Nuisance Of Translation

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My name is Hari Prasad and I like two food items Rasam and Idly.

If foreigners don’t understand or cannot pronounce what is the meaning of the above sentence then you can do the translation for them. So translation is “Green Food likes two kinds of food items the first item is made of pulses after removing pulse and leaving spicy water and the second item is made of grind rice paste cooked at steam and it is disk-shaped”.

The situation becomes too bad in Japan, China, and Korea where people cannot even pronounce Indian name and they use Chinese or Japanese equivalent.

And we think by doing the above translation we have conveyed that idea and they have understood. But the whole translation is wrong and they will never understand till the time they have experience with Indian culture. Because we don’t know their language and they don’t know our language so we chose a common language like English for communication.

We need to understand there are many non-translatable in every language and you cannot translate them using one-word replacement with another language.

Verbs like Eat, Drink, Walk are common verbs across the world so you can translate them from one language to another. Nouns like Table, Floor, Mango, Apple are common nouns so you can translate them also in another language.

Words that represent a big process or outcome of a complicated process or pure philosophical or abstract cannot be translated. In the initial stage, we try to translate so that other people can understand the basics of our culture, traditions, and philosophy.

Some Non-translatable words which do not have any equivalent in the English language are mentioned below. My suggestion is when you are talking to some Indian person please do not confuse them by doing translation until they don’t have any idea of these terms. Almost all Indian people understand the meaning of these. Unfortunately, many English-speaking people including Gurus and Acharaya do translate these words. My second request is when you are talking to a non-Indian person then try to use the original word and explain to them the meaning and don’t give a one-word substitution. Otherwise, you are diluting the Atma of the word. I know it is painful to explain especially when lots of one-word substitution has been created by many English-speaking Acharya of modern time but still try to understand that by doing so you confuse others, dilute the meaning and demean your own culture.

In the 19th and 20th century when our great Acharyas were doing this translation that time situation was completely different and nobody was listening to us so this translation was necessary. Today when Indians are everywhere and lots of investment is happening or already happened in translating, understanding our ancient scripture this translation is not required. In fact many of these words like Atma, Guru, Karma, Yoga, Pandita has taken place in the English dictionary. In that situation, it is our duty to spend time and try to understand the deeper and correct meaning of Samskrut Non-Translatable words and communicate them as they exist.

1. Yagnya
2. Karma
3. Kaama
4. Moksha
5. Yoga
6. Bhoota
7. Prana
8. Samadhi
9. Dhyana
10. Samskara
11. Manas
12. Chitta
13. Darshana
14. Vishaya
15. Purusha
16. Ananda
17. Shraddha
18. Pragyna
19. Klesha
20. Kaala
21. Pranava
22. Upvaas
23. Vruta
24. Chaitnya
25. Rutambhara
26. Tatava
27. Pranidhyana
28. Avidhya
29. Maya
30. Karma Fala
31. Rastra
32. Viveka
33. Sanyasa
34. Rushi
35. Jeeva
36. Satchitananda
37. Devta
38. Ishwara
39. Bhagwaan
40. Brahman
41. Kundalini
42. Shakti
43. Chetna
44. Prakurti
45. Guna
46. Jaati
47. Mantra
48. Shuyna
49. Guru
50. Prakash
51. Pandita
52. Kaivalya
53. Nirvaan
54. MantraDrusta
55. Akshara
56. Sindoor
57. Udageeta
58. Upanishad
59. Punyam
60. Paapam
61. Satya
62. Linga
63. Bhava
64. Rasa
65. Adhyatma
66. Prasadam
67. Tarpana

Shri Rajiv Malhotra’s Book Being Different helped me to understand this nuisance of our culture and I have written this from his inspiration. The above list can be expended but the above terms came on top of my mind so wrote them to help others to understand the nuisance of translation.

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Dr. Hari Thapliyaal

Dr. Hari Thapliyal is a seasoned professional and prolific blogger with a multifaceted background that spans the realms of Data Science, Project Management, and Advait-Vedanta Philosophy. Holding a Doctorate in AI/NLP from SSBM (Geneva, Switzerland), Hari has earned Master's degrees in Computers, Business Management, Data Science, and Economics, reflecting his dedication to continuous learning and a diverse skill set. With over three decades of experience in management and leadership, Hari has proven expertise in training, consulting, and coaching within the technology sector. His extensive 16+ years in all phases of software product development are complemented by a decade-long focus on course design, training, coaching, and consulting in Project Management. In the dynamic field of Data Science, Hari stands out with more than three years of hands-on experience in software development, training course development, training, and mentoring professionals. His areas of specialization include Data Science, AI, Computer Vision, NLP, complex machine learning algorithms, statistical modeling, pattern identification, and extraction of valuable insights. Hari's professional journey showcases his diverse experience in planning and executing multiple types of projects. He excels in driving stakeholders to identify and resolve business problems, consistently delivering excellent results. Beyond the professional sphere, Hari finds solace in long meditation, often seeking secluded places or immersing himself in the embrace of nature.