Charles Bane Jr. 2008-07-20

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

This is the only effective translation of the "Himalayas Of The Soul" I have met ; Mascaro's introduction is itself a work of poetry as well as an important and sensitive appreciation of the document he has translated.In his hands,this ancient profession of faith in God's "otherness" becomes at once immediate,while capturing its' authors' glimpse of the eternal.The total is sublime.

T. W. 2008-01-26

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

After some Sanskrit studies years ago, I decided I'd like to read the principal Upanishads in an accurate (so not the laughably loose Mascaro version) but readable (so not the painfully literal and commentary-heavy tome of Radhakrishnan) English version. It soon became apparent that the choice was between Roebuck and Olivelle (Oxford World's Classics). The academic book reviews were quite ambivalent, so I got the two rivals out from the library and made my own comparison.

I was surprised to find the Oxford superior in every way. Most importantly, Olivelle's translation (while plenty literal) is simply in much more natural English. Roebuck is fond of unnatural word order. Her version includes many footnotes on each page, without which her text would sometimes make no sense; Olivelle manages to translate just as literally, but so that you don't NEED to consult his equally voluminous notes in the back. Looking at the Sanskrit text in cases of notable differences, I found that I was almost always more satisfied with Olivelle's version as scrupulously & clearly reflecting the original, too. (In any case, there's no question that Olivelle is the more authoritative scholar; Roebuck needs to cite several of his books in her bibliography and apologize for the "temerity" of offering a new version, but there is no important scholarly work of Roebuck's that Olivelle can cite in his extensive bibliography.)

Publishing is a business. Roebuck freely admits that she relied heavily on Olivelle's version in making her own. The surprise is that she did not manage to stand on his shoulders and make something better in any way. (The reviews and marketing blurbs that suggest Roebuck's version has any more "devotional" value boils down to some pretty superficial and unimportant differences, like including the invocations before and after each upanishad--which are in no sense a part of the actual text or teaching.) In a sane world, there is no need for this Penguin. The chronology is clear: Penguin realized Mascaro was an embarrassment in need of replacement; they contracted Roebuck; while she was working Olivelle's version came out, making hers otiose. Penguin can't let its Mascaro version be totally eclipsed by Oxford, so we have this choice to confuse us. Don't be confused--get the Oxford.

Finally, the Oxford volume is much better-designed. The notes are clearly indexed by page numbers at the top; the upanishads themselves have much clearer running head-numbers; the upanishads are usefully prefaced by a short, clear outline; etc.

Srinivasan Nenmeli Krishna 2007-02-07

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

I have read almost 12 translations of the Upanishads,including many by Indian savants and monks....By far this is the best translation for a general reader...the introduction,running to 45 pages, is an excellent summary for the 'Spirit of Upanishad' which may be easily missed by a philosphy student of Upanisahds or vedanta..the author ties up with the visions of Christian saints--a very valuable account for the western readers----After all,Truth is One--sages describe them or talk about them in different ways---

Jon Zuck 2007-01-25

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

For most Scriptures, I've found a translation that "does it" for me, that seems to blend together perfectly the needs of faithfulness, beauty, and understandable language. Some examples would be Andy Gaus' Unvarnished New Testament, Thanissaro Bhikkhu's Dhammapada, The Leloup/Rowe Gospel of Thomas, Stephen Mitchell's Bhagavad Gita.

With the Upanishads, I always feel "almost, not quite" with even the best translations I've seen so far... And Mascaró's leads the pack, though not by much. My main gripe is its horrendous formatting. Most of the major Upanishads, like the Psalms and the Prophets, are poetry, and Mascaro translates the verses beautifully. However, they're printed in a disjointed prose format, one slightly-indented paragraph per verse, like old, non-user-friendly Bible translations.

Consider Mascaró's rendition of Isa, verse 1:

Behold the universe in the glory of God: and all that lives and moves on earth. Leaving the transient, find joy in the Eternal: set not your heart on another's possession.

Compare how it would feel if the formatting and punctuation were given a little more thought...

Behold!
The universe in the glory of God
and all that lives and moves on earth!

Leaving the transient,
find joy in the Eternal!

Set not your heart
on another's possession.

Another problem is the lack of verse numbers. Mascaró obviously felt they would distract from the text, but if it had been printed as poetry, verse numbers could've been put to the side, unobtrusively.

Lastly, the 'Shads (as I like to call them) do address numerous points that often need clarification, from difficult concepts, historical notes, plays on words, and puns, to alternate readings. Although Mascaró touches on the major ideas of the 'Shads (Brahman, non-duality, mysticism) in the introduction, some footnotes would be extremely welcome, as would overviews/introductions to the individual writings.

Nevertheless, this is a lovely translation, very good for devotional reading, and for non-scholars, probably the best available, though I feel we need one that's still better.

Roger Welch 2007-01-16

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

a very good friend first gave me this translation of Juan Mascaro's...Let me just state very clearly that on page 37 of the intro (which others have referred to negatively) I found a quote of St. John of the Cross quoted by Mascaro which he himself says encapsulates the doctrine of the Bhagavad Gita...wow!!! I found this to be true and that it illucidates principles of the Quran; Sufi lore regarding Divine Love,and most recently a quote of the Tao answering the eternal Question: "What is Reality?" Everyone speaks from their own limitations and their own moment so disregard these negative reviews. This translation and introduction are a treasury of sparkling and lusterous jewels.I'd actually suggest you purchase Mascaro's translations (and intro's) of the Bhagavad Gita and the Dhamapada as well..Each was a labor of Love for the Spanish mystic..Mascaro..