Ramana Maharshi (; 30 December 1879 – 14 April 1950) was an Indian

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

sage and '' jivanmukta'' (liberated being). He was born Venkataraman Iyer, but is mostly known by the name Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. He was born in

Tiruchuli Tiruchuli is a village in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is sited about 15 kilometres east of Aruppukkottai, 40 km east of Virudhunagar, and 45 km south of Madurai. The village is the birthplace of Sri Ramana Maharishi, the most revered 20th ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. In 1895, an attraction to the sacred hill Arunachala and the 63

Nayanmars The Nayanars (or Nayanmars; ta, நாயன்மார், translit=Nāyaṉmār, translit-std=ISO, lit=hounds of Siva, and later 'teachers of Shiva ) were a group of 63 Tamil Hindu saints living during the 6th to 8th centuries CE who were de ...

was aroused in him, and in 1896, at the age of 16, he had a "death-experience" where he became aware of a "current" or "force" (''avesam'') which he recognized as his true "I" or "self",David godman (7 May 2008), ''Bhagavan's death experience''
The Mountain Path, 1981, pp. 67–69. and which he later identified with "the personal God, or

Iswara ''Ishvara'' () is a concept in Hinduism, with a wide range of meanings that depend on the era and the school of Hinduism. Monier Monier Williams, Sanskrit-English dictionarySearch for Izvara University of Cologne, Germany In ancient texts of ...

", that is,

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one o ...

. This resulted in a state that he later described as "the state of mind of Iswara or the jnani". Six weeks later he left his uncle's home in Madurai, and journeyed to the holy mountain Arunachala, in

Tiruvannamalai Tiruvannamalai (Tamil: ''Tiruvaṇṇāmalai'' IPA: , otherwise spelt ''Thiruvannamalai''; ''Trinomali'' or ''Trinomalee'' on British records) is a city, a spiritual, cultural, economic hub and also the administrative headquarters of Tiruvann ...

, where he took on the role of a sannyasin (though not formally initiated), and remained for the rest of his life. He attracted devotees that regarded him as an

avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appear ...

of Shiva and came to him for darshan ("the sight of God"). In later years, an

ashram An ashram ( sa, आश्रम, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery in Indian religions. Etymology The Sanskrit noun is a thematic nominal derivative from the root 'toil' (<

upadesa ("spiritual instruction") by sitting silently in his company asking questions. Since the 1930s his teachings have been popularized in the West. Ramana Maharshi approved a number of paths and practices, but recommended

self-enquiry Self-enquiry, also spelled self-inquiry (Sanskrit '' vichara'', also called '' jnana-vichara'' or '), is the constant attention to the inner awareness of "I" or "I am" recommended by Ramana Maharshi as the most efficient and direct way of disco ...

as the principal means to remove ignorance and abide in self-awareness, together with

bhakti ''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...

(devotion) or surrender to the self.

Biography

Early years (1879–1895)

Ramana Maharshi was born Venkataraman Iyer on 30 December 1879 in the village Tiruchuzhi near Aruppukkottai, Virudhunagar District in Tamil Nadu,

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union terr ...

. He was the second of four children in an orthodox

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests ( purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers ( ...

family. His father was Sundaram Iyer (1848–1890), from the lineage of Parashara, and his mother was Azhagammal (1864–1922). He had two brothers Nagaswami (1877–1900) and Nagasundaram (1886–1953), along with a younger sister Alamelu (1887–1953). His father was a court pleader. Both a paternal uncle of his father and his father's brother had become sannyasins. Venkataraman's family belonged to the Smarta denomination, and regularly worshiped

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...

Ganesha Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu ...

Surya Surya (; sa, सूर्य, ) is the sun as well as the solar deity in Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchayatana puja and a ...

and

Shakti In Hinduism, especially Shaktism (a theological tradition of Hinduism), Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; lit. "Energy, ability, strength, effort, power, capability") is the primordial cosmic energy, female in aspect, and r ...

in their home. When Venkataraman was seven he had his

upanayana ''Upanayana'' ( sa, उपनयनम्, lit=initiation, translit=Upanāyanam) is a Hindu educational sacrament, one of the traditional saṃskāras or rites of passage that marked the acceptance of a student by a preceptor, such as a ''guru'' ...

, the traditional initiation of the three upper varnas into Brahmanical learning and the knowledge of Self. He had a very good memory, and was able to recall information after hearing it once, an ability he used to memorize Tamil poems. Narasimha notes that Venkataraman used to sleep very deeply, not waking from loud sounds, nor even when his body was beaten by others. When he was about twelve years old, he may have experienced spontaneous deep meditative states. ''Sri Ramana Vijayam'', the Tamil biography that first appeared in the 1920s, describes a period a few years before the death-experience in Madurai: When he was about eleven his father sent him to live with his paternal uncle Subbaiyar in Dindigul as he wanted his sons to be educated in the English language, so that they would be eligible to enter government service. Only

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, na ...

was taught at the village school in Tiruchuzhi, which he attended for three years. In 1891, when his uncle was transferred to

Madurai Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration i ...

, Venkataraman and his elder brother Nagaswami moved with him. In Dindigul, Venkataraman attended a Hindu School where English was taught, and stayed there for a year. His father, Sundaram Iyer, died suddenly on 18 February 1892. After his father's death, the family split up; Venkataraman and Nagaswami stayed with Subbaiyar in Madurai.

Adolescence and realization (1895–1896)

Venkataraman first attended Scott's Middle School and then the American Mission High School where he became acquainted with Christianity. In November 1895 Venkataraman realized that Arunachala, the sacred mountain, was a real place. He had known of its existence from an early age, and was overwhelmed by the realisation that it really existed. During this time he also read

Sekkizhar Sēkkilān Mādēvadigal Rāmadēva (12th century CE), known popularly by his family name as Sekkizhar, was a saint and a contemporary of Kulottunga Chola II. He compiled and wrote the ''Periya Puranam'' (Great Story or Narrative) in 4253 vers ...

