Like Ulladu Narpadu (forty verses on reality) and some of the other important tamil works of Bhagavan Sri Ramana, Upadesha Undiyar was composed at the request of Sri Muruganar.
These thirty verses which Sri Bhagavan thus came to compose in Tamil in the undiyar metre from the maintext or nul of Upadesa undiyar and they were translated by Sri Bhagavan himself.