Sūtra (
Sanskrit, Devanagari सूत्र) or
Sutta (Pāli), literally means a rope or thread that holds things together, and more metaphorically refers to an
aphorism (or line, rule, formula), or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. It is derived from the verbal root
siv-, meaning
to sew (these words, including Latin
suere and English
to sew, all derive from
PIE *
syū-). In
Hinduism the 'sutras' form a school of
Vedic study, related to and somewhat later than the
Upanishads. They served and continue to act as grand treatises on various schools of
Hindu Philosophy. They elaborate in succinct verse, sometimes esoteric, Hindu views of metaphysics, cosmogony, the human condition,
moksha (liberation), and how to maintain a blissful,
dharmic life, in a cosmic spin of
karma,
reincarnation and
desire.
In
Buddhism, the term "sutra" refers generally to canonical scriptures that are regarded as records of the oral teachings of
Gautama Buddha. In
Chinese, these are known as 經 (
pinyin:
jīng). These teachings are assembled in the second part of the
Tripitaka which is called
Sutra Pitaka. There are also some Buddhist texts, such as the
Platform Sutra, that are called sutras despite being attributed to much later authors. Some scholars consider that the Buddhist use of sutra is a mis-Sanskritization of sutta, and that the latter represented Sanskrit sūkta (well spoken).
The Pali form of the word,
sutta is used exclusively to refer to Buddhist scriptures, particularly those of the
Pali Canon.
List
Below are some sutras listed under the broad categories of
Hinduism,
Buddhism and Other.
Sutras primarily associated with Hinduism
Sutras primarily associated with Buddhism
See:
Buddhist texts
Other Sutras
Associated with Christianity
See also
References
- Monier-Williams, Monier. (1899) A Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Delhi:Motilal Banarsidass. p. 1241
External links
Literature regarded as central to the Hindu literary tradition were predominantly composed in Sanskrit, Indeed, much of the morphology and linguistic philosophy inherent in the learning of Sanskrit is inextricably linked to study of the Vedas and other Hindu texts.
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Vedas (Sanskrit véda वेद
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The Rigveda (Sanskrit ऋग्वेद
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The Yajurveda (Sanskrit यजुर्वेदः
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The Samaveda (Sanskrit: सामवेद, sāmaveda, a tatpurusha compound of
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The Atharvaveda (Sanskrit: अथर्ववेद, atharvavéda
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The oral tradition of the Vedas (Śrauta) consists of several pathas, "recitations" or ways of chanting the Vedic mantras. Such traditions of Vedic chant
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Brāhmaṇas (Devanagari:
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The Aranyakas (Sanskrit आरण्यक āraṇyaka
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The Upanishads (Devanagari: उपनिषद्, IAST: upaniṣad) are regarded as part of the Vedas and as such form part of the Hindu scriptures.
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The Upanishads (Devanagari: उपनिषद्, IAST: upaniṣad) are regarded as part of the Vedas and as such form part of the Hindu scriptures.
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The Aitareya Upanishad is one of the older, "primary" Upanishads commented upon by Shankara. It is a Mukhya Upanishad, associated with the Rigveda. It figures as number 8 in the Muktika canon of 108 Upanishads.
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The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upanishad is one of the older, "primary" (mukhya
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The Isha Upanishad (īśa upaniṣad, in sandhi Ishopanishad
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The Taittireeya Upanishad is one of the older, "primary" Upanishads commented upon by Shankara. It is associated with the Taittireeya school of the Black Yajurveda. It figures as number 7 in the Muktika canon of 108 Upanishads.
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The Chandogya Upanishad is one of the "primary" (mukhya) Upanishads. Together with the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad it ranks among the oldest Upanishads, dating to the Vedic Brahmana period (ca. 9th to 8th century BC).
It is associated with the Samaveda.
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The Kena Upanishad (kenopaniṣad
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The Muṇḍaka Upanishad is one of the older, "primary" (mukhya
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Māndūkya Upanishad is one of the shortest Upanishads that form the revealed, so called metaphysical, parts of the Vedas. It belongs to the Atharva Veda. It devotes itself entirely to the explanation of the spiritual - mystic - syllable Aum.
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Prashna Upanishad (IAST praṣnopaniṣad
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Some of the information in this article or section may not be verified by . It should be checked for inaccuracies and modified to cite reliable sources.
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Shiksha (IAST śikṣā
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pada ("foot"[1]), generally of eight, eleven, or twelve syllables; these are termed gāyatrī,
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The Sanskrit grammatical tradition of vyākaraṇa is one of the six Vedanga disciplines.
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Nirukta ("explanation, etymological interpretation") is one of the six Vedānga
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Kalpa is one of the six disciplines of Vedanga, treating ritual.
Tradition does not single out any special work as the Vedanga in this branch of Vedic science; but the sacrificial practice gave rise to a large number of systematic sutras for the several classes of priests.
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Indian epic poetry is the epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent. Written in Sanskrit, Kannada, Tamil and Hindi, it includes some of the oldest epic poetry ever created and some works form the basis of Hindu scripture.
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Hindu scriptures
Vedas
Rigveda · Yajurveda
Samaveda · Atharvaveda
Vedic divisions
Samhita · Brahmana
Aranyaka · Upanishad
Upanishad
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Hindu scriptures
Vedas
Rigveda · Yajurveda
Samaveda · Atharvaveda
Vedic divisions
Samhita · Brahmana
Aranyaka · Upanishad
Upanishad
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