Ramana Maharshi · Reading
Where to start reading Ramana
A short, honest shortlist for people who would rather read a little deeply than a lot shallowly: the two or three books that hold the whole of Ramana's teaching, and the order to take them.
The short version
- Start with
- Who Am I? (Nan Yar) ~ the whole teaching of self-inquiry in a few pages.
- Then
- Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi ~ years of his conversations, read a little at a time.
- A clear way in
- Be As You Are, ed. David Godman ~ his own words, arranged by theme.
- How
- Slowly, and more than once. Prefer the source texts to books about him.
Ramana Maharshi is far better in his own words than in anyone else's, and the good news for a newcomer is that the essential body of his teaching is small, plain, and readily available. You do not need a shelf of books. You need two or three, read slowly. Here is an honest shortlist ~ where to begin, what each offers, and the order I'd suggest ~ for someone who would rather read a little deeply than a lot shallowly.
Start here: Who Am I?
The single best starting point is Who Am I? (Nan Yar) ~ a short pamphlet, drawn from Ramana's early written answers to a devotee's questions, that contains the whole of his teaching of self-inquiry in a few pages. It is compact enough to read in a sitting and deep enough to return to for years. If you read only one thing, read this. It is widely available, including free from Sri Ramanasramam.
Then: the Talks
Next, Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi ~ a large record of conversations set down by a devotee over several years, in which Ramana answers, plainly and often startlingly, the real questions of the people who came to him. You don't read it cover to cover so much as live alongside it, a few exchanges at a time. It is the closest thing on paper to sitting in the Old Hall.
A trustworthy way in: David Godman
For a clear, well-organised path through Ramana's teaching, Be As You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, edited by David Godman, is widely and rightly recommended. Godman arranges Ramana's own words by theme, with lucid introductions, so that the teaching comes through in an orderly way without being watered down. For many modern readers it is the ideal companion to Who Am I? ~ his own words, thoughtfully framed.
Slowly, and more than once. Ramana's sentences are simple on the surface and bottomless underneath; a page reread after a week of your own practice will say something it didn't the first time. Reading him is less about acquiring information than about being pointed, again and again, in one direction.
The great records by those who were there
Beyond Ramana’s own writings, there is a second treasury: the records kept by those who actually sat with him. Two stand out. Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi is a large volume of his day-to-day conversations, taken down by a devotee over several years in the 1930s ~ you do not read it so much as dip into it, a few exchanges at a time, and it is the closest thing on paper to being in the hall. And Day by Day with Bhagavan, kept by Devaraja Mudaliar, gives an even more intimate diary of ordinary days with him. These are not philosophy; they are presence on the page ~ Ramana answering real people’s real questions with a directness and humour and depth that no summary can convey. For many readers these records, more than any treatise, are what make Ramana a living reality rather than a historical name.
There are also the loving reminiscences of individual devotees ~ Kunju Swami, Chadwick’s A Sadhu’s Reminiscences, and others ~ each preserving the small human details of life with Bhagavan. And for the poetry of the heart, there are Ramana’s own Five Hymns to Arunachala, above all the Aksharamanamalai. A reading life with Ramana need never run dry.
If you want to go further
Beyond these, there is a rich literature: the recollections of those who lived with him (Kunju Swami, Devaraja Mudaliar's Day by Day with Bhagavan, and others), his own small body of Tamil devotional poetry to Arunachala, and the biographies. But resist the urge to accumulate. The heart of it is in Who Am I? and the Talks; everything else is commentary and context. Read the source first, and let your own practice, not your reading, be the main thing.
Sri Ramanasramam publishes and sells authoritative editions of all the core texts, including at its bookstore in Tiruvannamalai and through its official website, and several of the shorter works are freely available. Buying from the ashram supports it directly, and ensures you have accurate editions.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best book to start with for Ramana Maharshi?
Start with 'Who Am I?' (Nan Yar), a short pamphlet containing the whole of Ramana's teaching of self-inquiry in a few pages. It is compact, deep, and widely available, including free from Sri Ramanasramam. After it, the 'Talks' and David Godman's 'Be As You Are' are the natural next steps.
Is 'Be As You Are' by David Godman a good introduction?
Yes. 'Be As You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi', edited by David Godman, is widely recommended because it arranges Ramana's own words by theme with clear introductions, giving an orderly path through the teaching without diluting it. It pairs well with 'Who Am I?'
Where can I buy authentic editions?
Sri Ramanasramam publishes authoritative editions of the core texts, available at its bookstore in Tiruvannamalai and through its official website; several shorter works are also freely available. Buying from the ashram supports it and ensures accurate editions.
How should I read Ramana's teachings?
Slowly, and more than once. His words are simple on the surface and deep underneath, and a passage reread after some of your own practice often reveals more. Prefer his own source texts over books about him, and let practice rather than reading be the main thing.
Last updated 11 September 2026. Details can change; please confirm current information where relevant.