's '' Periyapuranam'', a book that describes the lives of the 63

, which "made a great impression" on him, and revealed to him that "Divine Union" is possible. According to Osborne, a new current of awareness started to awaken during his visits to the Meenakshi Temple at

, "a state of blissful consciousness transcending both the physical and mental plane and yet compatible with full use of the physical and mental faculties". But Ramana Maharshi later stated that he remained uninterested in religion or spirituality until his awakening eight months later. According to Narasimha, in July 1896, at age 16, he had a sudden fear of death. He was struck by "a flash of excitement" or "heat", like some ''avesam'', a "current" or "force" that seemed to possess him, while his body became rigid. He initiated a process of

, asking himself, "what it is that dies?" He concluded the body dies, but this "current" or "force" remains alive, and recognized this "current" or "force" as his ''Self'', which he later identified with "the personal God, or

". In one of his rare written comments on this process Ramana Maharshi wrote, "inquiring within ''Who is the seer?'' I saw the seer disappear leaving That alone which stands forever. No thought arose to say ''I saw''. How then could the thought arise to say ''I did not see''."An Introduction to Sri Ramana Maharshi's Life and Teachings. David Godman talks to John David
/ref> Later in life, he called his death experience ''akrama mukti'', " sudden liberation", as opposed to the ''krama mukti'', "gradual liberation" as in the Vedanta path of jnana yoga. It resulted in a state of mind which he later described as "the state of mind of Iswara or the jnani:" After this event, he lost interest in school studies, friends, and relations. He was absent-minded at school, "imagining and expecting God would suddenly drop down from Heaven before me". Avoiding company, he preferred to sit alone, absorbed in concentration on this current or force, and went daily to the Meenakshi Temple, ecstatically devoted to the images of the 63 Nayanmars and of

Nataraja Nataraja () also known as Adalvallaan () is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the divine cosmic dancer. His dance is called Tandava.''Encyclopædia Britannica'' (2015) The pose and artwork are described in many Hindu texts such as the ''T ...

, wanting "the same grace as was shown to those saints", praying that he "should have the same bhakti that they had" and " eepingthat God should give me the same grace He gave to those saints". Knowing his family would not permit him to become a sanyassin and leave home, Venkataraman slipped away, telling his brother he needed to attend a special class at school. Venkataraman boarded the train on 29 August 1896 and reached Tiruvannamalai on 1 September 1896 where he remained for the rest of his life.

Tiruvannamalai temples (1896–1899)

Thiruvannamalai, Arunachalesvara Temple, India

Arunachaleswara temple (1896–1897)

When Maharshi arrived in

, he went to the temple of Arunachaleswara. He spent the first few weeks in the thousand-pillared hall, then shifted to other spots in the temple, and eventually to the Patala-lingam vault so that he could remain undisturbed. There, he spent days absorbed in such deep

samādhi ''Samadhi'' ( Pali and sa, समाधि), in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools, is a state of meditative consciousness. In Buddhism, it is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. In the Ashtanga Yo ...

that he was unaware of the bites of vermin and pests. Seshadri Swamigal, a local saint, discovered him in the underground vault and tried to protect him. After about six weeks in the Patala-lingam vault, he was carried out and cleaned up. For the next two months he stayed in the Subramanya Shrine, so unaware of his body and surroundings that food had to be placed in his mouth to keep him from starving.

Gurumurtam temple (1897–1898)

In February 1897, six months after his arrival at Tiruvannamalai, Ramana Maharshi moved to Gurumurtam, a temple about a mile away. Shortly after his arrival a sadhu named Palaniswami went to see him. Palaniswami's first darshan left him filled with peace and bliss, and from that time on he served Ramana Maharshi as his permanent attendant. Besides physical protection, Palaniswami would also beg for alms, cook and prepare meals for himself and Ramana Maharshi, and care for him as needed. In May 1898 Ramana Maharshi moved to a mango orchard next to Gurumurtam. Osborne wrote that during this time Ramana Maharshi completely neglected his body. He also ignored the ants which bit him incessantly. Gradually, despite Ramana Maharshi's desire for privacy, he attracted attention from visitors who admired his silence and austerities, bringing offerings and singing praises. Eventually a bamboo fence was built to protect him. While living at the Gurumurtam temple his family discovered his whereabouts. First, his uncle Nelliappa Iyer came and pleaded with him to return home, promising that the family would not disturb his ascetic life. Ramana Maharshi sat motionless, and eventually his uncle gave up. In September 1898 Ramana Maharshi moved to the Shiva-temple at Pavalakkunru, one of the eastern spurs of Arunachala. He refused to return even though his mother begged him to.

Arunachala (1899–1922)

Soon after this, in February 1899, Ramana Maharshi left the foothills to live in Arunachala itself. He stayed briefly in Satguru Cave and Guhu Namasivaya Cave before taking up residence at Virupaksha Cave for the next 17 years, using Mango Tree cave during the summers, except for a six-month period at Pachaiamman Koil during the plague epidemic. In 1902, a government official named Sivaprakasam Pillai, with writing slate in hand, visited the young Swami in the hope of obtaining answers to questions about "How to know one's true identity". The fourteen questions put to the young Swami and his answers were Ramana Maharshi's first teachings on

Self-enquiry Self-enquiry, also spelled self-inquiry (Sanskrit '' vichara'', also called '' jnana-vichara'' or '), is the constant attention to the inner awareness of "I" or "I am" recommended by Ramana Maharshi as the most efficient and direct way of disco ...

, the method for which he became widely known, and were eventually published as ''Nan Yar?'', or in English, ''Who am I?''. Many visitors came to him and some became his devotees. Kavyakantha Sri Ganapati Sastri, a Vedic scholar of repute in his age, with a deep knowledge of the Srutis, Sastras, Tantras, Yoga, and Agama systems, but lacking the personal '' darshan'' of Shiva, came to visit Ramana Maharshi in 1907. After receiving ''upadesa'' from him on self-enquiry, he proclaimed him as Bhagavan Sri Ramana

Maharshi Maharishi is a Sanskrit word, written as "महर्षि" in Devanagari (formed from the prefix mahā- meaning "great" and r̥ṣi - sage, poet or a singer of sacred hymns), indicating members of the highest order of ancient Indian sages, po ...

