Shravana or ''Śravaṇa'' (

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

: श्रवण) is derived from the root श्रवः (hearing or the ear), and means – 'the ear', 'the hypotenuse of a triangle', 'the act of hearing', 'study', 'fame', 'glory', 'that which is heard or revealed', 'wealth', 'flowing', 'oozing', In

Hindu philosophy Hindu philosophy encompasses the philosophies, world views and teachings of Hinduism that emerged in Ancient India which include six systems ('' shad-darśana'') – Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta.Andrew Nicholson ( ...

and rituals, the hearing of the secrets of the

Upanishads The Upanishads (; sa, उपनिषद् ) are late Vedic Sanskrit texts that supplied the basis of later Hindu philosophy.Wendy Doniger (1990), ''Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism'', 1st Edition, University of Chicago Press, , ...

from the

Guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...

is called ''Shravana'' which secrets are meant to be reflected upon to gain intellectual conviction. One learns by hearing, it is the first stage of learning, the initiation when the traditional '' Vedic doctrines '' are passed on by the teachers. '' Shravana'' is the mental activity by which the texts are understood in order to know the Truth about

Brahman In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...

. The Sruti is the seed of Vedantic knowledge sown by the

(teacher) in the mind of sisya ('disciple') who then tends that seed by his ''shravana'', '' manana '' and '' nididhyasana''. Yajnavalkya recommended to his wife,

Maitreyi Maitreyi ( sa, मैत्रेयी) ("Wise one") was an Indian philosopher who lived during the later Vedic period in ancient India. She is mentioned in the ''Brihadaranyaka Upanishad'' as one of two wives of the Vedic sage Yajnavalkya; s ...

, the form of '' sadhana '' which consisted of '' darshana '', ''shravana'', '' manana'' and '' nididhyasana''; ''darshana'' refers to seeing and realizing God or Brahman. He told her that the first stage in spiritual quest is ''Shravana'', and one has to become a ''shravaka'' for whom hearing or ''

shabda ''Shabda'' ( sa, शब्द, ), is the Sanskrit word for "speech sound". In Sanskrit grammar, the term refers to an utterance in the sense of linguistic performance. History In classical Indian philosophy of language, the grammarian Katyaya ...

'' creates interests, then sorts out those interests, sifts the essential from the non-essential, removes confusion and doubts, and naturally leads to the next stage, ''Manana''. ''Shravana'' is a psychological exercise. Vidyaranya in his

Panchadasi Panchadasi or Panchadashi (Devanagari: पञ्चदशी IAST paṃcadaśī) is a simple yet comprehensive manual of Advaita Vedanta written in the fourteenth century CE (1386-1391) by Vidyaranya, previously known as Madhavacharya. Pancha ...

(Sloka I.53) explains that:- :इत्थं वाक्यैस्तदर्थानुसन्धानं श्रवणं भवेत् , :युक्त्या संभावितत्वानुसंधानं मन्नन्तु तत् , , the finding out or discovery of the true significance of the identity of the individual self and the supreme Universal Self with the great sayings is what is known as ''shravana''; and to arrive at the possibility of its validity through logical reasoning is what is called ''manana''. Hearing and discrimination are beneficial to knowledge, both are inter-connected and the internal means for the acquisition of Self-knowledge, the former involves analysis and argument, and the latter is the unceasing reflection on the non-duality of the individual self. Sadananda explains that hearing is determination that the

Vedanta ''Vedanta'' (; sa, वेदान्त, ), also ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six (''āstika'') schools of Hindu philosophy. Literally meaning "end of the Vedas", Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from, or were aligned with, t ...

teaches non-duality of Brahman on the basis of six characteristic signs – a) presentation of the subject matter at the beginning and the conclusion, b) repetition or repeated presentation of the subject matter, c) originality i.e. the subject matter is not known through any other source, d) result or utility of the subject matter, e) eulogy or praise of the subject matter and f) demonstration or reasoning in support of the subject matter. ''Shravana'' results in the genuine ascertaining of the true import of the Vedic texts and statements.

References

{{Indian Philosophy, state=collapsed Hindu philosophical concepts Vedas Vedanta Sanskrit words and phrases