Svabhavikasutra
The Roots of the Bhagavadgita
Description
The Svabhavikasutra is given in this book in three languages with extensive notes on its Sanskrit translation. The devanagari script is included with transliteration. How much of this source text is retained in the Bhagavadgita is specified by counting and comparing Sanskrit syllables. The Bhagavadgita is sacred to many and an important part of Indian philosophy. A comparison with its root text might deepen understanding of its philosophical content.
Contents
- Dating the Bhagavadgita
- A Review of the Search for Its Original
- The Class-Caste System with Its Genetic Evidence. An extract can be found on the website of SAND (Science and Non-Duality).
- Svabhavikasutra in Dutch, English and Sanskrit
- Tables with ratings for the Bhagavadgita Chapters
- Bibliography and Index.
Praise for Volume II
The origins and date of the Bhagavadgita, as well as its status prior to its inclusion in the Mahabharata, are questions that continue to be debated. With his injection of the data of genomic studies to determine the time frame of the origin of the practice of `caste' endogamy, Gerard Kuiken has opened up a new horizon in the archaeology of one of the most fascinating works of eastern spirituality, and--as he claims--of its antecedent, the Svabhavikasutra." David Gordon White, J. F Rowny Chair of Comparative Religion, University of California, Santa Barbara.
This is an essential important contribution to philosophical and theological discussions on the value and importance of the caste system in India. This book leaves no doubt about the late introduction (about 70 generations ago) of this system, and that there is no theological or philosophical justification for it in the original Bhagavadgita, which is the version that should be restored. This research also shows how powerful (and harmful) the influence of a text on society can be." Alexandra van der Geer: Indologist, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Gerard Kuiken argues that the passages from the Bhagavadgita which Hindus use to justify the caste system are an historical revision of the original text which was the source of the Gita. He also gives evidence that the system of arranged marriage arose at about the same time, indicating the spread of the brahmanical vision of society throughout India in the first few centuries of the current era. The genetic evidence points to similar historic origins of the prohibition on caste intermarriage." Science and Non-Duality: Latest Dialogues, USA, June 2018.
Free download
A free download of the Svabhavikasutra Aphorisms is available under the heading 'publications' in the English section of 'Downloads' in English and Sanskrit.