The Sundar Kand is a very magical chapter of the Ramayana. I have seen it sung in India and the US many times and I can attest to the power of reading or singing this story. I know of people whose lives were dramatically changed by singing the Ramayana only once. This book allows a sincere seeker to read both the original verses and the English translation and be moved by the beauty of this ancient poem. It is most wonderful when read or sung with a group of people.

With his English translation, Swami Satyananda breathes life into the story of Hanuman's adventures in Lanka. The Sundar Kand is also a story of the very personal relationships that Sita, Hanuman, Lakshman and Vibishana have with Rama. These relationships come to life in this wonderful translation. The author has brilliantly captured the beauty and emotion of Tulsidasa's poetry.

For me, the emotional impact of the Sundar Kand is it's demonstration of God's love for his devotees. The author's translation allows us to listen in as Rama, Sita, Hanuman and Vibishana so elegantly express their love for each other. For instance, one of the most poignant moments in the Sundar Kand, is when Sita, Rama's wife, is being threatened by Ravana, the ego. He tells her that if she won't sleep with him, she will be killed within one month. Sita cries in despair, "O Lord, you have completely forgotten me." Then Hanuman appears before Sita and gives Rama's message to her. Ram says "Since you have been separated from me, dear Sita , everything has been it's opposite. The new shoots of trees appear like fire, night appears to be the dreadful night of dissolution and the moon is as bright as the sun. A person's pain becomes a little less if they share it, but with whom can I speak who could understand? The truth of my love for you, my Beloved, only my mind can understand. And that mind is always with you. Know this to be the essence of my love. Listening to the message of the Lord, Sita became so absorbed in thoughts of love that she forgot her body.

Later in the Sundar Kand, when Hanuman returns to Rama with the good news that he has found Sita and she is alive, we find this exquisite exchange between Rama and Hanuman. "Listen, Hanuman, neither among Gods, men or men of wisdom has any embodied being performed such a great benefit to me as you have done. I cannot think that I will ever be able to perform a benefit to you of a similar value. Listen dear one, I have thought it over extensively and have concluded that I cannot be free from my debt to you." Tears came to his eyes and his body trembled.

Hearing the Lord's words and seeing his pleased countenance, Hanuman was filled with Delight. He fell to earth at the Lord's feet and called,"Protect me, protect me, oh Supreme Divinity." Again and again the Lord tried to raise him, but lost in deep love he would not get up.

The intensity of the love of a pure devotee like Hanuman for God is palpable in these flowing verses. Many books talk about devotion, but Swami Satyananda's Sundar Kand lets you feel that devotion. If you only read the English translation, you will be blessed by beautiful devotional poetry that captures a profound spiritual mood. If you chant or sing the verses you will be moved by this ancient scripture. This is a book that any serious spiritual aspirant will enjoy.

Mahavir Nanda

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The Sundar Kand is such a delight! It is an allegory describing the Individual Soul's search for his Perfect or True Nature which has been stolen by the selfishness of Ego. The Individual Soul is played by Lord Rama (the Avatara of Lord Vishnu). His wife, Sita, plays the role of True Nature. Hanuman, the Lord's devotee, plays the role of Pure Devotion. What touches me the most deeply is the descriptions of the Lord and the Love he shares with his devotees. When a devotee understands the intrinsic nature of Consciousness (of Lord Rama), he shall have no desire to stop singing to the Lord. his only prayer will be to be blessed with eternal devotion.The final verses say "The Lord of Light is the Repository of all Qualities which lead to Happiness, the Destroyer of all Doubts, and the Remover of all Sorrow. Oh Foolish Mind! Leave all the vain hopes and false desires of this world of objects and relationships, and always sing and listen to the word of God. The song of the qualities of the Leader of Light is always beautiful and bestows all welfare. Who will listen to this with respectful attention will cross this ocean of the world without any other spiritual discipline. This excellent translation of one of the most beloved works of Hindu sacred poetry beckons us to enter into a relationship with the Lord and to see our own consciousness reunited with our true nature.

