Listening with faith and love to the glory and teachings of God and his devotees is called Katha. The life stories of God and his votaries simply captivate the faithful, enriching and elevating their souls to the heights of spiritual ecstasy. The Upanishads, Ramayan, Mahabharat, Bhagvatam, Bhagvad Gita, Vachanamrut and the life stories of devotees from the repertories on which kathas are based. Katha has been praised and equated with amrut - nectar. Listining to katha from a brahmanishtha (God-realized) and shrotriya (knower of the true meaning of shastras) guru liberates the soul. Katha is extolled as one of the forms of navdha bhakti.