Rating: 
Summary: I didn't read this translation...
Review: ...but I feel compelled to comment on the book itself, especially in comparison to the myths of judeo-christian society. The stories, conflicts, and personalities involved are so incredibly strong, colorful, and heart-wrenching when compared to the old and new testaments that I wonder what's wrong with our societies when we have to choose the most lifeless creator myths around to build our superstitions around. They're all superstitions, make no mistake, but at least in the Bhagavad-gita you can imagine people acting the way they do, and feel that the characters are majestic, and possibly worth inspiring superstitions. I in no way advocate building your life around these stories (I would hardly tell you to do so with the bible or the koran) but in any case you can see the richness of imagination present in the ancient societies of the Indian subcontinent. And in comparison, the creation myths of the middle east are sorely lacking.
Rating:
Summary: I didn't read this translation...
Review: Juan has done a fantastic job of translating the Gita into such concise writing. Every verse interpreted (though it biased towards Juan's opinion or philosophies) was succinct and did not require the reader to crack his/her head over the meaning. For me it was certainly an excellent introduction to the marvellous poem. Another version by Ramanand Prasad is more in depth and profound in it's translation. The free version by him could be found at www.gita-society.com Here's an example of the two contrasting profundity and distinctive styles of translations:For verse 2:27 Juan's translation was : Set thy heart upon thy work, but never on its reward. Work not or a reward; but never cease to do thy work. as for the one by Ramanand Prasad, it came out as : You have Adhikaara over your respective duty only, but no control or claim over the results. The fruits of work should not be your motive. You should never be inactive. (2.47) (The word Adhikaara means ability and privilege, prerogative, jurisdiction, discretion, right, preference, choice, rightful claim, authority, control.) A reader wishing to venture into the depths of the Gita should consider reading this version by Juan as an overview of it.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the more attractive versions for the general reader.
Review: Juan Mascaro's edition of the Gita is undoubtedly one of the more attractive versions for the general reader who is approaching the Gita for the first time. Mascaro, besides being a Sanskrit scholar, is a sensitive translator who clearly resonates to the Gita. He tells us that the aim of his translation is "to give, without notes or commentary, the spiritual message of the Bhagavad Gita in pure English." To suggest just how well he has succeeded, here is his rendering of Verse II.66: "There is no wisdom for a man without harmony, and without harmony there is no contemplation. Without contemplation there cannot be peace, and without peace can there be joy?" Many readers will probably be content to remain with Mascaro, and it certainly seems to me that his translation reads beautifully and that a fair number of his verses have never been bettered by others. But the Gita is not quite so simple as it may sometimes appear. If we want to arrive at a fuller idea of just what the Gita means by "wisdom," "harmony," "contemplation," "peace," and so on, we will need to consult other and fuller editions. There are many editions which, besides giving a translation of the Gita, also give a full commentary such as the excellent one by Sri Aurobindo in his 'Bhagavad Gita and Its Message' (1995). Others, besides giving a commentary and notes, also give the Sanskrit text along with a word-by-word translation. Some of these even include the commentary of the great Indian philosopher, Shankara (c. + 788 to 820), such as the very fine edition by Swami Gambhirananda (Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1995, which may be available through the Vedanta Press, CA). Here is the latter's English rendering of Verse II.66: "For the unsteady there is no wisdom, and there is no meditation for the unsteady man. And for an unmeditative man there is no peace. How can there be happiness for one without peace?" This may not seem to have carried us much beyond Mascaro until we start looking at Shankara's commentary, of which the following provides a taste: "Ayuktasya, for the unsteady, for one who does not have a concentrated mind; na asti, there is no, i.e. there does not arise; buddhih, wisdom, with regard to the nature of the Self; ca, and; there is no bhavana, meditation, earnest longing for the knowledge of the Self; ayuktasya, for an unsteady man. And similarly, abhavayatah, for an unmeditative man, who does not ardently desire the knowledge of the Self; there is no shantih, peace, restraint of the senses. Kutah, how can there be; sukham, happiness; ashantasya, for one without peace? That indeed is happiness which consists in the freedom of the senses from the thirst for enjoyment of objects; not the thirst for objects - that is misery to be sure. The implication is that, so long as thirst persists, there is no possibility of even an iota of happiness!" (page 112-3). For anyone who would like to see a full treatment of the language of the Sanskrit text, there is Winthrop Sargeant's stupendous labor of love, 'The Bhagavad Gita' (SUNY, 1984) which offers a complete grammatical description of every single Sanskrit word in the text, along with much else. Finally, for anyone who would like to look at a first-rate study of the Gita, there is Trevor Leggett's 'Realization of the Supreme Self - The Yoga-s of the Bhagavad Gita' (Kegan Paul International, 1995). This is a superb work with an intensely practical bent which sees the Gita, not so much as a metaphysical treatise but as a book of practical instruction. I used to think I knew the Gita before I discovered Leggett! But despite the great wealth of available editions, of which I've mentioned only a few here, I still find myself returning to Mascaro from time to time. A perfect translation of the Gita into English is probably unattainable, but Mascaro seems to have come as close as anyone is ever likely to do. His version has a tendency to send down roots and grow in the mind.