Ramesh Chand, St Louis

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Sahib Sadhu is a very fun read full of deep interest for those inclined toward spiritual quests. The contents of these pages are apt to add octane to an aspirants efforts. Some might even find these tales to be high test rocket fuel with which to soar above the clouds. Still this book is not a tell all. There are gaps.
It might have been even more interesting of a read if it all started when this Swami Satyananda character first set foot on the subcontinent. There are unanswered questions which may crop up in the minds of some readers. For instance, how did Satya come to develop his rapid fluency in the Indian languages which enabled him to go native so effectively? There had to be some sensible progression even to his rather accelerated learning curve. As informative of this book is, it creates plenty of mystery. Thumbs up to Sushil Choudhury and Shree Maa.

A reader

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The Chandi Path is an old and respected sadhana for sadhus in India. Many have been the commentaries written about it. But the modern commentary written by Swami Satyananda Saraswati of Napa, CA is a masterpiece.

Now this book Sahib Sadhu is the story of this Swami. It traces his growth - from a young American man with the urge to know more to his meeting with the Guru, his seva and ultimately initiation from the Guru. It is depicted with humor and gentle understanding the prejudices faced by a "Sahib" - a white man - at the hands of the native villagers and then their growing respect and acceptance of him.

It is written from the viewpoint of a young village boy who was so fascinated with the Swami that he kept sneaking off into the cremation grounds to do seva for him. And when the Swami matures into a great man, so does the author - from a simple village boy to one that holds an important position in the Indian government.

A wonderful heartwarming book.

Nanda, San Hose

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The Fire Ceremony (Yajna) is an integral part of Hinduism. Yajna, which means the union of the two fires, one of internal spiritual enlightenment mirroring the ceremonial fire altar, is a core part of Siva Puja. This union is the sacrifice of an individual's egotism, duality, selfishness and other asuras. Puja means "the actions which give birth to the highest merit." By doing Puja, we practice what it would be like for God to visit our homes. The Siva Puja and Advanced Yajna book goes into the intricate details of worshipping the great deity, Mahadeva. Siva allegorizes Infinite Goodness and Continual Transformation; the literal translation of Siva is "the welfare of all objects of perception." He is inconceivably limitless and by worshipping him, we can cultivate and imbibe some of His great qualities, such as Detachment, and Infinite Consciousness. We learn to recognize that the intrinsic reality is not the external appearance and this wisdom frees us from pain and fear. Swamiji is most encouraging in his guidance and continuously helps us along in our quest for divine grace. He says, "Worship does not mean the memorization of mantras, or even the proper placement of the flowers and other objects. Worship is an attitude of respect, of dedication, of devotion to the exclusion of selfishness...." In this manner, we can all become a part of Lord Siva.

Jumpha

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How do I begin? This book is just packed with stuff for lovers of Shiva. It is a full system of Tantric practice, begining with worship of Ganesha and ending with a complete system of homa ceremony. Swami Satyananda of Napa Valley, CA is a master of this science, having learned it from his gurudeva, and practicing himself for many years.

The pujas (ceremonial worship) are at intermediate and advanced levels, but may be adjusted to suit individual needs. They include the one hundred and eight names, the thousand names, pranapratishta, and various nyasas, including anga, kara, samhara and bahya matrika nyasas, and pitha nyasa where the yantra is placed over the heart and the place of worship established there.

Various bits of useful and devotional scriptures are also included in this book, like Shankara's Sadhana Panchakam, Shivo Ham Shivo Ham, Rudrashtakam, Lingashtakam, and Bhava Sagara, among others.

As I said, this book is a treasure. It is one to grow with, begining small and adding more to your practice as you gain experience. For anyone wishing to learn the method of the fire offering, this is an excellent source.

Chris Kirner, Pacific North West

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Though I am posting this review under the title "Shiva Puja and Advanced Yajna," it really applies to all of the wonderful books of Swami Satyananda Saraswati of Napa, California. These books will probably appeal most to those who perform traditional Hindu ceremonial worship, called puja. However, this review is to call attention to another aspect of these books which is worth noting, and is indeed highly praiseworthy. Personally, I do not perform formal pujas, but I love Sanskrit and all the wonderful traditional mantras and hymns of that sacred language. I repeat mantras and recite hymns in my own informal way. As a source for Sanskrit mantras and hymns, there is nothing better than the books of Swami Satyananda Saraswati. I have taught myself to read Devanagari script, so I greatly appreciate its inclusion in these books. Above all, the script is large, clear, and easy to read. These books are typeset to allow easy reading of either the Devanagari script, or the transliterated text, while performing puja. A great deal of attention has obviously been paid to making the script easily readable, even while holding the book at arm's length. This is a huge advantage. I'm not so great at reading Devanagari that I enjoy working my way through the tiny, blurred script found in so many other books, especially Indian publications. These books, by contrast, are a pleasure to read.

