Shravana - Attentive Listening to the Teaching
- Daniel McKenzie
- Sep 13
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 25
In Vedanta, shravana (śravaṇa) means “listening” — not ordinary hearing, but attentive reception of the Upanishadic teaching from a qualified teacher. It is the first of the three steps of self-knowledge: shravana, manana, nididhyasana.
Shankara insists that liberation comes only through knowledge (jnana), and shravana is the gateway to that knowledge. It requires not only hearing the words but also openness, humility, and faith (shraddha). The seeker exposes themselves to the shastra (scripture), trusting the teaching as a valid means of knowledge (pramana).
Unlike ordinary learning, shravana is not about gathering information. It is a process of undoing ignorance, allowing the words of the Upanishads to point the mind back to its source — the Self. Just as a mirror reveals a face that was always present, so the teaching reveals the Self that never departs.
Root & Meaning
From root śru = to hear.
Śravaṇa = listening, hearing the teaching.
Scriptural References
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.4.5: “Atman is to be heard (shrotavyah), reflected upon, and meditated upon.”
Shankara's commentary: Knowledge arises from shravana of the mahavakyas (great statements of the Upanishads).
Traditional View
First stage of self-inquiry: hearing the teaching from a qualified teacher.
Requires faith (shraddha) and preparation (adhikaritva).
Planting the seed of knowledge; later deepened by manana and nididhyasana.
Vedantic Analysis
Shravana is not passive hearing; it is exposure to the pramana (means of knowledge).
Through repeated listening, the mind begins to shift its identification away from the non-Self.
Essential: one cannot bypass shravana by relying on reasoning or meditation alone.
Common Misunderstandings
That shravana = reading books: It requires a living teacher to unfold the shastra.
That shravana is once-and-done: It is often repeated until clarity dawns.
That shravana alone is liberation: It plants the seed; assimilation may require manana and nididhyasana.
Vedantic Resolution
Shavana is the attentive hearing of the Upanishadic teaching. It opens the door to self-knowledge, planting the seed that is later assimilated through reflection and contemplation.
