Shastra

Śāstra is a Sanskrit word that means "precept, rules, manual, compendium, book or treatise" in a general sense. The word is generally used as a suffix in the Indian literature context, for technical or specialized knowledge in a defined area of practice.
Śāstra has a similar meaning to English -logy, e.g. ecology, psychology, meaning scientific and basic knowledge on a particular subject. Examples in terms of modern neologisms include

'physics',
[Rasashastra|] 'chemistry',
'biology',
[Vastu shastra|] 'architectural science',
[Shilpa shastras|] 'science of mechanical arts and sculpture',
[Arthashastra|] 'science of politics and economics',
'compendium of ethics or right policy', and
natyasāstra 'art of performing arts.'

In Western literature, Śāstra is sometimes spelled as Sastra, reflecting a misunderstanding of the IAST symbol 'ś', which corresponds to the English 'sh'.

Etymology

The word Śāstra literally means "that which has been instructed/decreed", from the root √śās- which means "instruction/decree" combined with the ṣṭra-suffix.

Terminology

Śāstra commonly refers to a treatise or text on a specific field of knowledge. In early Vedic literature, the word referred to any precept, rule, teaching, ritual instruction or direction. In late and post Vedic literature of Hinduism, Śāstra referred to any treatise, book or instrument of teaching, any manual or compendium on any subject in any field of knowledge, including religious. It is often a suffix, added to the subject of the treatise, such as

Yoga-śāstra
Nyāya-śāstra
Dharma-śāstra
Koka- or Kāma-śāstra,
Mokṣa-śāstra
Artha-śāstra
Alaṅkara-śāstra
Kāvya-śāstra
Saṅgīta-śāstra
Nāṭya-śāstra
Vyākaraṇa-śāstra, and others.

In Buddhism, a "śāstra" is often a commentary written at a later date to explain an earlier scripture or sutra. For example, Yutang Lin says that a text written by him and not given by Buddha, cannot be called a "Sūtra"; it is called a "Śāstra". In Buddhism, Buddhists are allowed to offer their theses as long as they are consistent with the Sūtras, and those are called "Śāstras."
In Jainism, the term means the same as in Hinduism. An example of Jaina Śāstra is the 12th-century Yoga Śāstra of Hemchandracharya.
Śāstra is sometimes the root of compounded Sanskrit words. A custodian of Śāstra, for example, is called Śāstradhāri.

Chronology and authenticity

Shastras are predominantly post-Vedic literature, that is after about 500 BCE. However, it is unclear when various Shastras were composed and completed. The authenticity of the manuscripts is also unclear, as many versions of the same text exist, some with major differences. Patrick Olivelle, credited with a 2005 translation of Manu Dharma-sastra, published by the Oxford University Press, states the concerns in postmodern scholarship about the presumed authenticity and reliability of manuscripts as follows :
The literature of late 1st millennium BCE such as Arthashastra, and Shastras of various fields of knowledge from the early 1st millennium period is of great interest as it helped the emergence of diverse schools and the spread of Indian religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism in and outside South Asia.
The shastras are both descriptive and prescriptive. Among the various Shastras, Manu's code of law has been among the most studied as the colonial British government attempted to establish different laws in British India based on Sharia for Muslims and Manu's code of law.
The shastras are not consistent or single-consensus documents. Dharma-sastras, for example, contain opposing views and contradictory theories. This is in part because they represent an ideal of human behaviour, while at the same time recognising the need to account for likely failings. The shastras do not present life as it was lived. Rather they reveal an idea of what life should be. The shastra texts constitute one of the great bodies of literature of the ancient world.

Sutra

Sutras are another genre of Indian texts that emerged in the 1st millennium BCE, particularly after the 600 BCE. Sutra denotes a type of literary composition distinct from Shastra. In Sanskrit, "sutra" typically referred to one or more aphorisms; hence sutras use short, aphoristic, evocative statements. In contrast, a Shastra is typically longer, with more detail and explanations. An example of a Sutra is Patanjali's Yogasutras, while an example of Shastra is Hemachandra's Yogasastra, both on yoga.
Shastras and Sutras are among the numerous other genres of literature that have survived from ancient and medieval India. Other genres include Vedas, Upanishads, Vedangas, Itihasa, Puranas, Bhasyas, and Subhashitas.

Topic	Name of Shastra	Authorship Date	Author	Language	Description/Comments/References
Architecture	Vastu Shastra	Ancient	Various	Sanskrit	Treatise on architecture and design.
Science	Vaimānika Shāstra	Early 20th century	Unknown	Sanskrit	A text on "science of aeronautics".
Religion & Law	Dharma Shastra	1st millennium BCE	Various	Sanskrit	Theological texts on Hindu Dharma, with over 100 different versions.
Eroticism	Kamashastra	Ancient	Various	Sanskrit	Texts related to love and sexuality.
Philosophy	Yoga Vasistha	Ancient	Valmiki	Sanskrit	Philosophical discourse between Sage Vasistha and Lord Rama.
Philosophy	Moksopaya	10th century	Unknown	Sanskrit	Philosophical text, precursor to Yoga Vasistha.
Economics & Politics	Artha Shastra	4th century BCE	Kautilya	Sanskrit	Treatise on statecraft, economic policy, and military strategy.
Performing Arts	Natya Shastra	200 BCE – 200 CE	Bharata Muni	Sanskrit	Treatise on drama, dance, and music.
Astronomy	Surya Siddhanta	Ancient	Unknown	Sanskrit	An astronomical text with planetary calculations.
Buddhism	Mahayana Buddhist Shastras	Various	Various	Sanskrit	Treatises related to Mahayana Buddhism.
Palmistry & Physiognomy	Samudrika Shastra	Ancient	Unknown	Sanskrit	Text on palmistry, face reading, and body analysis.
Sculpture & Iconography	Shilpa Shastra	Ancient	Various	Sanskrit	Guidelines on sculpture and temple architecture.