীবন একটা হতাশার ৰিন্দুতে পর্য়বসিত হৰে |
(2) From the Electronic Edition, Ekendriya – 3, 3 May 1981 Calcutta, Ananda Marga Philosophy in a Nutshell Part 6
“You know in the past in India there was a debate on the theory of pure non-dualism (vishuddha advaetaváda) which continued for a long time. Today this theory has been almost totally rejected. Those who accepted it as their cherished philosophy, investing all their accumulated mental energy on its different branches and ramifications, met a tragic end. They discovered that the trunk of the tree, in whose branches, twigs and foliage they had been taking shelter, had been felled! They joined the ranks of the living dead, their hopes and aspirations shattered forever.The life of a person obsessed with philosophical theory, who denies the existence of Parama Puruśa, is bound to become wrought with frustrations.”
Footnotes
1. Ekendriya – 3. 3 May 1981 Calcutta.
