The Science of Self-Realization

"na jayate mriyate va kadacin
nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah
ajo nityah sasvato 'yam purano
na hanyate hanyamane sarire"
[Bhagavad Gita 2.20]

The Science of Self-Realization is a book, which contains translations from The Bhagavad Gita, The Song of God. The late A.C. Bhaktivedanta founder of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) carried out the translations. The English translation based on the religion of Hinduism, provides the most accurate translation of gods teaching.

The basic article of faith is that this is not all that we are, explained in the oldest written words on record, spoken not by man, but god no less. The actual words god spoke and their translation is in this book.

This book contains the ancient passages spoken by god in the original Sanskrit text. A.C. Bhaktivedanta, who translated these, understood Sanskrit to a high level necessary for proper translation. He was those amazing people born with the innate talent to decipher Sanskrit to English to bring it within the reach of the Western mind. The work continues to inspire generations of writers, and sci-fi authors have used ideas from this book. Arthur C. Clark, as well as writers of mainstream television shows such as Battlestar Galactica has also borrowed ideas.

Sanskrit to English Translation

Bhagavad Gita – The Song of God. The Universe is like a long string which god plucks to make music. The string vibrates creating structure forming the subatomic particles, 92 elements, and planetary bodies. At resonance, there is light from all the suns and there is life from the planets. Eventually the suns die, light fades, there is darkness again, and the music ends. Light and darkness cannot live without each other, and they cannot live together, therefore at each cycle there is a battle for supremacy.

There is a force in the universe that has always existed before even the universe itself. It is the oldest. It has never had a birth neither a death. It is independent of time; it has no past present or future. It has neither beginning nor an end. It is eternal and permanent. Moreover, when the body dies this force does not taste death as the body does.

A.C. Bhaktivedanta

A.C. Bhaktivedanta was born on 1st September 1896 in Kolkata, India. His name Abhay Charan means fearless due to his understanding and closeness with god.

He studied at the Scottish Church College, Kolkata. After he left, he realised that he was naturally talented in reading and writing Sanskrit and translating it to English. He was a strong follower of Mahatma Gandhi in support of non-violence.

He founded ISKCON in San Francisco, America, and the UK branch was realised later with the help of George Harrison of the Beetles. It is one of the fastest growing worldwide organisations with branches in almost every country.

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