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'Śrāvakabuddhas' (Sanskrit) or 'Sāvakabuddhas' (Pāli) is a rarely used term in Buddhism, identifying enlightened 'disciples of a Buddha' as Buddhas. These disciples are those enlightened individuals who gain by hearing the Dharma as initially taught by a Samyaksambuddha (Sammasambuddha). They might also lead others to enlightenment, but cannot teach the Dharma in a time or world where it has been forgotten or has not been taught before, because they depend upon a tradition that stretches back to a Samyaksambuddha.
When the term Śrāvakabuddha is used, it refers to a third type of Buddha, other than the Sammasambuddha and Paccekabuddha. The term is not widely known. The term Sravakabuddha is used in a late (twelfth-century CE) Theravadin commentary, and does not occur in the scriptures of the Pali Canon. Both the Pali Canon and the mainstream Mahayana tradition use the term Arahant, and does not classify the Arahants as Buddhas.
'Śrāvaka' (Pāli: 'Sāvaka') literally means "one who hears", i.e. a Buddhist who follows the path to enlightenment by means of hearing the instructions of others.

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See also

★ Buddha

★ Pratyekabuddha

★ Sravaka

★ Shravakayana