Sinn vor Form

Abstract: This essay discusses a translation problem encountered while translating quotations by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. In one English statement, the word “GOD” is used as an acronym for “Generator, Operator, Destroyer,” forming an elegant and pedagogical condensation of the Hindu triad Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva — creation, preservation, and dissolution. While this wordplay functions convincingly in English, it cannot be transferred literally into many other languages without distortion. Using a Persian translation as a concrete example, the essay argues that fidelity in translation should prioritize meaning over formal imitation. It proposes functional explication as a responsible strategy for translating spiritual texts and reflects on translation as an interpretive and ethical practice rather than a purely technical one.