Sutra
(सूत्र)Literal Meaning
A thread
Etymology & Sanskrit Root
Sanskrit sutra (thread, rule): a short text or discourse. Pali sutta is the same word.
Spiritual Insight & Context
In Buddhism a sutra is a discourse attributed to the Buddha; in Hindu and Jain use it can be a terse rule meant to be learned by heart, as in the Yoga Sutras.