श्रमण (śramaṇa in dharmic religion)

“Śramaṇa (Sanskrit: श्रमण; Pali: samaṇa) means ‘one who labours, toils, or exerts themselves (for some higher or religious purpose)’ or ‘seeker, one who performs acts of austerity, ascetic.’ The term in early Vedic literature is predominantly used as an epithet for the Rishis with reference to Shrama associated with the ritualistic exertion. The term in these texts doesn’t express non-Vedic connotations as it does in post-Vedic Buddhist and Jain canonical texts. During its later semantic development, the term came to refer to several non-Brahmanical ascetic movements parallel to but separate from the Vedic religion. The śramaṇa tradition includes Jainism, Buddhism, and others such as the Ājīvikas, Ajñanas and Cārvākas.