Jain religious occupations

thumb|Bronze figure of a yogi in Dhyana in Hinduism|Dhyana (meditation) by [[Malvina Hoffman]]

In Indian religions and philosophies, a śramaṇa (from Sanskrit) or samaṇa (from Pali), sometimes anglicised as shramana, is a person "who labours, toils, or exerts themselves for some higher or religious purpose" or a "seeker, or ascetic, one who performs acts of austerity".

In Indian religions and society, an acharya (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ācariya) is a religious teacher in Hinduism and Buddhism and a spiritual guide to Hindus and Buddhists. The designation has different meanings in Hinduism, Buddhism and secular contexts.

ancient Indian term used to refer to an ideal universal ruler