. Ramana Maharshi was known by this name from then on. Ganapati Sastri passed on these instructions to his own students, but later in life confessed that he had never been able to achieve permanent Self-abidance. Nevertheless, he was highly valued by Ramana Maharshi and played an important role in his life. In 1911 the first westerner, Frank Humphreys, then a police officer stationed in India, discovered Ramana Maharshi and wrote articles about him which were first published in ''The International Psychic Gazette'' in 1913. In an appendix to ''Self realisation'' Narasimha wrote that in 1912, while in the company of disciples, Ramana Maharshi had an epileptic seizure, in which his vision was suddenly impaired three times by a "white bright curtain" which covered a part of his vision. At the third instance his vision was shut out completely, while his "head was swimming", and he felt his heart stop beating and his breathing seizing, while his skin turned blue, as if he was dead. This lasted for about ten or fifteen minutes, whereafter "a shock passed suddenly through the body", and his blood circulation and his respiration returned. In response to "strange accounts" about this event, he later said that it was a

seizure An epileptic seizure, informally known as a seizure, is a period of symptoms due to abnormally excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Outward effects vary from uncontrolled shaking movements involving much of the body with lo ...

, which he used to have occasionally, and did not bring on himself. According to Osborne, it "marked the final completion of Sri Bhagavan's return to full outer normality". In 1916 his mother Alagammal and younger brother Nagasundaram joined Ramana Maharshi at Tiruvannamalai and followed him when he moved to the larger Skandashram Cave, where Bhagavan lived until the end of 1922. His mother took up the life of a '' sannyasin'' and Ramana Maharshi began to give her intense, personal instruction, while she took charge of the Ashram kitchen. Ramana Maharshi's younger brother, Nagasundaram, then became a ''sannyasi'', assuming the name Niranjanananda, becoming known as Chinnaswami (the younger Swami). During this period, Ramana Maharshi composed ''The Five Hymns to Arunachala'', his magnum opus in devotional lyric poetry. The first hymn is ''Akshara Mana Malai''. It was composed in Tamil in response to the request of a devotee for a song to be sung while wandering in the town for alms. The Marital Garland tells in glowing symbolism of the love and union between the human soul and God, expressing the attitude of the soul that still aspires. Starting in 1920, his mother's health deteriorated. She died on 19 May 1922 while Ramana Maharshi sat beside her. Sri-Ramana-Sramam

Sri Ramanasramam (1922–1950)

Commencement of Ramanasramam (1922–1930)

From 1922 until his death in 1950 Ramana Maharshi lived in Sri Ramanasramam, the ashram that developed around his mother's tomb. Ramana Maharshi often walked from Skandashram to his mother's tomb. In December 1922 he did not return to Skandashram, and settled at the base of the Hill, and Sri Ramanasramam started to develop. At first, there was only one hut at the ''samadhi'', but in 1924 two huts, one opposite the ''samadhi'' and the other to the north, were erected. The so-called Old Hall was built in 1928. Ramana Maharshi lived there until 1949. Sri Ramanasramam grew to include a library, hospital, post-office and many other facilities. Ramana Maharshi displayed a natural talent for planning building projects. Annamalai Swami gave detailed accounts of this in his reminiscences. Until 1938, Annamalai Swami was entrusted with the task of supervising the projects, and received his instructions from Ramana Maharshi directly. Sri Ramana Maharshi led a modest and renunciate life. However, according to David Godman, who has written extensively about Ramana Maharshi, a popular image of him as a person who spent most of his time doing nothing except sitting silently in samadhi is highly inaccurate. From the period when an Ashram began to rise around him after his mother arrived, until his later years when his health failed, Ramana Maharshi was actually quite active in Ashram activities such as cooking and stitching leaf plates.An Introduction to Sri Ramana Maharshi's Life and Teachings. David Godman talks to John David. Page 3
/ref>

Discovery by westerners (1930–1940)

In 1931 a biography of Ramana Maharshi, ''Self Realisation: The Life and Teachings of Ramana Maharshi'', written by B. V. Narasimha, was published. Ramana Maharshi then became relatively well known in and out of India after 1934 when Paul Brunton, having first visited Ramana Maharshi in January 1931, published the book ''A Search in Secret India''. In this book he describes how he was compelled by the

Paramacharya Jagadguru Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Mahaswamigal (born Swaminathan Sharma; 20 May 1894 – 8 January 1994) also known as the Sage of Kanchi or Mahaperiyavar (meaning, "The great elder") was the 68th Jagadguru Shankaracharya of the Kanc ...

of Kanchi to meet Ramana Maharshi, his meeting with Ramana Maharshi, and the effect this meeting had on him. Brunton also describes how Ramana Maharshi's fame had spread, "so that pilgrims to the temple were often induced to go up the hill and see him before they returned home". Brunton calls Ramana Maharshi "one of the last of India's spiritual supermen", and describes his affection toward Ramana Maharshi: While staying at Sri Ramanasramam, Brunton had an experience of a "sublimely all-embracing" awareness, a "Moment of Illumination". The book was a best-seller, and introduced Ramana Maharshi to a wider audience in the west. Resulting visitors included Paramahansa Yogananda, Somerset Maugham (whose 1944 novel ''

The Razor's Edge ''The Razor's Edge'' is a 1944 novel by W. Somerset Maugham. It tells the story of Larry Darrell, an American pilot traumatized by his experiences in World War I, who sets off in search of some transcendent meaning in his life. The story b ...

'' models its spiritual guru after Ramana Maharshi),David Godman (1988), ''Somerset Maugham and The Razor's Edge'', The Mountain Path, 1988, pp. 239–45
/ref> Mercedes de Acosta and Arthur Osborne, the last of whom was the first editor of '' Mountain Path'' in 1964, the magazine published by Ramanasramam.