The transliterations of the Sanskrit mantras and hymns follow the precision international system which uses diacritical marks. This system, originally developed by European scholars in the nineteenth century, has long been the "gold standard" for transliteration of Sanskrit texts due to the direct one-to-one correspondence with the Sanskrit alphabet. (I have been glad to see that this system has become more and more universally used for transliteration of Sanskrit.) It is here employed with great accuracy, and in a typeface of unsurpassed readability. I have many versions of some of the Sanskrit hymns and mantras in this book, and in the many other books of Swami Satyananda Saraswati, but I always choose to read the versions in Swami Satyananda Saraswati's books because I can always count on them to be the most accurate and readable versions available.

Besides the Sanskrit texts in both Devanagari script and in Romanized transliteration using the international system, one is also treated to Swami Satyananda Saraswati's highly accurate, but also energetic and enthusiastic English translations. Without deviating from the precise meanings of the texts, the Swami manages to include and convey his own love and enthusiasm for this ancient and sacred literature. I rarely look elsewhere for definitive translations.

Also, when perusing the catalog of Swami Satyananda Saraswati's books, don't be misled by the titles into thinking that they convey the full range of the contents. The books are
always crammed with "extras," often mantras only peripherally related to the main topic, but in this way one gets a spectacular collection of the greatest Sanskrit mantras in existence.

For those dedicated to the performance of puja, these books are indispensible. For those who just love Sanskrit and all the wonderful hymns and mantras, these books are a treasure trove. I don't recite every mantra in ever book -- not by any means -- but there are some in every book that I love to sing and recite. And I buy all the books also just as a way of saying "thank you" to Swami Satyananda Saraswati for rendering this wonderful service to all Sanskrit lovers, and doing so in such a conscious and conscientious way. Thank you, Swamiji! We've never met, but I'm one of your silent (until now!) fans and admirers.

Dharmananda, Northern California

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Swami Satyananda has done an excellent job of translating the Rudrastadhyayi. His rendition captures the passion and emotion of these inspired poems. Swami Satyananda has a knack for making ancient texts understandable and accessible to the western mind. This text can be read or chanted and is an important book for those who want to understand and worship Shiva.

Steven Newmark, Larkspur, CA

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This is such a difficult text to find, to read, to understand, to chant. Swamiji has made it all so easy. As with all of his books the transliteration is easy to read. The translation has made some of the hard to understand vagueness of this ancient text come to life with a new perspective that enlivens the reader as well as the reciter. Thank you Swamiji for your wonderful work !!

Kanti, Heartland, USA

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I have read many books about Sri Ramakrishna, His Disciples and Sri Sarada Devi. Most of the books which are available in English. I just wanted to share with you how very special "Ramakrishna, The Nectar of Eternal Bliss" is.

It has an immediacy that is truly contagious. One of the reasons that it grabs you and sits you down in His Presence is because it was written by two of His greatest disciples, Shree Maa and Swamiji. With their knowledge and love of Thakur and their knowledge of Bengali, they have offered us a fresh flower from His Garland of Bliss. All of the wonderful bhajans to the Divine Mother that Ramakrishna and his disciples delighted in singing together are presented with new translations.

I love Sri Ramakrishna with my whole heart. I have since I read my first sentence describing His Divine Love. I felt "at home" in his room at Dakshineshwar. This Love, this Divine Freedom, was what I had been searching for my whole life.

Please, take the time to read this Holy Book about our Beloved Avatar. Very few books have ever been written from first hand experience with an avatar. This book is an expanded translation based on the notes taken by Ramakrishna's disciple M.

If you want to begin to get to know Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda Saraswati, this is a wonderful way to start. Their Divine Love shines through on every page.

Ardis Jackson, Idyllwild, CA

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