Annamalai Swami

Teaching

Annamalai Swami taught the self-enquiry of Ramana Maharshi. The mind, he said, is a shadow that cannot be controlled by chasing it; one should go back to its source, hold firmly to the understanding that consciousness alone exists, and keep up this practice all the time, not only in set periods of meditation. ⁴

Who it is for

For readers of Ramana Maharshi who want a close disciple's account of life with him and direct advice on practising self-enquiry.

Where to start

• Living by the Words of Bhagavan, his account of his years with Ramana Maharshi, recorded and edited by David Godman; an extract from the first chapter can be read free on davidgodman.org. ^{1, 3}
• The first section of Annamalai Swami: Final Talks, dialogues from the last six months of his life, can be read free on davidgodman.org. ^{4, 5}

Works

• Living by the Words of Bhagavan

  Book · Annamalai Swami Ashram, Tiruvannamalai

  Annamalai Swami's account of his years with Ramana Maharshi, including the building work he supervised at the ashram, with teaching dialogues between him and his own visitors from the late 1980s. Recorded and edited by David Godman, whose comments are marked.

  davidgodman.org

• Annamalai Swami: Final Talks

  Book · 2000 · Annamalai Swami Ashram, Tiruvannamalai

  Dialogues between Annamalai Swami and visitors to his ashram in the last six months of his life, edited by David Godman as a continuation of Living by the Words of Bhagavan.

  davidgodman.org

The short summaries are ours.

In their own words

Short passages in the words of Annamalai Swami, each with its source. Where the quoted text is not in the language of this page, a translation follows and says whose it is.

• Sometime in 1928, when I was twenty-one years old, a wandering sadhu passed through the village. He gave me a copy of Upadesa Undiyar that contained a photo of Sri Ramana Maharshi. As soon as I saw that photo, I had the feeling that this was my Guru.

• In the years that followed I had many other spiritual talks with Bhagavan but his basic message never changed. It was always, ‘Do self-enquiry, stop identifying with the body and try to be aware of the Self which is your real nature’.

• Mind is just a shadow. Attempts to catch it and control it are futile. They are just shadows chasing shadows.

• When Self-realisation happens, mind is no longer there. However, you do not get Self-realisation by getting rid of the mind. It happens when you understand and know that the mind never existed.

• Self does not hide itself behind a curtain. You are the one who puts the curtain there by believing in ideas that are not true.

Documented teaching relationships

• Learned personally with Ramana Maharshi

  In his account recorded by David Godman, Annamalai Swami describes coming to Ramana Maharshi in 1928, serving as his attendant, receiving his name from him, and being told to practise self-enquiry.

  Self-reported · davidgodman.org , davidgodman.org (2)

Teaching relationships are documented statements. They confer no trust and do not attest realisation.

Compiled by us from the sources listed. Last checked 13 Oct 2026.

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This description is factual. It contains no recommendation, ranking or assurance. Statements about effects are those of the respective source.