Final years (1940–1950)

Ramana Mahanirvana Place in Thiruvanamalai

In November 1948, a tiny cancerous lump was found on Ramana Maharshi's arm and was removed in February 1949 by the ashram's doctor. Soon, another growth appeared, and another operation was performed by an eminent surgeon in March 1949 with radium applied. The doctor told Ramana Maharshi that a complete amputation of the arm to the shoulder was required to save his life, but he refused. Third and fourth operations were performed in August and December 1949, but only weakened him. Other systems of medicine were then tried; all proved fruitless and were stopped by the end of March when devotees gave up all hope. To devotees who begged him to cure himself for the sake of his followers, Ramana Maharshi is said to have replied, "Why are you so attached to this body? Let it go", and "Where can I go? I am here." By April 1950, Ramana Maharshi was too weak to go to the hall and visiting hours were limited. Visitors would file past the small room where he spent his last days to get one final glimpse. He died on 14 April 1950 at 8:47 p.m.Reminiscences-II -Swami Satyananda (Surpassing Love And Grace)
''"Arunachala's Ramana Maharshi, Boundless Ocean of Grace, Volume 6." Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai'' At the same time a shooting star was seen, which impressed some of his devotees as a synchronicity. Ramana Maharshi Samadhi

Devotion

Ramana Maharshi was, and is, regarded by many as an outstanding enlightened being. He was considered to be a charismatic person, and attracted many devotees, some of whom saw him as an

and the embodiment of Shiva.

''Darshan'' and ''prasad''

Many devotees visited Ramana Maharshi for ''darshan'', the sight of a holy person or God incarnate, which is advantageous and transmits merit. According to Flood, in Indian religions the guru is akin to the image or statue of a deity in the temple, and both possess power and a sacred energy. According to Osborne, Ramana Maharshi regarded giving darshan as "his task in life", and said that he had to be accessible to all who came. Even during his terminal illness at the end of his life, he demanded to be approachable for all who came for his ''darshan''. Objects being touched or used by him were highly valued by his devotees, "as they considered it to be '' prasad'' and that it passed on some of the power and blessing of the

Guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan- Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...

to them". People also tried to touch his feet, which is also considered ''darshana''. When one devotee asked if it would be possible to prostrate before Sri Ramana Maharshi and touch his feet, he replied: In later life, the number of devotees and their devotion grew so large that Ramana Maharshi became restricted in his daily routine. Measures had to be taken to prevent people touching him. Several times Ramana Maharshi tried to escape from the ashram, to return to a life of solitude. Vasudeva reports: "Bhagavan sat on a rock and said with tears in his eyes that he would never again come to the Ashram and would go where he pleased and live in the forests or caves away from all men." Ramana Maharshi did return to the ashram, but has also reported himself on attempts to leave the ashram:

Avatar

Some of Ramana Maharshi's devotees regarded him to be as

Dakshinamurthy Dakshinamurthy () is an aspect of the Hindu god Shiva as a guru (teacher) of all types of knowledge. This aspect of Shiva, as the original guru, is his personification as the supreme or the ultimate awareness, understanding and knowledge. Thi ...

; as an

of Skanda, a divine form of Shiva popular in Tamil Nadu; as an incarnation of Jnana Sambandar, one of the sixty-three Nayanars; and as an incarnation of Kumārila Bhaṭṭa, the 8th century Mimamsa-philosopher. According to Krishna Bhikshu, one of his early biographers:

Indian devotees

A number of Ramana Maharshi's Indian devotees (a more extensive list of devotees can be found in V. Ganesan's ''Ramana Periya Puranam''): * Ganapati Muni (1878–1936), Sanskrit scholar and poet, activist for Indian independence, and one of Ramana Maharshi's foremost devotees. Muni devised the name "Ramana Maharshi", * Gudipati Venkatachalam (1894 to 1976), a noted

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode ...

writer, lived the later part of his life and died near Ramana Maharshi's ashram in Arunachalam. *

H. W. L. Poonja Sri H. W. L. Poonja (; born Hariwansh Lal Poonja; 13 October 1910 (or later) in Punjab, British India – 6 September 1997 in Lucknow, India), known as "Poonjaji" or "Papaji" , was an Indian sage. Biography Early life At the age of ei ...

, a teacher of self-enquiry, who learned about it when he visited Ramana Maharshi in the 1940s *

Swami Ramdas Swami Ramdas (; sa, स्वामी रामदास, Svāmī Rāmadāsa, born Vittal Rao on 10 April 1884) was an Indian saint, philosopher, philanthropist and pilgrim. Swami Ramdas became a wandering ascetic in his late 30s and later e ...

visited Ramana Maharshi while on pilgrimage in 1922, and after ''darshan'', spent the next 21 days meditating in solitude in a cave on Arunachala. Thereafter, he attained the direct realisation that "All was Rama, nothing but Rama."The Mountain Path, January 1965, ''Swami Ramdas'' *

O. P. Ramaswamy Reddiyar Omandur Ramasamy Reddiyar (1 February 1895 – 25 August 1970) was an Indian freedom-fighter and politician of the Indian National Congress. He served as the Premier of Madras Presidency from 23 March 1947 to 6 April 1949. Early life Oma ...

, an

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...

politician and freedom-fighter, who served as the Premier of Madras from 1947 to 1949. * Sri Muruganar (1890-1973), "the shadow of Bhagavan", "is widely regarded as being one of the foremost devotees of Bhagavan." * Manavasi Ramaswami Iyer, who composed ''Saranagati'', a popular Tamil devotional song to Ramana Maharshi. *Sri Sadhu Om, who compiled and edited Sri Muruganar's collection of songs into a multi-volume series, a task that took him about 18 years.

Western devotees

A list of Western devotees of Ramana Maharshi (not comprehensive): * Paul Brunton's writings about Ramana Maharshi brought considerable attention to him in the West. * Arthur Osborne, the first editor of the ashram journal, ''

The Mountain Path Ridgeways are a particular type of ancient road that exploits the hard surface of hilltop ridges for use as unpaved, zero-maintenance roads, though they often have the disadvantage of steeper gradients along their courses, and sometimes quite narr ...

