Ramaṇa wrote little, and what he did write, was written to meet the specific needs of devotees. Ramaṇa himself has said on the subject:
All this is only activity of the mind. The more you exercise the mind and the more success you have in composing verses the less peace you have. What use is it to acquire such accomplishments if you don’t acquire peace? But if you tell people this it doesn’t appeal to
them, they can’t keep quiet… Somehow it never occurs to me to write a book or compose poems. All the poems I have made were on the request of someone or other in connection with some particular event.
Self-Enquiry (Vicāra-saṅgraham)
This Tamil prose book covers the period 1900-1902 and consists of forty questions and answers covering the entire range of spiritual disciplines vis-à-vis Self-realization. The replies to these questions were written out by Ramaṇa (as during this period he was not speaking).
Who am I? (Nān Yār?)
Like Self-Enquiry, this book is in the form of thirty questions put forth by M. Sivaprakasam Pillai and replies given by Ramaṇa, either in the form of gestures or, when they were not clearly understood, by writing. Along with Self-Enquiry, these two works constitute the first set of instructions in Ramaṇa’s own words and are the only prose pieces among his works.
A Garland of Teachings (Upadeśa-mañjarī)
This is an anthology of seventy questions and answers collected and arranged topically by Natanananda. The topics cover virtually the entire range of Vedāntic teachings, with an emphasis on practical disciplines.
Quintessence of the Teachings (Upadeśa-undiyār, Upadeśa-sāram)
This work is a compendium of teachings on Advaita. It came about because Muruganar, an ardent devotee and eminent Tamil poet, put into verse the legendary story of how the ritualists of the Darukaforest received instruction from Lord Siva. However, Muruganar felt unable to put into verse form Siva’s teachings to the ritualists and implored Ramaṇa to do so. In response, Ramaṇa composed thirty verses setting forth the truth of Vedanta and the path that leads to the realization of the truth. This poem was known as Upadeśa-undiyār. Later, Ramaṇa translated this poem into Sanskrit, Telugu, and Malayalam verse with the title, Upadeśa-sāram.
Forty Verses on Reality (Uḷḷadu-nārpadu)
This is a poem of forty verses on the nature of Existence. It is an authentic exposition of the non-dual experience. Again, the inspiration behind this work was Muruganar.
Five Verses on the One Self (Ekātma-pañcakam)
This short poem in only five verses lucidly teaches the Truth of the one, non-dual Self. Originally composed in 1947 in Telugu, it was later translated into Tamil.
Five Hymns to Aruṇācala (Arunācala-pañcakam)
These five hymns praising the holy hill, Arunācala, are lyrical poems composed on different occasions and under different circumstances. The five hymns are: The Marital Garland of Letters for Arunācala; The Necklace of Nine Gems for Arunācala; The Eleven Verses on Arunācala; The Eight Verses on Arunācala; and The Five Verses on Arunācala.