Mantras and rituals are not required components of the path of Self-Inquiry as presented by Ramana Maharshi. The essence of this approach lies in directing attention back to the sense of “I” and persistently examining it through questions such as “Who am I?” or “To whom does this thought arise?” This inner turning is regarded as a complete and sufficient method in itself, not dependent on auxiliary supports such as formal worship, mantra repetition, or elaborate meditative techniques. The Self, in this vision, is already fully present, and realization depends on direct recognition rather than on external forms of practice.

At the same time, Ramana’s teaching does not dismiss mantras and rituals outright; rather, it places them in a preparatory and secondary role. For some aspirants, such practices can assist in purifying the mind, cultivating devotion, and stabilizing attention, thereby making it easier to engage in genuine inquiry. Yet these aids are considered optional and contingent, not universally obligatory, and they may even become obstacles if clung to mechanically or used as substitutes for direct investigation. The emphasis consistently returns to tracing the ego-sense back to its source in pure awareness, which is held to be the most direct and transformative approach.

From this standpoint, practices involving repetition and ritual action tend to reinforce the subtle sense of being a separate doer, whereas Self-Inquiry aims at dissolving precisely that notion. The path is therefore characterized by an inward radicality: instead of refining the doer, it questions its very reality. Nonetheless, there is a pragmatic dimension in which mantras or devotional observances may be suggested for those whose minds are too restless to sustain inquiry, with the understanding that such supports are provisional. As clarity deepens, these preliminary methods naturally fall away, leaving the simple, sustained inquiry into the nature of the “I” as the central and sufficient means.