''. *

Maurice Frydman Maurice Frydman (''Maurycy Frydman'' or ''Maurycy Frydman-Mor'' in Polish), aka ''Swami Bharatananda'' (20 October 1901 in Warsaw, Russian Empire – 9 March 1976 in Bombay, India), was an engineer and humanitarian who spent the later part of his ...

(a.k.a. Swami Bharatananda), a Polish Jew who later translated

Nisargadatta Maharaj Nisargadatta Maharaj (born Maruti Shivrampant Kambli; 17 April 1897 – 8 September 1981) was an Indian guru of nondualism, belonging to the Inchagiri Sampradaya, a lineage of teachers from the Navnath Sampradaya and Lingayat Shaivis ...

's work '' I Am That'' from Marathi to English, was also deeply influenced by Ramana Maharshi's teachings. Many of the questions published in ''Maharshi's Gospel'' (1939) were put by Maurice, and they elicited detailed replies from the Maharshi. Maharshi's Gospel is the only English language text that was personally proofread by Ramana Maharshi - the original manuscript with corrections in Ramana Maharshi's handwriting still exits in the Ashram Archives. * Ethel Merston, who wrote about Ramana Maharshi in her memoirs. *

Mouni Sadhu Mouni Sadhu (17 August 189724 December 1971) was the pen name of Mieczyslaw Demetriusz Sudowski, a Polish-born author of spiritual, mystical, and esoteric subjects. He lived in Poland until World War II, and eventually settled in Australia wher ...

(Mieczyslaw Demetriusz Sudowski) (17 August 189724 December 1971), an Australian author of spiritual, mystical and esoteric subjects. *

David Godman David Godman (born 1953) has written on the life, teachings and disciples of Ramana Maharshi, an Indian sage who lived and taught for more than fifty years at Arunachala, a sacred mountain in Tamil Nadu, India. In the last 30 years Godman has wr ...

, a former librarian at the ashram, who has written about Ramana Maharshi's teaching and the lives of Ramana Maharshi's lesser-known attendants and devotees.

Spiritual instruction

Ramana Maharshi provided '' upadeśa'' ("spiritual instruction") by providing darshan and sitting silently together with devotees and visitors, but also by answering the questions and concerns raised by those who sought him out. Many of these question-and-answer sessions have been transcribed and published by devotees, some of which have been edited by Ramana Maharshi himself. A few texts have been published which were written by Ramana Maharshi himself, or written down on his behalf and edited by him. Ramana Maharshi also provided an example by his own devotion to Shiva, which has been extensively described by his devotees, such as walks around the holy hill Arunachala, in which devotees participated, and his hymns to Arunachala.

''Self''

Ramana Maharshi described his Self as a "force" or "current", which descended on him in his death-experience, and continued throughout his life: Ramana Maharshi used various terms to denote this Self. The most frequently used terms were '' sat-chit-ananda'', which translates into English as "truth-consciousness-bliss"; God,

Brahman In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...

and Siva, and

the Heart A heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood in various species. Heart may also refer to: *Heart symbol, a symbol (♥) representing love, the organ, or a card suit *A synonym for soul Film and television *Heart (1987 film), ''Heart'' (1987 fil ...

, which is not to be confused with the physical heart, or a particular point in space, but was rather to indicate that "the Self was the source from which all appearances manifested". According to David Godman, the essence of Ramana Maharshi's teachings is that the "Self" or real "I" is a "non-personal, all-inclusive awareness": Ramana Maharshi considered the Self to be permanent and enduring, surviving physical death. "The sleep, dream and waking states are mere phenomena appearing on the Self," as is the "I"-thought. Our "true nature" is "simple Being, free from thoughts". Ramana Maharshi would field many questions about ''jnanis'' ("liberated beings") from devotees, but even the terms ''jnani'' and ''ajnani'' (non-liberated being) are incorrect, since it leads one to the idea of there being a knower and a known, a subject and an object. The truth of it according to Ramana Maharshi is that there are neither ''jnanis'' nor ''ajnanis'', there is simply ''jnana'', which is Self:

Silence

Ramana Maharshi's main means of instruction to his devotees in order to remove ignorance and abide in Self-awareness was through silently sitting together with his visitors, Sr Ramanashram, ''Teachings''
using words only sparingly. His method of instruction has been compared to Dakshinamurti –

in the ascetic appearance of the

, who teaches through silence: Commenting upon this silence Ramana Maharshi said:

Self-enquiry

Vichara ''Vichāra'', (Pāli: vicāra) in Buddhism, means deliberation; It is the faculty of discrimination that discerns the Real, Brahman, from the unreal. Etymology ''Vichāra'' ( sa, विचार) means deliberation; its root is वि (prefix to ...

'', "

", also called '' ātma- vichār'' or ''jnana-vichara'' is the constant attention to the inner awareness of "I" or "I am". Ramana Maharshi frequently recommended it as the most efficient and direct way of realizing Self-awareness, in response to questions on self-liberation and the classic texts on Yoga and Vedanta.David Godman (1991), ''I' and 'I-I' – A Reader's Query''. The Mountain Path, 1991, pp. 79–88. Part one
/ref> According to Ramana Maharshi, the I-thought is the sense of individuality: "('' Aham, aham'') 'I-I' is the Self; (''Aham idam'') "I am this" or "I am that" is the ego." By paying attention to the 'I'-thought, inquiring where it comes from, the 'I'-thought will disappear and the "shining forth" (''sphurana'') of "I-I"David Godman (1991), ''I' and 'I-I' – A Reader's Query'', The Mountain Path, 1991, pp. 79–88. Part one
/ref> or Self-awareness will appear. This results in an "effortless awareness of being", and by staying with it
/ref> this "I-I" gradually destroys the '' vasanas'' "which cause the 'I'-thought to rise". When the ''vasanas'' disappear, the mind, ''

vritti Vritti (Vrutti) (Sanskrit: वृत्ति, Harvard-Kyoto: vṛtti, Gujarati: વૃત્તિ), means "streams of consciousness",it is also a technical term used in yoga meant to indicate mental awareness against disturbances in the medi ...

