Books on Ramana Maharshi by David Godman
The next few pages will feature books I have written or edited on the topic of Ramana Maharshi, his teachings and his devotees. At the bottom of each summary there is an option to read an extract from the book. Clicking the 'Buy it' button will take you to the cart on my old site.
Guru Vachaka Kovai
ISBN 9780971137189
Guru Vachaka Kovai is the most authoritative collection of Ramana Maharshi's spoken teachings. The teaching statements in this work were recorded in Tamil, Bhagavan's native tongue, by Muruganar, one of his foremost devotees. When these teachings were being readied for publication in 1939, Sri Ramana himself went through every word, revising many of the sentences and occasionally adding new, supplementary information.
Be As You Are
The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi
ISBN 0140190627
​Be As You Are is, outside India, the most widely read and bought book on the teachings of Ramana Maharshi. Topics are dealt with thematically, with the highest teachings appearing first. The book was edited and arranged in such a way that the teachings will be easily accessible to those who are not familiar with Hindu ideas and vocabulary. Each section of dialogues is preceded by a succint editorial summary and an analysis of the teachings that are about the be presented.
Living by the Words Of Bhagavan
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Annamalai Swami moved closely with Ramana Maharshi for many years. He was a resident of Sri Ramanasramam for more than ten years, during which time he supervised the construction of many of the large buildings that still exist there today. His story is one of unwavering faith in his Guru and in the instructions he gave him. It is a Milarepa-like story in which the Guru, Sri Ramana, tests him repeatedly through the medium of building projects. This is an outstanding account of how to serve a Guru and absorb his practical instructions.
Padamalai
ISBN 0-9711371-3-7
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This is an anthology of Ramana Maharshi's spoken teachings, originally recorded in two-line Tamil verses by Muruganar, one of Bhagavan's foremost devotees. The original Tamil text had no structure. The editors and translators of this work took over 1,800 of the original 3,000 verses and arranged them thematically, adding explanatory notes and supplementary quotations. In addition to covering all aspects of Sri Ramana's teachings, Muruganar includes many verses that express his own experiences and the gratitude he feels towards Bhagavan for revealing the Self to him.
David Godman Books
Books by David Godman on Ramana Maharshi, his devotees and his teachings