Another rhetorical comment, followed by my rhetorical response. However, I do understand the concerns of Christians who face severe opposition from Right-Wing Hinduism over their ‘strategy’ and ‘agenda’ to convert Hindus to Christianity. It is unnecessary to further elaborate on how Christians may be misguided in attempting to convert people from other communities under the banner of conversion. When they choose this path, they must be prepared to face the consequences of their approach and agenda.
That said, it becomes problematic when the same Christians, time and again, object to us, Hindu bhaktas of the Lord, using our own terms and symbols to express our devotion, citing their opposition from Right-Wing Hinduism as the reason. In response, I find myself repeating the same rhetorical answer.
One such instance occurred when Hridai Gita by Danjir Bhai was translated into the local language and titled Bhakti Gita. I, too, re-wrote Bhakti Gita in Tamil as a poetic form, but some local Christians objected to the title Gita, suggesting we use another name. Their reasoning was that the term Gita could evoke associations with the Bhagavad Gita, leading to further opposition from Right-Wing Hindus for using a sacred Hindu term in Christian propagation.
While I have no issue if Christians want to choose any title that suits their own purposes, they should note that the original Gujarati version was called Hridai Gita. As Hindus, who have no agenda to convert others to Christianity, when we translate or adapt teachings from Muktiveda into our own Hindu context for personal sadhana, we cannot compromise the integrity of the teachings by inventing new terms that dilute the meaning.
In fact, using native or local terms to convey even foreign ideas enhances comprehension. I’ve already illustrated this with the example of translating our South Indian dish Idli as “steamed rice pudding”—while this may describe it, it fails to capture the true essence of the dish. Instead, we prefer to retain the original word ‘Idli’ without inventing new terms. Just as every language borrows from others—English included—we are content to call Idli by its original name, even in English or Hindi. In this context, we don’t need to coin new terms or titles for our works out of fear of opposition from Right-Wing Hindus or to accommodate Christians. As Hindus, we don’t need to ‘contextualize’ our own heritage. Gita is part of that heritage.
Moreover, Gita is not restricted to the Srimad Bhagavad Gita alone. There are many other Gitas. So why not have another Bhakti Gita that can serve the purpose of us, Hindu bhaktas of the Lord? When I sought the help AI gave this list of various Gitas: Anu Gita, Ashtavakra Gita, Avadhuta Gita, Uddhava Gita, Ribhu Gita, Guru Gita, Ganesha Gita, Ram Gita, Vyadha Gita, Hanuman Gita [see in Notes]
As a Hindu and devotee of the Lord, I have every right to claim what belongs to my tradition. There is no need to replace or invent new words that fail to capture the intended meaning. People will understand ideas that align with their worldview, and if someone chooses not to use a particular term, that’s their personal choice. However, I neither need to accommodate, nor can I accommodate, everyone’s opinions. I’ve expressed similar sentiments in previous discussions.
To those raising concerns, I would like to highlight that even in the Uttaraveda and Purva Veda, many terms used for God and the Lord were borrowed from what some might label as “pagan” traditions. For instance, when the Gospel spread from Palestine to the Roman world, the term Messiah was nearly dropped from the apostles’ vocabulary. Instead, they adopted the title Kurios (Lord), which was also used to refer to the Roman emperor. As Walls points out:
But the loading of words is not a one-directional process. We have only to think of a still more daring piece of translation risked quite informally by Jewish Christians in the first recorded sustained encounter between the word about Christ and Greek-speaking pagans. According to the Book of Acts unnamed believers originating from Cyprus and Cyrene spoke to Greeks in Antioch about “the Lord Jesus” (Acts 11:20). In all previous proclamations, Jesus had been presented as the Messiah, the Saviour of Israel. In this new, Hellenistic-pagan context, he is given the title Kurios, the title Hellenistic pagans gave to their cult divinities. One might have expected (did any of their more cautious contemporaries predict?) that the result would be the recognition of the Lord Jesus as one more cult divinity the Lord Serapis or the Lord Osiris. The major reason this did not (p. 34) happen was undoubtedly that those pagans who responded were brought into a community where the Septuagint was constantly read, and the biblical associations of Kyrios penetrated their minds and attached themselves to the cult divinity title. But in the first encounter, the loading of Kyrios with the cult divinity title. But in the first encounter, the loading of Kyrios with the idea was vital, It is doubtful whether unacculturated pagans in the Antiochene world could have understood the significance of Jesus in any other way. None of us can take in a new idea except in terms of the ideas we already have. Once implanted, however, this understanding of the word received a set of controls from its new biblical frame of reference. In time much of the original loading of the word disappeared altogether.