Rating:
Summary: One of the more attractive versions for the general reader.
Review: Juan Mascaro's edition of the Gita is undoubtedly one of the more attractive versions for the general reader who is approaching the Gita for the first time. Mascaro, besides being a Sanskrit scholar, is a sensitive translator who clearly resonates to the Gita. He tells us that the aim of his translation is "to give, without notes or commentary, the spiritual message of the Bhagavad Gita in pure English." To suggest just how well he has succeeded, here is his rendering of Verse II.66: "There is no wisdom for a man without harmony, and without harmony there is no contemplation. Without contemplation there cannot be peace, and without peace can there be joy?" Many readers will probably be content to remain with Mascaro, and it certainly seems to me that his translation reads beautifully and that a fair number of his verses have never been bettered by others. But the Gita is not quite so simple as it may sometimes appear. If we want to arrive at a fuller idea of just what the Gita means by "wisdom," "harmony," "contemplation," "peace," and so on, we will need to consult other and fuller editions. There are many editions which, besides giving a translation of the Gita, also give a full commentary such as the excellent one by Sri Aurobindo in his 'Bhagavad Gita and Its Message' (1995). Others, besides giving a commentary and notes, also give the Sanskrit text along with a word-by-word translation. Some of these even include the commentary of the great Indian philosopher, Shankara (c. + 788 to 820), such as the very fine edition by Swami Gambhirananda (Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1995, which may be available through the Vedanta Press, CA). Here is the latter's English rendering of Verse II.66: "For the unsteady there is no wisdom, and there is no meditation for the unsteady man. And for an unmeditative man there is no peace. How can there be happiness for one without peace?" This may not seem to have carried us much beyond Mascaro until we start looking at Shankara's commentary, of which the following provides a taste: "Ayuktasya, for the unsteady, for one who does not have a concentrated mind; na asti, there is no, i.e. there does not arise; buddhih, wisdom, with regard to the nature of the Self; ca, and; there is no bhavana, meditation, earnest longing for the knowledge of the Self; ayuktasya, for an unsteady man. And similarly, abhavayatah, for an unmeditative man, who does not ardently desire the knowledge of the Self; there is no shantih, peace, restraint of the senses. Kutah, how can there be; sukham, happiness; ashantasya, for one without peace? That indeed is happiness which consists in the freedom of the senses from the thirst for enjoyment of objects; not the thirst for objects - that is misery to be sure. The implication is that, so long as thirst persists, there is no possibility of even an iota of happiness!" (page 112-3). For anyone who would like to see a full treatment of the language of the Sanskrit text, there is Winthrop Sargeant's stupendous labor of love, 'The Bhagavad Gita' (SUNY, 1984) which offers a complete grammatical description of every single Sanskrit word in the text, along with much else. Finally, for anyone who would like to look at a first-rate study of the Gita, there is Trevor Leggett's 'Realization of the Supreme Self - The Yoga-s of the Bhagavad Gita' (Kegan Paul International, 1995). This is a superb work with an intensely practical bent which sees the Gita, not so much as a metaphysical treatise but as a book of practical instruction. I used to think I knew the Gita before I discovered Leggett! But despite the great wealth of available editions, of which I've mentioned only a few here, I still find myself returning to Mascaro from time to time. A perfect translation of the Gita into English is probably unattainable, but Mascaro seems to have come as close as anyone is ever likely to do. His version has a tendency to send down roots and grow in the mind.
Rating:
Summary: Good Prose Rendering
Review: Mascaro's translation, while widely acknowledged as not the most accurate, is a very good introduction to the Gita. The style is prose throughout, which brings out none of the Gita's beauty, but as for as understanding goes, there few deficiencies here. This should probably not be one's sole resource in studying the book, but fortunately, ther is no commentary so that the reader is left to make up his or her own mind about the value of the book. Nearly all the Sanskrit words have been translated, so that the feeling or reading something "foreign", common to students of the Gita, is noticeably absent. The introductory essay is helpful, but not essential to the understanding of the Song. All in all, a good attempt, but for a better rendering, try Ramanand Prasad's translation, as it is a bit more modern and moves easier than this one.