'' also comes to rest, since it centers around the 'I'-thought, and finally the 'I'-thought never rises again, which is

Self-realization Self-realization is an expression used in Western psychology, philosophy, and spirituality; and in Indian religions. In the Western understanding, it is the "fulfillment by oneself of the possibilities of one's character or personality" (s ...

liberation Liberation or liberate may refer to: Film and television * ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War * "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode * "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode Gaming * '' Liberati ...

: Robert Forman notes that Ramana Maharshi made a distinction between ''

samadhi ''Samadhi'' ( Pali and sa, समाधि), in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools, is a state of meditative consciousness. In Buddhism, it is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. In the Ashtanga Yo ...

'' and ''

sahaja samadhi Sahaja ( pra, সহজ sa, सहज ) means spontaneous enlightenment in Indian and Tibetan Buddhist spirituality. Sahaja practices first arose in Bengal during the 8th century among yogis called Sahajiya siddhas. Ananda Coomaraswamy describe ...

''. ''Samadhi'' is a contemplative state, which is temporary, while in ''sahaja samadhi'' a "silent state" is maintained while engaged in daily activities. Ramana Maharshi himself stated repeatedly that ''samadhi'' only suppresses the ''

vāsanā Vāsanā (Sanskrit; Devanagari: वासना) is a behavioural tendency or karmic imprint which influences the present behaviour of a person. It is a technical term in Indian philosophy, particularly Yoga, as well as Buddhist philosophy and Adva ...

s'', the karmic impressions, but does not destroy them. Only by abiding in Self-awareness will the ''vāsanās'', which create the sense of a separate self, be destroyed, and ''sahaja samadhi'' be attained.

Bhakti

Although he advocated self-enquiry as the fastest means to realisation, he also recommended the path of ''

'' and self-surrender (to one's deity or guru) either concurrently or as an adequate alternative, which would ultimately converge with the path of self-enquiry. Surrender has to be complete and desireless, without any expectations of solutions or rewards, or even liberation. It is a willingness to accept whatever happens.David Godman, ''The unity of surrender and Self-enquiry''
/ref> Surrender is not the willful act of an individual self, but the growing awareness that there is no individual self to surrender. Practice is aimed at the removal of ignorance, not at the attainment of realisation.

Reincarnation

According to David Godman, Ramana Maharshi taught that the idea of reincarnation is based on wrong ideas about the individual self as being real. Ramana Maharshi would sometimes say that rebirth does exist, to step forward to those who were not able to fully grasp the non-reality of the individual self. But when this illusoriness is realised, there is no room any more for ideas about reincarnation. When the identification with the body stops, any notions about death and rebirth become inapplicable, since there is no birth or death within Self. Ramana Maharshi:

Background

Indian spirituality

According to Wehr,

C. G. Jung Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung's work has been influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, philo ...

noted that Ramana Maharshi is not to be regarded as an "isolated phenomenon", but as a token of Indian spirituality, "manifest in many forms in everyday Indian life". According to Zimmer and Jung, Ramana Maharshi's appearance as a '' mauni'', a silent saint absorbed in ''samadhi'', fitted into pre-existing Indian notions of holiness. They placed the Indian devotion toward Ramana Maharshi in this Indian context. According to Alan Edwards, the popular image of Ramana Maharshi as a timeless saint also served the construction of an Indian identity as inner-oriented and spiritual, in opposition to the oppressive, outer-oriented, materialistic culture of the British colonial rulers:

Shaivism

Though Ramana Maharshi's answers explain and incorporate elements from Advaita Vedanta, his spiritual life is strongly associated with

Shaivism Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...

. The Tamil compendium of devotional songs known as '' Tirumurai'', along with the

Veda upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...

s, the Shaiva Agamas and ''"Meykanda"'' or ''" Siddhanta"'' Shastras, form the scriptural canon of Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta. As a youth, prior to his awakening, Ramana Maharshi read the Periya Puranam, the stories of the 63 Tamil saints. In later life, he told those stories to his devotees: Ramana Maharshi himself considered God, Guru and Self to be the manifestations of the same reality.arunachala.org, ''The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi''
/ref> Ramana Maharshi considered the Self to be his guru, in the form of the sacred mountain Arunachala, which is considered to be the manifestation of

. Arunachala is one of the five main shaivite holy places in South India, which can be worshipped through the mantra "Om arunachala shivaya namah!" and by Pradakshina, walking around the mountain, a practice which was often performed by Ramana Maharshi. Asked about the special sanctity of Arunachala, Ramana Maharshi said that Arunachala is Shiva himself. In his later years, Ramana Maharshi said it was the spiritual power of Arunachala which had brought about his Self-realisation. He composed the ''Five Hymns to Arunachala'' as devotional song. On the three occasions Venkataraman (Ramana) referred to himself he used the name ''Arunachala Ramana''. Ramana Maharshi also used to smear his forehead with holy ash, as a token of veneration. In later life, Ramana Maharshi himself came to be regarded as

, an aspect of Shiva as a

guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan- Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...

of all types of knowledge, and bestower of jnana. This aspect of

is his personification as the supreme or the ultimate awareness, understanding and knowledge. This form represents Shiva in his aspect as a teacher of

yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...

, music, and wisdom, and giving exposition on the shastras.

