(“nihilists”) This
was a derogatory phrase used by Hindu philosophers to disparage other religious
and intellectual traditions.
Nastika was a term given to parties who questioned the
Vedas' legitimacy as religious books, the perpetual presence of the soul
(atman), and the importance of religious life in general.
This phrase might be given to the Jains (who deny the first
of these three), Buddhists (who deny the first and second), or the materialist
philosophical school (who deny all three) (which denied all three).
