श्रवण
Śravaṇa
SHRAH-vah-nah (emphasis on first syllable, 'sh' as in 'shut', short 'a' vowels)
Level 2Etymology
Root: From the dhatu (root) 'śru' (to hear, to listen) with the suffix '-aṇa' (lyuṭ pratyaya), forming a neuter action noun meaning 'the act of hearing.'
Literal meaning: The act of hearing; attentive listening; that by which one hears or receives knowledge through the ear.
Definition
Shravana is the disciplined practice of listening to sacred teachings from a qualified guru or scriptural source. It is the first and foundational step in Vedantic study, where the student receives knowledge through careful, devoted, and undistracted hearing. In daily practice, it refers to attending discourses, recitations, and oral transmissions of wisdom.
Shravana is the initial movement of the jiva toward Self-knowledge, wherein the aspirant hears the mahavakyas and teachings that reveal the identity of Atman and Brahman. It is not passive reception but an active orientation of the entire being toward truth. Through shravana, the seeds of viveka (discrimination) are planted in the prepared mind of the mumukshu (seeker of liberation).
At the absolute level, Shravana is consciousness recognizing its own nature through the medium of shabda (sacred sound). The hearing itself dissolves the apparent duality between teacher and taught, word and meaning, revealing that Brahman alone speaks, hears, and is heard. It is the primordial vibration of awareness attending to itself.
Appears In
Common Misconception
Many assume Shravana means casual or passive listening to any spiritual content. In the traditional Vedantic framework, Shravana specifically refers to sustained, systematic hearing of Upanishadic teachings from a brahmanishtha guru (a teacher established in Brahman), undertaken with shraddha (faith) and a prepared mind. Listening to random discourses without guru-shishya context does not constitute Shravana in its technical sense.
Modern Application
In an age of information overload, Shravana teaches the forgotten art of deep, receptive listening. Modern life bombards us with content, yet true understanding requires the quality of attention Shravana demands — listening not merely to respond, but to transform. Whether in education, therapy, relationships, or contemplative practice, Shravana reminds us that genuine knowledge begins with the humility to fully receive before we interpret. Practitioners can apply this by dedicating time to listen to a single teaching with complete, undivided presence, resisting the urge to multitask, and allowing what is heard to settle deeply before moving to analysis.
Related Terms
Quick Quiz
In the Vedantic tradition, Shravana is the first of three steps toward Self-knowledge. What are the other two, in correct order?