Shastra

Shastra (शास्त्र, IAST: , ʃaːst̪rə) is a Sanskrit word that means "precept, rules, manual, compendium, book or treatise" in a general sense. The word is generally used as a suffix in the Indian literature context, for technical or specialized knowledge in a defined area of practice. Shastra has a similar meaning to English -logy, e.g. ecology, psychology, meaning scientific and basic knowledge on a particular subject. Examples in terms of modern neologisms include 'physics', 'chemistry', 'biology', 'architectural science', 'science of mechanical arts and sculpture', 'science of politics and economics', and 'compendium of ethics or right policy'. In Western literature, Shastra is sometimes spelled as Sastra, reflecting a misunderstanding of the IAST symbol 'ś', which corresponds to the English 'sh'. The word Śāstra literally means "that which has been instructed/decreed", from the root Śāsana which means "instruction/decree". "Shastra" commonly refers to a treatise or text on a specific field of knowledge. In early Vedic literature, the word referred to any precept, rule, teaching, ritual instruction or direction. In late and post Vedic literature of Hinduism, Shastra referred to any treatise, book or instrument of teaching, any manual or compendium on any subject in any field of knowledge, including religious. It is often a suffix, added to the subject of the treatise, such as Yoga-shastra, Nyaya-shastra, Dharma-shastra, Koka- or Kama-shastra, Moksha-shastra, Artha-shastra, Alamkara-shastra (rhetoric), Kavya-shastra (poetics), Sangita-shastra (music), Natya-shastra (theatre & dance) and others. In Buddhism, a "shastra" is often a commentary written at a later date to explain an earlier scripture or sutra. For example, Yutang Lin says that a text written by him and not given by Buddha, cannot be called a "Sutra"; it is called a "Sastra". In Buddhism, Buddhists are allowed to offer their theses as long as they are consistent with the Sutras, and those are called "Sastras." In Jainism, the term means the same as in Hinduism.