Śravaṇam — The Primordial Limb of Bhakti
Śravaṇam (Sanskrit: śru = to hear; 'the act of hearing') is the first and foundational practice of the nine limbs of bhakti yoga (nava-vidha bhakti) enumerated by Prahlāda in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. Everything else — kīrtanam, smaraṇam, pāda-sevanam, etc. — grows from this root practice of devoted, attentive hearing.
What Is Heard: Śravaṇam encompasses hearing Bhagavān's names, His qualities (kalyāṇa guṇas), His divine deeds (divya caritas), His teachings (the Gītā, upaniṣads), and the commentaries of the Āchāryas. The śāstras emphasise that śravaṇam of any of these gradually purifies the mind and increases devotion.
The Preeminence of Śravaṇam: 'Even a sinner who merely hears Bhagavān's names begins to be purified' — this teaching underscores why śravaṇam is placed first. Hearing is the most accessible of all limbs and the one through which bhakti first enters the heart. The Āzhvārs' Divya Prabandham was revealed for śravaṇam — to be sung and heard.
Śravaṇam and the Āchārya: The tradition insists that śravaṇam should occur through a qualified Āchārya — one who has received the truth through the Guru Paramparā and can transmit it accurately. 'Hearing from a book alone cannot replace hearing from a living Āchārya who transmits not just words but the life-force of the sampradāya.'