Acquaintance with Hindu scriptures

During his lifetime, through contact with educated devotees like Ganapata Muni, Ramana Maharshi became acquainted with works on Shaivism and Advaita Vedanta, and used them to explain his insights: Already in 1896, a few months after his arrival at Arunachala, Ramana Maharshi attracted his first disciple, Uddandi Nayinar, who recognised in him "the living embodiment of the Holy Scriptures". Uddandi was well-versed in classic texts on Yoga and Vedanta, and recited texts as the '' Yoga Vasistha'' and ''Kaivalya Navaneeta'' in Ramana Maharshi's presence. In 1897 Ramana Maharshi was joined by Palaniswami, who became his attendant. Palaniswami studied books in Tamil on Vedanta, such as ''Kaivalya Navaneeta'', Shankara's ''Vivekachudamani'', and ''Yoga Vasistha''. He had difficulties understanding Tamil. Ramana Maharshi read the books too, and explained them to Palaniswami. As early as 1900, when Ramana Maharshi was 20 years old, he became acquainted with the teachings of the Hindu monk and Neo-Vedanta teacher

Swami Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda (; ; 12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta (), was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the intr ...

through Gambhiram Seshayya. Seshayya was interested in yoga techniques, and "used to bring his books and explain his difficulties". Ramana Maharshi answered on small scraps of paper, which were collected after his death in the late 1920s in a booklet called ''Vichara Sangraham'', "Self-enquiry". One of the works that Ramana Maharshi used to explain his insights was the Ribhu Gita, a song at the heart of the Shivarahasya Purana, one of the 'Shaiva Upapuranas' or ancillary

Purana Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...

regarding

and Shaivite worship. Another work used by him was the Dakshinamurthy Stotram, a text by Shankara. It is a hymn to Shiva, explaining Advaita Vedanta. Ramana Maharshi gave his approval to a variety of paths and practices from various religions, with his own upadesa (instruction or guidance given to a disciple by his Guru)Arthur Osborne, ''Ramana Maharshi and the Path of Self-Knowledge. Glossary''
always pointing to the true ''Self'' of the devotees.

Advaita Vedanta

In contrast to classical Advaita Vedanta, Ramana Maharshi emphasized the personal experience of self-realization, instead of philosophical argumentation and the study of scripture. Ramana Maharshi's authority was based on his personal experience, from which he explained classic texts on Yoga and Vedanta, which he came acquainted with via his devotees. Arvind Sharma qualifies Ramana Maharshi as the chief exponent of ''experiential Advaita'', to distinguish his approach from Shankara's classical ''doctrinal Advaita''. Fort classifies him as a neo-Vedantin, because of the focus on self-inquiry instead of philosophical speculation. Ramana Maharshi himself did not call his insights advaita, but said that ''dvaita'' and ''advaita'' are relative terms, based on a sense of duality, while the Self or Being is all there is. Although Ramana Maharshi's teaching is consistent with and generally associated with

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

, the

Upanishads The Upanishads (; sa, उपनिषद् ) are late Vedic Sanskrit texts that supplied the basis of later Hindu philosophy.Wendy Doniger (1990), ''Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism'', 1st Edition, University of Chicago Press, , ...

and

Advaita Vedanta ''Advaita Vedanta'' (; sa, अद्वैत वेदान्त, ) is a Hindu sādhanā, a path of spiritual discipline and experience, and the oldest extant tradition of the orthodox Hindu school Vedānta. The term ''Advaita'' ...

, there are differences with the traditional Advaitic school. Advaita recommends a negationist ''neti, neti'' (

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...

, "not this", "not this") path, or mental affirmations that the Self is the only reality, such as "I am Brahman" or "I am He", while Ramana Maharshi advocated Self-enquiry ''Nan Yar''. In contrast with traditional Advaita Vedanta, Ramana Maharshi strongly discouraged devotees from adopting a renunciate lifestyle and renouncing their responsibilities. To one devotee who felt he should abandon his family, whom he described as "samsara" ("illusion"), to intensify his spiritual practice, Sri Ramana Maharshi replied: The scholar of religion Lola Williamson has described Indian gurus such as Ramana Maharshi, Meher Baba,

Sri Aurobindo Sri Aurobindo (born Aurobindo Ghose; 15 August 1872 – 5 December 1950) was an Indian philosopher, yogi, maharishi, poet, and Indian nationalist. He was also a journalist, editing newspapers such as ''Vande Mataram''. He joined the ...

and

Swami Satchidananda Saraswati Satchidananda Saraswati (; 22 December 1914 – 19 August 2002), born C. K. Ramaswamy Gounder and usually known as Swami Satchidananda, was an Indian yoga guru and religious teacher, who gained fame and following in the West. He founded his ow ...

as having developed "Hindu-Inspired Meditation Movements", also called neo-Vedanta and modernist Hinduism.

Legacy

Although many claim to be influenced by him,advaita.org.uk, ''Disciples of Ramana Maharshi''
/ref> Ramana Maharshi did not publicise himself as a guru, never claimed to have disciples, and never appointed any successors.John David, ''An Introduction to Sri Ramana's Life and Teachings''. David Godman talks to John David. Page 6
/ref>arunachala-ramana.org, ''Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi – Great Sage or Milch cow?''
/ref> While a few who came to see him are said to have become enlightened through association, he did not publicly acknowledge any living person as liberated other than his mother at death. Ramana Maharshi never promoted any lineage. With regard to the Sri Ramana Ashram, in 1938 Maharshi made a legal will bequeathing all the Ramanashram properties to his younger brother Niranjanananda and his descendants. In 2013, Ramanashram is run by Sri Niranjananda's grandson Sri V.S. Raman. Ramanashram is legally recognised as a public religious trust whose aim is to maintain it in a way that is consistent with Sri Ramana Maharshi's declared wishes. The ashram should remain open as a spiritual institution so that anyone who wishes to can avail themselves of its facilities. In the 1930s, Maharshi's teachings were brought to the west by Paul Brunton in his ''A Search in Secret India''. Stimulated by Arthur Osborne, in the 1960s Bhagawat Singh actively started to spread Ramana Maharshi's teachings in the US. Ramana Maharshi has been further popularised in the west by the neo-Advaita movement, via the students of

; this movement gives a western re-interpretation of his teachings by placing sole emphasis on insight alone. It has been criticised for this emphasis, omitting the preparatory practices. Nevertheless, Neo-Advaita has become an important constituent of popular western

spirituality The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape ...

