Bhagavad Gita [Paperback]

Antonio T. De Nicholas (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Nicolas-Hays (October 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892540184
• ISBN-13: 978-0892540181
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,004,689 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great translation of a great book!, June 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bhagavad Gita (Paperback)

I had the honor of being Mr. de Nicolas' student in St. Augustine, FL. His translation of the Gita is perhaps the clearest, most human translation I have read. The focus is on the _doing_, the epistemology of action, instead of the words that so often get in the way. If you are looking for a meaningful, comprehensible, translation done by someone who is intimate with the philosophy and the language, look no further.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good translation, lacking background material for us mortals, July 8, 2004

By 

Thomas Hochmann (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bhagavad Gita (Paperback)

The Bhagavad-Gita is an intriguing and very wise book, even for those such as myself who do not really subscribe to an Indian philosophy or religion (indeed, I'm fascinated by some of the parallels between the Chinese concept of Tao and the Hindu concept of Brahman). This translation has a smooth feel to it, and while I am not able to comment on how precise this translation is, it flowed nicely and was enjoyable to read.

I do have one gripe, however: this book gets categorized as "Religion" (and indeed, that is what it says on the back cover), while this particular edition has a distinctly philosophical aim to it. The rendition of the Gita itself does not have this slant, but the other parts of the book do. The translator, Antonio de Nicolas, is a philosophy professor, and his foreward and introduction are rather heavy on academic philosophical mumbo-jumbo. I didn't realize when I bought this book that the subtitle, "The Ethics of Decision-Making", meant "ethics" in the academic sense.

So while the Bhagavad-Gita itself is nicely presented here, the book spends a lot of space on philosophy rather than providing good background on the Gita's history and perhaps clarifying some of its more vague spots. This is why I only give the book 4 stars - the translation is topnotch, but the lack of background material can make for some puzzling moments that require the reader to go look something up online or in an encyclopedia. Other than that, I found this to be a handy addition to my library and a useful tool for exploring this amazing Eastern text.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Answer to Thomas Hochman, July 10, 2004

By 

Dr. Antonio de Nicolas (St. Augustine, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bhagavad Gita (Paperback)

I am the author/transaltor of this book. Thomas (my middle initial too) is right. This translation takes for granted that everyone has read my other book Avatara where all the background information required to understand the Gita is present and has been in print for over thirty years. In fact, it was the first philosophical text to appear in a Philosophy Department in America,at a time when the Classics of India were almost unknown in this Country or taught in Religion Departments. The Gita, in this present form or in the original Sanskrit one, has nothing to do with Religion the way we understand Religion in the West. It is a text about decision-making and philosophy.
Thanks for making it obvious to other readers.