Unique to Sanskrit literature and Pali literature of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, they are short cryptic sentences, methodically written as memory-aids, stringing step by step a particular topic or text in its entirety.
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Shatapatha Brahmana defines Sutram as the sacred thread (SB XII.ii.3), the sacred thread belonging to the first-class Brahmins (SB V.x.16), the power to act (SB XI.iii.37), the sutra-tattva (SB XI.xxviii.16), the mahat-tattva distinguished by the power of action (SB XI.ix.19), the function of Pradhana or the subtle cause of material nature (SB XI.xii.19), or the first transformation of nature (Prakrti), endowed with the potency of activity (SB XI.xxiv.6).