. The scholar Philip Goldberg has listed Western religious thinkers influenced by Ramana Maharshi as including Francis X. Clooney,

Georg Feuerstein Georg Feuerstein (27 May 1947 – 25 August 2012) was a German Indologist specializing in the philosophy and practice of Yoga. Feuerstein authored over 30 books on mysticism, Yoga, Tantra, and Hinduism. He translated, among other traditional t ...

, Bede Griffiths, Andrew Harvey, Thomas Merton, Henri Le Saux (Swami Abhishiktananada), Eckhart Tolle, and Ken Wilber.

Works

Writings

According to Ebert, Ramana Maharshi "never felt moved to formulate his teaching of his own accord, either verbally or in writing". The few writings he is credited with "came into being as answers to questions asked by his disciples or through their urging". Only a few hymns were written on his own initiative. Writings by Ramana Maharshi are: * Gambhiram Sheshayya, ''Vichāra Sangraham'', "Self-Enquiry". Answers to questions, compiled in 1901, published in dialogue-form, republished as essay in 1939 as ''A Cathechism of Enquiry''. Also published in 1944 in Heinrich Zimmer's ''Der Weg zum Selbst''. * Sivaprakasam Pillai, ''Nān Yār?'', "Who am I?". Answers to questions, compiled in 1902, first published in 1923.Who am I? – pdf
/ref> * Five Hymns to Arunachala: ** ''Akshara Mana Malai'', "The Marital Garland of Letters". In 1914, at the request of a devotee, Ramana Maharshi wrote ''Akshara Mana Malai'' for his devotees to sing while on their rounds for alms. It's a hymn in praise of Shiva, manifest as the mountain Arunachala. The hymn consists of 108 stanzas composed in poetic Tamil. ** ''Navamani Mālai'', "The Necklet of Nine Gems". ** ''Arunāchala Patikam'', "Eleven Verses to Sri Arunachala". ** ''Arunāchala Ashtakam'', "Eight Stanzas to Sri Arunachala". ** ''Arunāchala Pañcharatna'', "Five Stanzas to Sri Arunachala". * Sri Muruganar and Sri Ramana Maharshi, ''Upadesha Sāra (Upadesha Undiyar)'', "The Essence of Instruction". In 1927 Muruganar started a poem on the Gods, but asked Ramana Maharshi to write thirty verses on ''upadesha'', "teaching" or "instruction". * Ramana Maharshi, ''Ulladu narpadu'', "Forty Verses on Reality". Written in 1928. First English translation and commentary by S.S. Cohen in 1931. * ''Ullada Nārpadu Anubandham'', "Reality in Forty Verses: Supplement". Forty stanzas, fifteen of which are being written by Ramana Maharshi. The other twenty-five are translations of various Sanskrit-texts. * Sri Muruganar and Sri Ramana Maharshi (1930s), ''Ramana Puranam''.Ramana Puranam
/ref> * ''Ekātma Pañchakam'', "Five Verses on the Self". Written in 1947, at the request of a female devotee. All these texts are collected in the ''Collected Works''. In addition to original works, Ramana Maharshi has also translated some scriptures for the benefit of devotees. He selected, rearranged and translated 42 verses from the

Bhagavad Gita The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700- verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' ( ...

into Tamil and Malayalam. He has also translated few works such as Dakshinamurti Stotra, Vivekachudamani and Dṛg-Dṛśya-Viveka attributed to Shankarachaya.

Recorded talks

Several collections of recorded talks, in which Sri Ramana Maharshi used Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam, have been published. Those are based on written transcripts, which were "hurriedly written down in English by his official interpreters". * Sri Natanananda, ''Upadesa Manjari'', "Origin of Spiritual Instruction". Recordings of dialogues between Sri Ramana Maharshi and devotees. First published in English in 1939 as ''A Catechism of Instruction''.Society of Abidance in Truth, ''Origin of Spiritual Instruction''
/ref> * Munagala Venkatramaiah, ''Talks with Sri Ramana''. Talks recorded between 1935 and 1939. Various editions: ** Print: ** Online: ** * * Talks recorded between 1945 and 1947. *

Reminiscences

*Frank Humphreys, a British policeman stationed in India, visited Ramana Maharshi in 1911 and wrote articles about him which were first published in ''The International Psychic Gazette'' in 1913. * Paul Brunton (1935), ''A Search in Secret India''. This book introduced Ramana Maharshi to a western audience. * First published 1956. * * * Kunjuswami, ''Living with the Master''. Recordings of Kunjuswami's experiences with Ramana Maharshi from 1920 on.Veda Yoga Books, ''Living with the Master''
/ref> * G. V. Subbaramayya, ''Sri Ramana Reminiscences''. "The account covers the years between 1933 and 1950".sriramanamaharshi.org, ''Sri Ramana Reminiscences''
/ref>

Documentaries

''A Day in the Life at Ramana Maharshi Ashram''''The Sage of Arunachala''''Abide as the Self: The Essential Teachings of Ramana Maharshi''''Talks on Sri Ramana Maharshi: Narrated by David Godman''''Who is Sri Ramana... Who am I?''''The Eternal Light''''Sri Ramana Maharshi - JNANI''''Arunachala Shiva - Teachings of Ramana Maharshi''

Notes

References

Sources

Printed sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visvanathan, Susan (2010), The Children of Nature: The Life and Legacy of Ramana Maharshi. New Delhi: Roli/Lotus * * *

Web-sources

Translations of Indian texts

External links

Ramana Maharshi Ashram: A Poetic Visual Tour
* *
Ramana Maharshi Rare video footage

Sri Ramana Maharshi: Home

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maharshi, Ramana 1879 births 1950 deaths Hindu new religious movements 20th-century Hindu religious leaders Advaitin philosophers Indian Hindu spiritual teachers Indian Hindu monks 20th-century Indian philosophers Neo-Advaita teachers People considered avatars by their followers People from Virudhunagar district Neo-Vedanta Hindu revivalists Tamil Hindu saints Deaths from cancer in India