David Godman

Ramana Maharshi's life, teachings and devotees

  • Sri Ramana Maharshi
    • Teachings
    • Writings
    • Devotees
      • Annamalai Swami
      • Lakshmana Swamy
      • Muruganar
      • Papaji
    • Biography
    • Self Enquiry
  • Arunachala
  • Tamil Saints
  • Personal Stories
  • Interviews
  • Books
  • Translations

The Jnana Bhoomikas

There is a traditional classification that ranks jnanis on the basis of how well they ‘know’ Brahman. Bhagavan was asked about it on a couple of occasions and his response was that there were no grades or hierarchies in the world of jnana.

The Power to Enlighten

In this article, first posted on my blog, I attempt to address the topic of why some enlightened beings have the power to awaken others, and some don’t.

Meditation on the heart-centre

This was my response to questions I had been asked about self-enquiry, and whether it should be done while focusing on the heart centre of the right side of the chest.

Attend to what you came here for

Here are four accounts by devotees (Robert Adams, Rangan, Kunju Swami and Sadhu Natanananda) that stress the importance of focusing on what is truly important when one comes to Bhagavan.

B. V. Narasimhaswami’s Notes

In some of the stories that B. V. Narasimhaswami collected around 1930 Bhagavan spoke in a very forthright way about the poor state of his health in his early years at Tiruvannamalai. Many of these stories were omitted from ‘Self Realization’, Narasimhaswami’s biography.

Bhagavan the Atiasrami

In the 1930s, as a result of a case brought against Ramanasramam by a devotee, Bhagavan was required to make a deposition about the ownership of the ashram. Bhagavan’s replies to the lawyer’s questions give an insight into his claim that he was ‘ativarnasrama’, beyond all castes and asramas.

Bhagavan and the Politics of His Day

A few years ago I was invited to comment on Bhagavan’s views on the politics of his era, and specifically what his attitude was to the struggle for independence that was being led by Mahatma Gandhi. This was my response.

Who Were You, Ramana?

In this article I examine the belief of many devotees that Bhagavan was an avatar of Subramanian, the second son of Siva.

Site map

Contact

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 · DavidGodman.org