What does the term Āstika-Nāstika mean- as such - without any connection with one particular faith?

Question

There are different shades of interpretation of the terms Āstika-Nāstika.

Most of the answers on this forum relate to the interpretations that are propounded by some vested groups to denigrate other Indian faiths.

There is one question on this forum that could have been answered in the spirit of my question. However, it is married to another question, that reflects the general belief of the term Āstika-Nāstika and leaves no room to treat these terms divorced from the belief system. Hence, there is a need for a separate question.

However, the question that remains to be answered whether the terms Āstika-Nāstika can be explained without any connection to one particular faith or belief like Hinduism? Is there an etymological explanation for these terms?

Answer 1

Instead of opinions, we can look to Pāṇini to find the meaning of the term.

He defines Āstika-Nāstika (4.4.60) through his sutra as

अस्ति-नास्ति-दिष्टं मतिः

Kasika the foremost commentator on Aṣhṭādhyāyī has categorically stated while commenting on the above sutra (see chapter 4):

तदस्य इत्येव ।

तदिति प्रथमासमर्थेभ्यः अस्ति नास्ति दिष्ट इत्येतेभ्यः शब्देभ्यः अस्य इति षष्ठ्यर्थे ठक्प्रत्ययो भवति यत्तत्प्रथमासमर्थं मतिश्चेत्तद्भवति ।

अस्ति मतिः अस्य आस्तिकः ।

नास्ति मतिः अस्य नास्तिकः ।

दैष्टिकः ।

न च मतिसत्तामात्रे प्रत्यय इष्यते, किं तर्हि, परलोकोऽस्ति इति यस्य मतिः स आस्तिकः ।

तद्विपरीतो नास्तिकः ।

प्रमाण-अनुपातिनी यस्य मतिः स दैष्टिकः ।

तदेतदभिधान-शक्ति-स्वभावाल्लभ्यते ।

अस्ति-नास्ति-शब्दौ निपातौ, वचनसामर्थ्याद्वा आख्याताद्वाक्याच्च प्रत्ययः ।

A free translation of the above means that anyone who believes in a world beyond this world i.e. "paraloka" is astika and who does not is nastika.

Hence, etymologically, in the strict of the word, Buddhists, Jain, Sikhs, Muslims, Zoroastrians, Christians and Hindus (and many others) are Āstika!

One can now add any personal interpretation to these terms. However, it is not easy to ignore historical texts and the history that is associated with the evolution of Hinduism as we know it today. Sramanism has strongly influenced the Hinduism and this is one of the examples to show how the meaning of the words was changed through such influence!