"By hearing the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, one is sure and certain to attain salvation and be transferred back home, back to Godhead. It is stated by Śukadeva Gosvāmī that as we hear the transcendental pastimes of the Lord, we gradually cut the knots of material contamination. Therefore, regardless of what one's position may be, if one desires the association of Lord Kṛṣṇa in His transcendental kingdom for eternity in blissful existence, one must hear about the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa and chant the mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

The transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, are so powerful that simply by hearing, reading and memorizing this book, Kṛṣṇa, one is sure to be transferred to the spiritual world, which is ordinarily very difficult to achieve.

The description of the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa is so attractive that it automatically gives us an impetus to study them repeatedly. The more we study the pastimes of the Lord, the more we become attached to Him. This very attachment to Kṛṣṇa makes one eligible to be transferred to His abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana."

https://vedabase.io/en/library/kb/90/#bb92802

I have two questions:

1. Could hearing (śravaṇam) be understood as including reading, at least in this particular context? I seem to recall that Śrīla Prabhupāda makes a relevant point somewhere in the First Canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, where he discusses the relationship between hearing and reading. HpS - I think, agtSP, that read silently, read out loud alone, read to others are all forms of Sravanam, and that they are all good for everyone to do each one and all of them, no?
2. Could the wording give the impression that hearing, reading and memorizing the Kṛṣṇa book are, by themselves, sufficient qualifications for returning to the spiritual world? Would it be more precise to say that these processes cultivate attachment to Kṛṣṇa (kṛṣṇāsakti), and that it is this attachment that makes one eligible to attain His abode? HpS - I think SP is referring to Sravanam, Kirtanam, Smaranam, and if so, then these three are sufficient. If we perfect Smaranam, then no more Punar janma. Again, as I think I mentioned before, it may also be as we engage in SKS of the KRSNA book, then automatically, Arcanam, fighting battles, raising our family, Daivi Varna Ashram Dharma, will follow automatically, as a natural result.
3. I am also wondering how we should understand this in relation to the development of rāga and, ultimately, sthāyi-bhāva. In other words, is it important to distinguish between the process of hearing and studying Kṛṣṇa's pastimes and the spiritual qualification that develops through such engagement? HpS - Well.... it seems that it is like distinguishing the growth of the seed to the green mango but to remain focused on the proper watering of the root, hearing and chanting and remember, as the basis of the tree in its different developmental qualifications: seed, sprout, sampling, tree, flowers, buds, green mango.

Thank you!

In a try-out of being useful,

Namacarya Das