There is no evidence that the sage himself undertook the task of recording or writing down the material that later appeared as *Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi*. The historical record instead points to close devotees as the ones who noted, preserved, and compiled these conversations. The text is thus better understood as a devotee-produced account of his spoken interactions rather than an autobiographical or self-documented work. This distinction is important for appreciating both the authority and the limitations of the book as a source.

The principal recorder was Sri Munagala Venkataramiah, who kept a diary of conversations and subsequently compiled and edited them into the form now known as *Talks*. Other devotees and visitors also recorded exchanges with the sage, and the ashram’s early publications consistently attribute the work of documentation to such disciples rather than to the teacher himself. The style of *Talks*—third-person narration, editorial shaping, and the feel of a compiled record—further reflects this origin in the notebooks of others.

Ramana Maharshi’s own written contributions took a different form: brief treatises, verses, and essays that present the essence of self-inquiry and non-duality in a more distilled manner. He did not maintain a systematic journal of his daily dialogues, nor did he personally undertake a project to transcribe his spoken teachings. At most, accounts indicate that he might occasionally correct or approve written material prepared by devotees, but the initiative and responsibility for recording rested with them.

Seen in this light, *Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi* functions as a window opened by devoted witnesses rather than a text penned by the sage himself. Its value lies in how faithfully those witnesses were able to capture the living atmosphere of inquiry around him, while its limitations arise from the very fact that it is mediated through their perception, memory, and editorial choices. For a seeker, this invites a balanced reverence: honoring the text as a treasured record of his presence, while remembering that the words reached the page through the hands and minds of his disciples, not through his own pen.