Sadhan Samar: Battles in a Sacred Quest (Devi Mahatmya: Glory of the Goddess) – Vol. 1

Sādhan Samar, a commentary on Devī Māhātmya in Bengali, was written by Brahmarṣi Satyadeva in early 1900 and was first published from Calcutta in 1920. It is said to be an enlightened and brilliant interpretation of the original text. It provides significant insights into this ancient and widely known Indian scripture. Brahmarṣi gives a spiritual perspective on each verse, expanding the allegory beyond its material and divine levels. He provides a guide map for a spiritual aspirant moving into Devī Māhātmya. It is not just a product of logical analysis but also of divine insight. Śri Satyadeva was born Śaratcandra Bandhopdhyaya, in 1883, in the village of Navagrām in Bariṣal district in what is presently Bangladesh. He was given the honorific Brahmarṣi for his exalted spiritual attainment. Satyadeva authored several books such as Pujā Tattva, Satya Pratiṣṭā, and Mātṛ Darśan. He passed away in 1932. His lineage continues among others, with Dev Sangha Aśram in Deoghar, Jhārkhand, India. The translator, Narendra Bhadra was born in Patna, India, and was awarded degrees in Medicine and Orthopedics from Calcutta University and a Doctorate in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. He has published about fifty peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals and has written chapters in five books. He has English translations of two Bengali spiritual texts published by Ramkrishna Sangha Adyapeath, Kolkata. One is a book of spiritual poetry by Sri Annadā Thākur (Instructions for the mind) and the other a biography of Annadā Thākur by Brahmacārini Śovā Devī (Thākur as I saw him). He was initiated by Danḍisvāmi Dāmodar Aśram, who has authored a large body of work as Br. Medhā Caitanya. Narendra was urged by Ācārya Saumyendranāth to translate Sādhan Samar written by his paramguru Brahmarṣi Satyadeva, so that it could have a wider readership.