Adhyatmikta

by Rajarshi Nandy

Explorations into Hindu Spiritual Practices looks at the fundamental questions and issues faced by a dharmic spiritual practitioner in today's age. It guides one to navigate the spiritual path with a judicious mix of practical experience and guidance from the traditions and texts. The book also contains detailed articles on devatas in Hinduism. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rajarshi Ranjan Nandy is an upasaka, speaker, and columnist, who also guides people interested in the practice of sadhana.

Genres: Spirituality, Hinduism, Religion

182 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2018

Reviews

[Naresh Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this book after listening to the authors talk. Seeing the content list I thought I had made a mistake as it seemed like a introduction to Hindu concepts.
However reading the book, I feel deep gratitude to the author for making this effort. He has shared deeper insights on those topics such that it rejuvenates your understanding of these familiar concepts and your enthusiasm to practice the sadhana.
Highly Recommended.

[sanjaya venugopalan · Rating 5 out of 5]

rajarishi nandi delivers as he always does. The book is concise and direct. Great for beginners, experts and noobs. Definitely worth the read for those interested in making spiritual progress via tantric practices and for those who are curious.

[Abhik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe that Adhyatmikta is an honest attempt to guide genuine aspirants of Adhyatma mainly for 2 things.
First, get the foundation of the fundamental spiritual concepts correct and secondly to traverse them through the landmine of fakery spread all across in the name of spirituality.
I found the style of writing invoking a sense of harmony and peace in the reader. That itself is the biggest testimony of the genuineness of the writer's intent.
There are few typos, which can be overlooked and can be taken care in the 2nd edition.
This book must be suggested to any genuine however novice seeker who comes to you or whom you may come across as an initial manual which can guide him of the basic do's and don'ts so that he/she can avoid wasting the time and energy dealing with erstwhile fake people/institution who misguides.

[Vijay Rayasam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be one of those books which you should pick-up if you are new to this genre. I got to know about this book from one of the podcasts in which the author himself was invited to share his knowledge about the subject. In the first half of the book the author tried to touch upon the basics of sadhana, the changes or experiences which a sadaka might come across during the sadhana and how to identify the true or actual communion with the Supreme, without getting carried away by illusions which our mind could play. In the second part of the book, the author discusses about different sampradayas, different gods and goddesses which one might want to choose as his/her ishta devata, along with the superficial knowledge about the devata, the rules of their upasana, iconography, and concept(s) behind their existence in spiritual realm, etc. The best part of the book is that it has no images of the gods or goddesses, which allows the reader to imagine while reading the text, which might get engraved much strongly in the mind, than by looking at a ready-made image. However, it also contained some text which I felt were a bit too complex for a layman like me in this genre. Having said that, this short book could be a good, if not the best, introduction to anyone in their spiritual journey.

[Karthik Govil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rajarshi Nandy writes a great book on various sadhnas of all kinds, and really brings dharma full circle.

While the starting chapters felt like generic detachment advice, over the subsequent chapters it makes more sense and the ideation of Rajarshi Nandy becomes more clear.

While Nandy does not come up with his own strain of thought here (I sense he has one) - he is an amalgamation of his gurus and their influences (Aurobindo, Ramana Maharshi, Vimalananda, etc) - I think he will get there later in his career, provided he is true to his sadhana.

Many tantrik practices have been so wrongfully banned and it is shocking to know how the Indian state has clamped down on them. Along with free Hindu temples, making such practices of Bhairav etc legal again should be part of the same movement of our times.

Nandy explores these well, but his mind seems a bit un-firm as he is finding his place in the religious spectrum, in the physical world, in the right circles of society, and more. Once he achieves true stability, his work will prosper too.

However, for the plethora of hidden knowledge, despite the lack of citations (I get that tantra sadhna is meant to be a secret), the book does the exploration well enough to be a good read, especially for those who consider themselves polluted and not worth a spiritual journey. This book is a good starting place for them.

8/10

[Rahil Joshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is great for beginners, I will try to provide a review without spoilers. Rajasrshi Nandy is a great Sadhaka himself for sure because you can find this in his writing and the knowledge he gave in this book. Although every chapter of this book can be a different book or even a set of books. He tried to cover every basic information about the journey of a Sadhaka, especially the Guru chapter where he gave a tremendous amount of information in a very short and concise manner. A good read-only for people who want an overview of Sadhana and the experiences that comes with it. The target audience for this book will be the people who have little to no understanding of Sadhana, but if you're already been in the process for more than a year, this book will not fascinate you. But if you're new to the world then I recommend this book.

[Anurag Tripathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://anuragrbl.blogspot.com/2025/0...
my detailed review in the blog
The book is a good compilation and gives a crash course in essential concepts of Sanatan Dharma and pooja paddhati for certain Gods. There is nothing unique or new in the book except for the fact that it is a easy read on the topic and written by a sadhak who knows the limitation of followers of Hindu Dharma in understanding certain concepts as mAdhyatmiktaost of the person are default followers into their family tradition and have less knowledge at the conceptual level.

