nonVedic

NonVedic is a term used in Indian religious and philosophical studies to describe traditions, texts, and practices that do not derive authority from the Vedas—the ancient core scriptures of Vedic Hinduism. In scholarly usage, the category contrasts with Vedic or Vedantic sources and is not a fixed doctrinal label but a descriptive one reflecting the basis of authority, ritual practice, or scripture.

The non-Vedic landscape historically includes the Shramana traditions (Buddhism, Jainism, Ajivika) that arose in the first millennium BCE and onward, as well as rival philosophical systems such as Charvaka and other materialist schools. These groups typically rejected Vedic authority or offered competing cosmologies, ethical frameworks, and soteriologies. Non-Vedic literature can also encompass certain regional, folk, or tantric traditions that do not claim scriptural status within the Vedic corpus. Over time, some non-Vedic movements interacted with or were assimilated into broader Hindu practices, while others persisted as distinct religious communities.

The label is arguable and debated. Critics argue that it can imply a hierarchy that privileges Veda-based authority, whereas many traditions describe themselves as independent or as part of a broader dharma without referencing the Vedas. In scholarship, non-Vedic is treated as a descriptive category rather than a doctrinal denomination.