The Variations of Mystical Interpretation in the Persian Translations of the Bhagavad Gita

Bhagavad Gita , the sixth book of the epic collection of Mahabharata , is dedicated to Hinduism. The mystical importance of this section led the Muslim Sufis to mention it independently in their works. The plurality of prose and poetry translations of this work shows the significance of this mystical text among the Persian-speakers of India. The leaders of various orders of Sufism viewed the book according to their beliefs, and translated it to their languages. The differences in their worldviews and beliefs have been undoubtedly reflected in their translations. This paper deals with the comparative study of three translations of Bhagavad Gita , entitled Sorud-e Elahi , translated by Darashokouh (d: 1069 AH); Merāt al-Haqayeq translated by ʻAbd al-rahman Cheshti (d: 1094 AH), and a poetic translation by Feyzi-ye Dakani (d: 1004 AH). Darashokouh was a follower of Qaderi order, ʻAbd al-rahman was one of the Cheshti leaders, and Feyzi was Eshraqi, and their various mystical approaches reflected in their translations.