THERE ARE MANY GUIDELINES FOR GOING OUTSIDE. We have doors and there are road maps to guide us. But for going within, there is no map and there is no guide. Just as the Upanishads say, “The bird has no path; where the bird flies is the path. The fish has no path in water; wherever it swims is the path.” Similarly, you have to dive within and find your path. None of the scriptures can help you; none of the theoretical knowledge that you have will help you. You can achieve it by having complete faith in yourself. How beautifully the bird flies! Does it worry about the path? Does the fish hesitate? Then why do we hesitate? Plunge within! My master Ramana always said, “Dive within, plunge within and go inwards.” Dive within with full faith in Bhagavan and you are sure to find the inner guru waiting for you with open arms.
Prof. G.V. Subbaramayya
Text copyright © V. Ganesan. Text reprinted from Ramana Periya Puranam by V. Ganesan.
Photo: Sri Ramanasramam catalog number jh_71.
Gurram Venkata Subbaramayya (Telugu; 1899‒1970) was a direct disciple of Sri Ramana Maharshi, professor of English, college administrator, and author of numerous books and translations. See the biography below for more information.
Our main page on Ramana: biography, books, links, videos, etc.
By V. Ganesan
By David Godman. This book contains a 61-page chapter on G.V. Subbaramayya
From The Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Sasay to Zorgot, page 4544.
By Prof. G.V. Subbaramayya
G.V. Subbaramayya was a Telugu poet and college professor who became a devotee of Ramana Maharshi in 1933. His sensibilities were literary, as shown by the explanation he gives for his initial interest in Sri Ramana: "I had been struck with wonder at the style of the Telugu Upadesa Saram which, in its simplicity, felicity, and classic finish, could equal that of the greatest Telugu poet Tikkana. I had felt convinced that a Tamilian who could compose such Telugu verse must be divinely inspired, and I had wanted to see him." Soon after meeting Sri Ramana, Subbaramayya came to depend on him for emotional support and assistance in every aspect of his life. The author describes this relationship with candor and in detail. The prose is beautiful — Subbaramayya translated the book into English himself — and when he is good, he is very good. For example: "In the morning I had darshan of Sri Bhagavan in the old Hall. As our eyes met, there was a miraculous effect upon my mind. I felt as if I had plunged into a pool of peace, and with eyes shut, sat in a state of ecstasy for nearly an hour. When I came to normal consciousness, I found someone spraying the Hall to keep off insects, and Sri Bhagavan mildly objecting with a shake of his head." But with the author's literary sensibility comes an effete myopia in which tiny things seem enormous. A very large portion of the book is devoted to describing how particular poems came to be written. The author's attention to detail is frequently valuable — he often provides additional information about stories that have been recounted elsewhere — and yet the compulsive recollection of overvalued details soon grows tedious. A few readers will love this book, but I suspect that most will find it boring.
–Editor, realization.org
The Power of the Presence, Part Three
Edited by David Godman
This is the third and last volume in David Godman’s magisterial series of biographies of direct disciples of Sri Ramana Maharshi. David goes into considerable detail about a few selected devotees rather than touching lightly on a larger number.
This volume contains chapters on Ramanatha Brahmachari, Mastan, Echammal, Mudaliar Patti, Krishna Bhikshu, G.V. Subbaramayya, Lakshman Sarma, Annamalai Swami, Natesa Iyer, Sampurnamma, Sundaram, Shantammal, Subbalakshmi Ammal, Lakshmi the cow, and Wolter Keers.
–Editor, realization.org
Be As You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi
Edited by David Godman
In our opinion this superb collection of extracts from Ramana Maharshi’s writings and dialogues is the best single-volume introduction to his teachings. This is the book we recommend to people who want to read about Sri Ramana for the first time. The editor, David Godman, is probably the foremost living expert on Sri Ramana’s teachings. David has gone through dozens of books by and about Sri Ramana and collected passages which most clearly state various points of his teaching. These extracts are organized thematically into chapters with higher teachings first and less important ones last. David has also provided informative introductions to each chapter and to the book as a whole as well as a glossary and notes.
–Editor, realization.org
This page was published on May 14, 2017 and last revised on May 16, 2017.