Due to the large number of characters and long plot lines, Indian epics such as the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Gita are considered the most perplexing scriptures. However, some authors, such as Vignes Chandran, have made it easier for us to understand by writing a simplified version of those epics.
Another author, Uthaya Sankar SB, has retold the Gita in simple Bahasa Malaysia language. He emphasises that this book is a “retelling” rather than a translation.
While it may come as a surprise to some, Uthaya has managed to retell the epic in prose form, which was originally presented in the form of 701 slokas (Sanskrit poems).
In an interview with The Star, the author stated; “I really want the multiracial Malaysian community to be able to read, understand and enjoy the Bhagavad Gita. It is widely available in English and Tamil, but I would love to see Malaysians appreciating a Bahasa Malaysia version”
Uthaya, who has worked in RTM, Bernama, and Sinar Harian, as a Bahasa Malaysia news editor, newscaster, newspaper reviewer, and trainer is fluent in Bahasa Malaysia and believes that Malay is the language of every Malaysian!
The Bhagavad Gita is divided into 18 chapters. To help him understand the text, he would read a chapter every morning, as well as different interpretations online and YouTube videos. Then he’d finish rewriting the chapter in the evenings.
As a result, he was able to finish the book in only 25 days.
The book’s first edition went to press early May, but Uthaya said his retelling of the Gita caused some buzz even before it was published.
The majority of the Indian community, on the other hand, has embraced and supported his initiative.
Uthaya also told The Vibes that he was thinking about making the Gita into an audiobook, which he would narrate and make available to the visually impaired.
Retelling the story of our famous epic, the Bhagavad Gita, in a different language so that it can be a source of knowledge for others is an absolutely exceptional act.
From my point of view, this type of book should not always be considered as a preaching text, but rather a book with a wealth of life-related information that anyone, regardless of religion or race, can benefit from.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A COPY OF BHAGAVAD GITA: DIALOG ARJUNA DAN KRISHNA DI KURUKSHETRA.
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