[Meghana Harishankara · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Adhyatmikta” opened my eyes to new spiritual knowledge. However, my current stage of spiritual evolution is so low that I couldn’t understand everything explained in the book. Might have to re-read this book multiple times at multiple phases of my life as I gain more spiritual experience so that I can truly digest the words.

If one has watched all of Rajarshi’s podcasts and videos, then this book is an excellent additional content for some of Sadhana concepts he has talked about and also intro to various Devatas.

If one has not watched his famous podcasts, then would suggest to watch them after reading this book, as one will find new topics not mentioned in the book.

[S P · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is good & the first half where he talks about the various concepts of Sanatan Dharma will be beneficial to novices. The second half provides good & brief information about a select few deities. I don't know why he selected these particular deities; I at least was unable to detect a pattern for it was a mixed bag including a few Mahavidyas, Garuda, Bhairav, etc. The language is easy to understand & I was able to finish this book quickly. Overall a good one if you are just starting out on your dharmic journey.

[Srikar Krishnatheeram · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful start for me from Rajarshi Nandy. If you know the author you know his ability to explain very nuanced and detailed aspect of Tantra Sadhana easily to the viewer. This can easily be seen here in the book as well.

My favourite part of the book is where he goes on explaining about each of the deities he personally has a connection towards. Explaining every detail and iconography of the deity was very much informative.

Highly recommend for people who want to start their spiritual journey through Tantra.

[Aravind Raamkumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got to know about Rajarshi Ranjanji from social media. He is a well-spoken Devi upasaka with experiential knowledge about different types of Sadhana. Bought this book out of curiosity. It's an easy read with 4-5 pages allotted to each topic which is either spiritual or ritual/deity related. The author provides a brief overview without dwelling deep on most topics except the ones related to mahavidyas which the author has affinity with. Personally, I feel that Ranjanji could make a more thicker recounting of his experiences from the viewpoint of a historian, with specific focus on mahavidyas.

[Moitreyo L. Handique · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to the subtle intricacies of the Shakta philosophy nuanced to survive the tests of a logical and scientific mind.
This is not just any other book but an exploration into the esoteric philosophy of the Shakti tradition. This book will prove to be a wonderful stepping stone to anyone who is drawn to the path.

[Siddharth · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'm amazed at the potent, substantial and divinely authentic knowledge and wisdom Sri Rajarshi Nandi Sir is sharing with us. This is a book of marvelous beauty and igniting wisdom.
There were times I got lost in the book contemplating on just what I have read."

Indeed blessed with the wisdom and knowledge Sir shared. What a book to kick-start my year.

[Setu Purohit · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good guide for beginners on Sanatan Dharma and everything that makes it great. A wonderful rendition from a siddha tantrik. However, I would request Sri Rajarshi Nandi to write more detailed and advanced book for sadhaks of all ages.

[Aishwarya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing! At first, I thought everything was the same as what I had already heard in most of his podcasts. But as I got halfway through the book, it became increasingly insightful and engaging. This book offers an insightful overview of Tantra, exploring its philosophy, principles.

[Raghavender Sridhar]

Spiritual journey , a great read

[Amit Verma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives basic idea about spirituality, different traditions, sampradaya etc. good for beginners like me

[Sobham Panja · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in knowing some basics of Tantra and if you are interested to know/accept a different perspective of life, then this gem is for you.

[Pravin Ghanesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Much Needed Basic For Starters

Brought some basic concepts from different paths together: Vedic and Tantric, which is rare to find, but much needed for modern understanding.

[Vigyan Om · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adhtatmikta by Rajarshi Nandy is a good book for anyone who needs new insights on the path of Sanatana Dharma. A beginner on the path may gain new thoughts and informations from the read.


It mostly contains articles and views of the author about the spiritual path and the about deities and their backgrounds. It answers questions relating to the basic ideas a hindu not so introduced to the culture asks for!

The book is divided into two parts. The Part 1 deals with basic ideas of philosophy, spiritual seekings, rituals and principals. Whereas the Part 2 deals specifically with devatas and Brahman in practically every form worshipped in today's times.

This is a good start for the young generation and a good revision for anyone already on the path.

[Arun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each of the short chapters cover various aspects/dimensions of Hindu spiritual thought for an honest enquirer of Truth. I had my reservations going into the book thinking this will be one of those tomes written by a scholar who had no practical experience in these matters but the author (who himself is a Sadhak on the path of Self discovery) deftly explained/clarified the deeper meanings of various Hindu deity worship (the "what" and the "why") which the ancient seer's of the land had used to guide others to discover one's Self.
One minor nit: A book whose content is as good as this this should have had a good editor. It has quite a few typographical errors/typos/grammatical mistakes!

[Adwitiya Dube · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adhyatmikta approaches spirituality not as abstract philosophy, but as practice—rooted in tantra, sadhana, and inner discipline.
Rajarshi Nandy writes with seriousness and conviction, often pushing the reader away from simplified, feel-good notions of spirituality toward a more demanding inner path.

People who follow other spiritual paths or traditions may not agree with everything presented here, though those actively seeking different perspectives on their spiritual journey may still find it worth exploring.