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Glite Dictionary
nastika

nastika

1 9.9
A follower of Indian philosophy who does not accept the Vedas as sacred
  • noun
  • Specialized
: nastika
  • In Indian philosophy, a nastika is someone who does not recognize the Vedas as the ultimate authority.

Examples

  • The Vedic view had grouped everyone into two categories: astika (believers in the Vedas) and nastikas (non-believers).

    Blog text (1)

  • Buddhists, Jains, Ajivakas, Caravakas, and others belonged to nastikas.

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  • The debate between astikas and nastikas highlights differing beliefs about scripture in Hindu thought.

  • Philosophers like the Caravakas are considered nastikas because they reject the teachings of the Vedas.

Surface Forms

nastika singular
nastikas plural

Etymology

Nastika comes from Sanskrit where nā- means 'not' and āstika means 'one who accepts the Vedas'. So a nastika is a follower who 'does not accept' the Vedas, which is why the word refers to schools in Indian philosophy that reject Vedic authority.