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A fully realized being, Ramakrishna preached Advaita in his own words, but he would also relate stories of Rama,Ravana, Krishna and so on.

What were the scriptures he read?

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    Ramakrishna was semi-literate. He kept a copy of only one scripture in his room - the Astavakra Samhita. He learned his scriptural knowledge from his teachers verbally, as have many people for ages. A fully realized being can only speak words that are in agreement with scripture. He also said that he only spoke what the Divine Mother told him to say.
    – Swami Vishwananda
    Apr 7, 2021 at 4:39

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Sri Ramakrishna might not have known much of scriptures. His knowledge of scriptures must have been gathered from what he had heard from various monks or from others who were having knowledge of scriptures.

Quoting from "A Short Life of Sri Ramakrishna by Swami Tejas Ananda":


Gadadhar soon found a new source of pleasure in the company of wandering monks who used to stay for a day or two in the rest-house built by the neighbouring Laha family for wayfarers. One day Chandra was startled to find her dear boy appear before her with his whole body smeared with ashes and with pieces of cloth put on like a wandering holy man. Association with these itinerant monks and listening to their readings from the scriptures inclined the naturally emotional mind of the boy more and more to meditation and kindled in him the latent spirit of dispassion for all worldly concerns. Gadadhar was now nine, and it was time to invest him with the holy thread. A curious incident happened in this connection.

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  • I read somewhere that he used to say "bede ache" "it says so in the Vedas" as a preface to his teachings @rickross
    – S K
    Apr 7, 2021 at 9:30
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    He must have heard what's there in Vedas from others. That's what I think @SK
    – Rickross
    Apr 7, 2021 at 9:32
  • Since he was connected to the timeless wellsprings of Hinduism, he might have known the essence of scripture without having to read it @rickross
    – S K
    Apr 7, 2021 at 9:34
  • It is not necessary to have scriptural knowledge to be highly awakened in spirituality. In Bengal we have had many great saints who weren't versed in scriptures. But they were all highly evolved souls endowed with mystical powers. Scriptural punditva is not the same as having knowledge of Self. There is a hell and heaven difference between the two @SK
    – Rickross
    Apr 7, 2021 at 9:37
  • totally agree @rickross . Ramakrishna embodies Hinduism at its purest. He was blessed with it from birth and Totapuri polished it up to give present-day Hindus their greatest teacher.
    – S K
    Apr 7, 2021 at 14:18

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