Chapter 1: श्रोता का स्वरूप

A श्रोता is a someone who listens to discourses by a वक्ता.

Categories of a श्रोता

1) नवीन श्रोता
A shrota of this type has questions about the reasons for his existence, his real nature, he thinks about life beyond death, he observes his thoughts and contemplates about the fruits those thoughts would bear. He firmly believes that his well-being rests on getting answers to these questions. He finds scriptures as the source having answers to these questions and thereby develops a keen interest in listening to them. He reflects continuously upon what he learns from these scriptures, asks questions when in doubt and then starts implementing them in life considering them as his कर्तव्य.

2) मध्यम श्रोता
A shrota of this type has firm faith in religion and has clarity in knowledge based on the scriptures he has read. He clearly understands how Nischchay and Vyavhaar moksa marg complement each other and accordingly he incorporates them in real life. He refrains from doing lowly activites that are forbidden by the religion, indulges in more scriptural readings, resolves doubts by raising questions and answering them himself and when they can't be answered, he asks them with utmost humility.

3) उत्कृष्ट श्रोता
A shrota of this type is very well versed with scriptures on grammar, logic (which are generally considered as diffucult to understand) and other highly esteemed scriptures. Additionally, if he has experienced the soul, he grasps the finer details of the scriptures very well. Morever, a shrota who has अवधि or मन:पर्यय ज्ञान is a great श्रोता - for example, gandhar bhagwaan (such as Gautam Swami).


Additional types of श्रोता and their pitfalls

• One who listens to Shastras thinking that they are good for him, but because of lack of good intellect, he fails to grasps the meaning. This will result in पुण्य कर्म बंध, but doesn't do any substantial good as far as spiritual progress is concerned.
• One who happens to listens to Shastra by chance without him putting in any efforts or one who listens to Shastra based on family tradition. Such a shrota will acquire पाप or पुण्य कर्म depending on his thoughts.
• One who listens to Shastras out of ego, or solely for the purpose of debate in order to establish logical superiority or for some worldly gains. He only acquires पाप कर्म.

Thus, having learnt qualities of a Shrota, it is upon oneself to introspect what kind of a shrota he is and take corrective measures as appropriate. One should especially be mindful of the shortcomings of shrota and should take extra care to avoid trapping himself into one of the pitfalls described above.