Another feature of the Septuagint took on a new significance as that translation progressed under Christian auspices towards the heart of Hellenistic culture. In the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, of course, the divine name is represented by the Tetragrammaton, for in the Old Testament God has a personal name. But centuries of Jewish reverence did not allow that name to be pronounced, and in the Septuagint that reverence is given concrete form, The Tetragrammaton is replaced by(Kyrios) God in the Septuagint has no name.
This sharpened the confrontation of early Christianity with the popular religion of the Greco-Roman world. God was not Zeus/Jupiter, or Saturn/Kronos, or any amalgam of the gods. He was ho Theos, the God, over and against them all. If this gave force to the rejection of the gods of popular religion it also lubricated the connection of Christianity with that indigenous philosophical tradition which also had rejected popular religion, which had spoken of the ultimate principally in abstract terms or in negatives. That connection was to have momentous consequences for the whole of Western theolog.— Andrew F. Walls, The Missionary Movement in Christian History, New York, Orbis Books, [1996], Tenth Printing 2005, pp. 33-35
So let Gita remain Gita as Idli remains Idli for us in every language.
Gurukulam, 21-9-2024
@Litti is a famous North Indian dish made from wheat flour, baked over hot coals, similar to tandoori cooking similar to barbecue.
Found in the Mahabharata (Ashvamedhika Parva), the Anu Gita is a continuation of the spiritual teachings after the Bhagavad Gita. It consists of a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna, where Krishna answers Arjuna’s further questions on spiritual and philosophical matters.
2. Ashtavakra Gita
This is a classical text presenting the dialogue between Sage Ashtavakra and King Janaka. It focuses on Advaita Vedanta (non-dualism) and explores the nature of the Self and liberation (moksha). The Ashtavakra Gita is known for its emphasis on the self-realization of the pure, unconditioned Self.
3. Avadhuta Gita
Attributed to Dattatreya, the Avadhuta Gita presents the philosophy of non-dualism. It is a collection of verses that focus on the nature of the ultimate reality and transcendence of the material world, reflecting the teachings of an enlightened sage.
4. Uddhava Gita
The Uddhava Gita is a part of the Srimad Bhagavatam (Canto 11), where Lord Krishna imparts his final teachings to his devotee Uddhava before departing from the world. The teachings here are similar to the Bhagavad Gita, but they cover different aspects of yoga, devotion, and detachment.
5. Ribhu Gita
The Ribhu Gita is a dialogue between Sage Ribhu and his disciple Nidagha. It is part of the larger text known as the Shiva Rahasya, and it emphasizes Advaita Vedanta, teaching about the formless and all-pervading nature of Brahman (the absolute reality).
6. Guru Gita
The Guru Gita is a section of the Skanda Purana, where Lord Shiva teaches the essence of the Guru-disciple relationship to Parvati. This text highlights the importance of the Guru in guiding one to self-realization and liberation.
7. Ganesha Gita
Part of the Ganesha Purana, this Gita is a conversation between Lord Ganesha and King Varenya. The teachings focus on devotion, knowledge, and the worship of Lord Ganesha.
8. Ram Gita
The Ram Gita is a dialogue between Lord Rama and Lakshmana, found in the Adhyatma Ramayana. It is a spiritual discourse where Rama imparts the knowledge of Brahman and the nature of liberation.
9. Vyadha Gita
This is found in the Mahabharata, in the Vanaparva section. It is the story of a butcher (Vyadha) who gives spiritual teachings to a Brahmin. It focuses on the philosophy of karma, the nature of dharma, and the importance of performing one’s duties with devotion and righteousness.
10. Hanuman Gita
This Gita is a collection of teachings attributed to Lord Hanuman, focusing on the nature of devotion and the love of God.
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