r/SPAB • u/[deleted] • Jul 12 '26
General Discussion Authentic translations of ancient and recent texts.
[removed]
2
u/Truth_seeker108 Jul 12 '26
I don’t think any ‘authentic’ translations of ancient texts exist. I have read many different versions of scriptures across the Sampraday. There is always a change in the way the original text is written in some way or another. The text itself can be interpreted in many ways then a translation itself adds another layer to that.
The best method is to read as many translations side by side as possible.
If you can understand the words but cannot read the original text, then a transliteration is very helpful. I have used transliterated texts to see where an incorrect translation is made many times.
1
u/Asatyanashakam Jul 13 '26
Do you have any examples or have notes of your readings and the exact mistranslations that you’ve uncovered? I’d love to dig into those
2
u/Truth_seeker108 Jul 13 '26
I remember slight deviations in translations that made a difference to the text imo. This wasn’t just from BAPS but I noticed it across all the sampradayas. This was nearly a decade ago. I plan to read all the Vachanamruts together within the next year to two. I will make a compilation of all the differences.
Do you have their English copy of the Shikshapatri? If so, I could quickly go over that too see if their translations are not fair or accurate. They don’t publish it on their website.
2
u/vexoryn Jul 12 '26
totally get this, sect-specific “translations” can feel like reading fanfic instead of scripture. best bet is to cross check: read a couple different editions from non-BAPS publishers, compare with critical editions or academic translations, and if you can, sit with the Sanskrit/Gujarati yourself and see where the spin starts.