Sutra

(“thread”) In a metaphorical sense, a
sutra is a short phrase or aphorism that
can easily be committed to memory.
Many early philosophical and grammatical texts were collections of such sutras,
which are so brief that they virtually presuppose a commentary to explain their
meaning. In many cases the commentary would have been an oral exchange
between teacher and student, thus
effecting the living transmission that is
still the norm in tantra, a secret, ritually
based religious practice. Memorizing
such sutras was a way to gain mastery
over an entire text, and the sutras could
also serve as an aid to memory for the
commentary, thus enabling a person to
preserve the “thread” of the argument.
In a more literal sense, the word sutra
can also refer to the cord or cords strung
through the centers of palm leaf manuscripts, which kept the pages of the text
in their proper order.