Reviewed by: Prof Shankar Chatterjee, Hyderabad
The book “Sacred Algorithms: The Mumukshu Paradox,” which means “Sacred Algorithms: From a Spark of Curiosity to a Journey Between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Consciousness,” was published on August 10, 2025, and is currently available on the Amazon store in all countries, including India, in eBook format of 316 pages. The paperback version (322 pages, including contents and foreword) is expected to be published in September 2025 by Lumina Publications, Mumbai, and will also be available through Amazon and Flipkart online stores. The author, Shailendra Mishra (44 years old), is an electronics engineer with an MBA in supply chain and operations management who spent the last two decades in leadership roles in the IT industry, both in the U.S. and India, and is now back in India. He has been on a deep spiritual and philosophical quest since childhood. Through his book, he attempts to bring together ancient wisdom and the latest human invention—Artificial Intelligence (AI)—to paint a picture of humanity’s future.
Sacred Algorithms: The Mumukshu Paradox is not merely about AI—it is a deeply human story. It explores suspense, friendship, ambition, failure, the pursuit of success, and the deeper question of what happiness truly means. The narrative asks: in a world being reshaped by intelligence, what does it mean to be human, and what is worth preserving? A scientist, an AI prodigy, and the seeker Mumukshu (meaning “seeking spiritual liberation”) are drawn into an intelligence that begins to explore the nature of consciousness.
The book’s central message is this: the future of AI and humanity cannot be resolved through the Western model of consumption, optimization, and industrial logic alone. The answers to our existential dilemmas may well lie in Bharatiya darshan (Indian philosophy), which offers a holistic framework that balances duality and non-duality, reason and compassion, and progress and harmony. By weaving these timeless insights into a contemporary narrative, the novel invites readers to pause, reflect, and perhaps even rediscover their own inner algorithm.
There are altogether 27 chapters in this volume, which are presented here for the benefit of readers: 1) Chaos in Banaras, 2) Those 30 Hours. 3) Worried World In The Ai Summit, 4) The Temptation Of Infinity, 5) The Last Call Unanswered, 6) The Magician Friend, 7) Manikarnika, The Last Halt, 8) A Family (Re)Union, 9) Parallel Lines On A Banaras Street, 10) Unexpected Encounter At Lahiri Ashram, 11) The Cambridge Professor, 12) Kashi Vishwanath, 13) The Doctor Who Could Not Forget, 14) The Boat Ride At Assi Ghat, 15) The Aughads Of Banaras, 16) Vidhu—The Quiet Center, 17) My Dearest Janmejay, 18) Mumukshu: The One Who Knew, 19) Sankat Mochan: The Junction, 20) The Ultimate Vimarsh, 21) It Sees, It Knows, It Learns, 22) Seeking Answers, 23) Game Theory & The Cosmic Brain, 24) The Tenth Day Ceremony, 25) A New Soul Is Born, 26) The Tenth Day Ceremony Continued, & 27) The Thirteenth Day: The ‘End’ And A ‘Beginning’!
This is a unique type of book, which is seldom found these days. This volume will be of use to academics, scholars, spiritual leaders, and others.

Shailendra Mishra (44 years old),