śrāvaka; a hearer, disciple, 聲聞 q. v. (1) He who has heard ( the voice of Buddha). All the personal disciples of Śākyamuni, the chief disciples being called mahāśrāvaka. (2) The lowest degree of saintship, the others being pratyekabuddha, bodhisattva, buddha.

A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms, William Edward Soothill and Lewis Hodous