Rating:
Summary: Good Prose Rendering
Review: Mascaro's translation, while widely acknowledged as not the most accurate, is a very good introduction to the Gita. The style is prose throughout, which brings out none of the Gita's beauty, but as for as understanding goes, there few deficiencies here. This should probably not be one's sole resource in studying the book, but fortunately, ther is no commentary so that the reader is left to make up his or her own mind about the value of the book. Nearly all the Sanskrit words have been translated, so that the feeling or reading something "foreign", common to students of the Gita, is noticeably absent. The introductory essay is helpful, but not essential to the understanding of the Song. All in all, a good attempt, but for a better rendering, try Ramanand Prasad's translation, as it is a bit more modern and moves easier than this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Important work, but Mascaro's translation should be avoided
Review: The BHAGAVAD GITA is one of the most important of the scriptures of Hinduism, and one of the highest points of all literature in Sanskrit. It is actually a brief extract from the Mahabharata, India's huge epic, which describes a war between two halves of a family for the throne. The BHAGAVAD GITA tells of how, as the two armies are squared off on the battle field, the divine manifestation Krishna appears to the noble warrior Arjuna, to calm his doubts and show him a path of righteousness. The work begins with an ironic turn for one expecting a passive and pacifist work. Arjuna does not wish to kill, and would rather withdraw from the slaughter about to ensue. Krishna, however, tells him that it is okay to kill, because the soul is in any event indestructible and his enemies will be reborn. Instead of abstaining from one's work for moral reasons, says Krishna, it would be better to do it and dedicate it, whatever it might be, to the divine. "Action is greater than inaction" is the moral of the first part of the book. From there, the work begins to emphasise Krishna as the way to salvation and recommends love to him. I found Juan Mascaro's translation disappointing. While his language is generally quite clear and readable, he uses "thou" which I feel only makes the result feel archaic instead of like a living text. A great problem is that, Mascaro actually believes in the next, as is immediately apparently from his rather jumbled and confused introduction (which seems more concerned with the Vedas than the Bhagavad Gita). He speaks for pages about its "truth" which we must all follow, and how its insights are not only compatible with other religions such Christianity, but must be combined with them. I feel this sentiment could have greatly biased his translation; better to get a translation from a neutral, dispassionate scholar of Sanskrit. I would also have liked to know more about how Mascaro was qualified to translate the text, but Penguin's biography unhelpfully neglects to tell us much, except that he studied Sanskrit at some unknown level and lived for a brief time in Sri-Lanka. The BHAGAVAD GITA is a classic of literature, whatever one might think about its religious truth. And it also helps to shed light on the many new religious movements of the last hundred years which have based their thought on the text. I'd wholeheartedly recommend reading it, though ideally in a translation done by a more neutral party.
Rating:
Summary: Not Very Poetic But Well Translated
Review: This is one of the more lucid translations of the Gits, although it has not been rendered very poetically. However, Mascaro has a real feel for the Hindu theology which makes the boos unusaully rewarding to read. This was my introduction to the Gita and I am grateful to JM for this little book.
Rating:
Summary: Finding yourself !
Review: This is the first of all "hindu classics" I've read but I think it already gave me a good vision about this "way-of-life-religion". Trought the Bhagavad Gita you'll learn how you could find your way [to the heavenly happy] and that this way will appear for you in the moment you find yourself. It shows you the importance of a good will instead of a sellfish being in which you just think about your fellings, forgeting all the holliness of the world around you. Make your best, but for the life in general, for God, not for you and your sellfish desires and you'll reach the path of heaven, the world of infinit. And if you read it with attention, you'll see how similar it is with other religions, among them, cristianity. Besides all that, a very careful tranlation makes this book a truly recommended one. Buy this book, fight against your evils and start your walking to heaven!
Rating:
Summary: Emanations
Review: When reading this translation, I had a vision in my mind of works by El Greco, the painter who (from a Christian tradition) joined the author or authors of this poem in seeing through the surfaces of things to the reality within. The reader will find this to be an accessible translation of the Bhagavad Gita to readers who, like myself, grew up inside American culture. People who feel that they have reached a new stage of acceptance of what is happening to them as they move thorugh life's journey will find this book, or any other reasonably accurate translation of the underlying poem, to be a tremendous resource.
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