TESTIMONIALS

Sadhu

“With an elegantly written story, exquisite plot, and deep character development, 'Sadhu' takes readers on an epic adventure complete with a colorful cast of characters and foundation in historical references. Readers will be enamored by Vishwa-rupa’s journey and won’t be able to put the book down! One of the best reads of the year!”

---Chelsea Burdick, Editor of Historical Fiction and History teacher

"Blending fiction with education, Ashtakala presents a beuatifully told story

wrapped in the secretive realities of a mystical 15th century India. He

reimagines the life and times of one of India's greatest. yet lesser-known saints, ,Vishwa-rupa. "Sadhu" takes you on a palpable, meditative, and often harrowing journey as seen through the eyes of this mysterious holy man. It appeals to any sincere seeker of wisdom and enlightment."

---Bhakti Marga Swami, Spiritual Teacher and Author of The Saffron Road: Trekking the Globe with The Walking Monk

"In the hands of a skilled storteller, fiction teach history better than history books, and translate philosophical and spiritual precepts more vividly than scholarly texts. Mohan Ashtakala accomplishes taht in this novel, bringing spirituality and history to life in a page-turner, aided by appendices for readers unfamiliar with Indian culture."

--Philip Goldberg, best-selling author of American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation, How Indian Spirituality Changed the West and The Life of Yogananda.

"This historical fiction captures people and breathtaking scenes with rich imagery of sights, sounds, customes, dialogue, and settings of a medieval India whose people were subjugated by foreign rule. the intrigue carries the reader along inot a surprising adventure with a protagonist who has left behind his beloved family to find spirituality. through this superbly crafted lens we effortlessly immerse into India;s ancient heritgae and world-rekowned teachings, even as we face dramatic scenes of how savage humans can be."

--Pranada Comptois, Author of Award Winning 'Wise Love' and 'Bhakti Shakti.'

This is such a great read!   

-  Cassy Welburn, Author, Poet and Storyteller.

I was enthralled by the premise the whole way.  I think Karma Nation is a really accomplished piece and brings a really fresh perspective. 

- Panchali devi Walford, Bhakti yoga Practitioner

This story has it all -- fantasy, adventure, spirituality, and romance. Ashtakala writes with extraordinary attention to the details of the yoga tradition, in a way the reader can easily understand and appreciate. Jack, Steve, and the people they encounter in their journeys are characters that will stay with you for a long, long time.   

- Julia Marshall, writer | communications & change management specialist | yoga teacher. www.jewelyoga.ca

Two typical American young men walk out of their clouds of misinformation about who they are and how the world should be.  By differing paths, they walk into worlds of realities unimagined in their American culture, meet teachers for good or bad in an alien world, and come to terms with an entirely new way to understand their lives.  This is a deeper story than it appears on the surface, and the author has done a wonderful job of introducing Jack, Steve, and all of us to the wonder, wisdom and the gifts of an ancient tradition to this new world.

- Anne Roth, former Global Trustee of the United Religions Initiative. www.uri.org

The Yoga Zapper fulfilled my two strongest desires when I read a novel, to be entertained and educated. Ashtakala manages to explain the mysticism within Yoga all the while wrapping it in an incredibly entertaining story that grabs the readers attention and holds on to it. I would highly recommend this novel to my friends and co-workers for the fantastic read that it is.

- Thomas Plumridge, Avid Fantasy reader

I really, really liked it. It was hard to put down.  I liked how some Bhagavatam themes were taken and fictionalized a bit to fit a contemporary theme. This fictionalized adaptation from India’s sacred texts is a captivating read. It takes the traditional stories from centuries past, mixes them with scriptural predictions in distant future and intertwines them with a fictional account of two modern day time travelers. The story accurately portrays both what is written about the past and is predicted about the future.

- Jaya Sacisuta dasa, ISKCON Boulder. www.boulderkrishnahouse.com