sutra
/ˈsuːtɹə/ noun
Forms sutras sutta
- noun A rule or thesis in Sanskrit grammar or Hindu law or philosophy.
- noun (Buddhism, Hinduism) A scriptural narrative, especially a discourse of the Buddha.
Etymology
Borrowed from Sanskrit सूत्र (sū́tra, “thread, yarn, string; rule”). Doublet of sutta; more distantly related to sew and suture.
Webster’s 1913
- noun pl.
- noun A body of Hindoo literature containing aphorisms on grammar, meter, law, and philosophy, and forming a connecting link between the Vedic and later Sanscrit literature. Balfour (Cyc. of India).
Etymology [Skr. s a thread, a string of rules; an aphorism; fr. siv to sew.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “sutra”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details