Sutras (सूत्राणि)

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A sutra (IAST: sūtra) is an aphorism or other teaching that is part of the ancient religious traditions originating in South Asia, particularly Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.[1][2][3] The term sutra can broadly refer to a single aphorism, a collection of aphorisms in the form of a manual or even a condensed manual or text.[2] Sutras are considered a genre of ancient and medieval Indian texts.[3]

In Hinduism, sutras are a distinct type of literary composition, a compilation of short aphoristic statements.[3][4] Each sutra is any short rule, like a theorem distilled into few words or syllables, around which teachings of ritual, philosophy, grammar, or any field of knowledge can be woven.[2][3] The oldest sutras of Hinduism are found in the Brahmana and Aranyaka layers of the Vedas.[5][6] Every school of Hindu philosophy, Vedic guides for rites of passage, various fields of arts, law, and social ethics developed respective sutras, which helped teach and transmit ideas from one generation to the next.[4][7][8]

In Buddhism, sutras, also known as suttas, are canonical scriptures, many of which are regarded as records of the oral teachings of Gautama Buddha. The Pali form of the word, sutta, is used exclusively to refer to the scriptures of the early Pali Canon, the only texts recognized by Theravada Buddhism as canonical.[citation needed]

In Jainism, sutras also known as suyas are canonical sermons of Mahavira contained in the Jain Agamas as well as some later (post-canonical) normative texts.[9][10]

Etymology

File:Birch bark MS from Kashmir of the Rupavatra Wellcome L0032691.jpg
A 17th-century birch bark manuscript of ancient Panini Sutra, a treatise on grammar,[11] found in Kashmir.

The word sūtra (Sanskrit: सूत्र, Pali: sūtta, Ardha Magadhi: sūya) means "string, thread".[2][3] The root of the word is siv, that which sews and holds things together.[2][12] The word is related to sūci (Sanskrit: सूचि) meaning "needle, list",[13] and sūnā (Sanskrit: सूना) meaning "woven".[2]

In the context of literature, sūtra means a distilled collection of syllables and words, any form or manual of "aphorism, rule, direction" hanging together like threads with which the teachings of ritual, philosophy, grammar, or any field of knowledge can be woven.[2][3]

A sūtra is any short rule, states Moriz Winternitz, in Indian literature; it is "a theorem condensed in few words".[3] A collection of sūtras becomes a text, and this is also called sūtra (often capitalized in Western literature).[2][3]

A sūtra is different from other components such as Shlokas, Anuvyakhayas and Vyakhyas found in ancient Indian literature.[14] A sūtra is a condensed rule which succinctly states the message,[15] while a Shloka is a verse that conveys the complete message and is structured to certain rules of musical meter,[16][17] a Anuvyakhaya is an explanation of the reviewed text, while a Vyakhya is a comment by the reviewer.[14][18]

  1. ↑ Template:Cite dictionary
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Monier Williams, Sanskrit English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Entry for sutra, page 1241
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 M Winternitz (2010 Reprint), A History of Indian Literature, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-0264-3, pages 249
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Gavin Flood (1996), An Introduction to Hinduism, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-521-43878-0, pages 54–55
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named maxmullerhas108
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named winternitz252
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named maxmullerhas74
  8. ↑ White, David Gordon (2014). The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali: A Biography. Princeton University Press. pp. 194–195. ISBN 978-0-691-14377-4.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named kelting111
  10. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named jainigasjd32
  11. ↑ Max Muller, History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature, Oxford University Press, pages 150–152
  12. ↑ MacGregor, Geddes (1989). Dictionary of Religion and Philosophy (1st ed.). New York: Paragon House. ISBN 1-55778-019-6.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  13. ↑ suci Sanskrit English Dictionary, Koeln University, Germany
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Max Muller, History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature, Oxford University Press, page 110–111
  15. ↑ Irving L. Finkel (2007). Ancient Board Games in Perspective: Papers from the 1990 British Museum Colloquium, with Additional Contributions. British Museum Press. p. 203. ISBN 978-0-7141-1153-7.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  16. ↑ Kale Pramod (1974). The Theatric Universe: (a Study of the Natyasastra). Popular. p. 8. ISBN 978-81-7154-118-8.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  17. ↑ Lewis Rowell (2015). Music and Musical Thought in Early India. University of Chicago Press. p. 135. ISBN 978-0-226-73034-9.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  18. ↑ व्याख्या, Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Koeln University, Germany
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