Shastri
/ˈʃɑː.stri/noun
A Hindu title or surname traditionally given to a person learned in Sanskrit scriptures and philosophical texts.
Did you know?In traditional India, becoming a Shastri generally signified formal mastery of śāstra literature, which could include grammar, law, philosophy, ritual, and religious interpretation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱes-
“A reconstructed root associated with directing, ordering, or instructing; its exact relationship to Sanskrit śās- is debated.”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
śās-
“To instruct, teach, command, or govern.”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
śāstra
“A treatise, authoritative teaching, scripture, or systematic body of knowledge.”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
śāstrin / śāstrī
“A person learned in the śāstras; a scholar or teacher of authoritative texts.”
Medieval and Early Modern Indo-Aryan
Hindi and related languages
śāstrī / शास्त्री
“An honorific title for a learned Sanskrit scholar.”
19th–20th Century
English
Shastri
“An English loanword and South Asian surname or title for a Sanskrit scholar; it also appears in personal names.”
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