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'''Shravana ''' or ''Śravaṇa'' (Samskrit: श्रवणम्) 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', <ref>{{cite book|title=The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary|author=V.S.Apte|publisher=Digital dictionaries of South Asia|page=1574|url= http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?p.5:244.apte }}</ref>

In [[Hindu philosophy]] and rituals, the hearing of the secrets of the [[Upanishads (उपनिषदाः)|Upanishads]] from the Guru is called ''Shravana'' which secrets are meant to be reflected upon to gain intellectual conviction.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Concept of Bondage and Liberation in Saiva Siddhanta and Vedanta|author=Harish Damodaran|publisher=Lulu|page=69|url= https://books.google.co.in/books?id=g-cNBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA69&lpg=PA69&dq=sravana+hearing+upanishads&source=bl&ots=7pENnovW8F&sig=3-gnLVBAIgGqilUu9C0pCdT81eY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=qqqaVLb4INCguQSZoIHQCQ&ved=0CEcQ6AEwBjgK#v=onepage&q=sravana%20hearing%20upanishads&f=false }}</ref> 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 (ब्रह्मन्)|Brahman]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Brahmaannubhava|publisher=CRVP|page=161|url= https://books.google.co.in/books?id=FJoUHNb93w8C&pg=PA161&lpg=PA161&dq=sravana+hearing+upanishads&source=bl&ots=bKgSO2QWiu&sig=8se7W2CIQLWhCyG_msPUP0p4bog&hl=en&sa=X&ei=fauaVIHWEMS1uASZ34LwAg&ved=0CCAQ6AEwATgU#v=onepage&q=sravana%20hearing%20upanishads&f=false }}</ref> The Sruti  is the seed of Vedantic knowledge sown by the Guru (teacher) in the mind of sisya ('disciple') who then tends that seed by his ''shravana'', '' [[Manana (मननम्)|manana]] '' and ''nididhyasana''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Sri Samkara’s Vivekacudamani|author=Sri Candrasekhara Bharati of Sringeri|publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan|page=xxvii|url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sri-Samkaras-Vivekacudamni-S-Bhagavatpada/dp/8172764200}}</ref>

[[Yajnavalkya Maitreyi samvada (याज्ञवल्क्यमैत्रेय्योः संवादः)|Yajnavalkya recommended to his wife, Maitreyi]], the form of '' sadhana '' which consisted of '' darshana '', ''shravana'', ''[[Manana (मननम्)|manana]]'' and ''nididhyasana''; ''darshana'' refers to seeing and realizing God or Brahman.<ref>{{cite book|title=Brahmasutram|author=Sitanath Tattvabhushan|publisher=Genesis Publishing|page=xcvi|url= https://books.google.co.in/books?id=dZ5_xFrJFHEC&pg=PR96&lpg=PR96&dq=sravana+hearing+upanishads&source=bl&ots=wcna4YGorU&sig=pC3UaT9OUga4OAHvvJsdgl4ZsOA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=fauaVIHWEMS1uASZ34LwAg&ved=0CC4Q6AEwBDgU#v=onepage&q=sravana%20hearing%20upanishads&f=false }}</ref> He told her that the first stage in adhyatmik quest is ''Shravana'', and one has to become a ''shravaka'' for whom hearing or '' [[shabda]] '' 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.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Call of the Upanishads|author=Rohit Mehta|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|page=261|url= https://books.google.co.in/books?id=_aGXsz4C2z8C&pg=PA261&lpg=PA261&dq=sravana+hearing+upanishads&source=bl&ots=Ktwe6y8LEs&sig=tfAg0TEwZlZWp1fr_F6o9shFIMM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=XKmaVOWZNtKTuATX9YHoCQ&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=sravana%20hearing%20upanishads&f=false }}</ref> [[Vidyaranya]] in his [[Panchadasi]] (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''. <ref>{{cite book|title=Pancadasi of Sri Vidyaranya Swami|publisher=Sri Ramakrishna Math|page=25|url= http://www.chennaimath.org/istore/product/pancadasi-of-sri-vidyaranya-swami/ }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Metaphysics of the Upanishads|publisher=Genesis Publishing|page=15|url= https://books.google.co.in/books?id=-Eu9uf3qP98C&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=sravana+hearing+upanishads&source=bl&ots=sjS27saFd-&sig=hyEpUbE_8e0l8zWgW8zRrmD4lAc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=XKmaVOWZNtKTuATX9YHoCQ&ved=0CEUQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=sravana%20hearing%20upanishads&f=false }}</ref>

[[Sadananda (of Vedantasara)|Sadananda]] explains that hearing is determination that the [[Vedanta]] 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Satasloki|url= http://sanskritdocuments.org/sites/snsastri/satasloki13.pdf }}</ref> ''Shravana'' results in the genuine ascertaining of the true import of the Vedic texts and statements.<ref>{{cite book|title=Paths of the Divine: Ancient and Indian|publisher=CRVP|url= https://books.google.co.in/books?id=VYaRePV92YwC&pg=PA206&lpg=PA206&dq=sravana+hearing+upanishads&source=bl&ots=wWIiufCP3S&sig=gEUpiRuQ-8b4e9eL3YAVxBbWI58&hl=en&sa=X&ei=qqqaVLb4INCguQSZoIHQCQ&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=sravana%20hearing%20upanishads&f=false }}</ref>

==References==
[[Category:Vedanta]]
<references />
[[Category:Upanishads]]