Sastra as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Sastra

What is the meaning of the name Sastra ?

The baby name Sastra is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈsɑstrə/ (SAH-strah).

Sastra is Indonesian, Sanskrit in Origin.

Sastra derives from Sanskrit śāstra (IAST: śāstra), from the root śās “to instruct, govern.” In classical South Asian usage it names an authoritative treatise or scripture - texts on law, ethics, ritual, arts, and sciences across Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions. By extension it signifies codified knowledge, rules, and disciplined learning; in modern Indonesian and Malay, sastra means “literature,” preserving the sense of cultivated letters.

As a given name, Sastra is uncommon in India but found across the Indian diaspora and is more familiar in Indonesia and Java, where it functions as a unisex name or compound element. It conveys aspirations toward wisdom, culture, and mastery of learning. Variant spellings include Shastra, Saastra, Shaastra, and regional forms like Sasthra; the scholarly transliteration is Śāstra, Hindi शास्त्र. Related surnames/titles such as Shastri/Sastry are cognate but distinct. Overall meaning: “scripture; treatise; disciplined knowledge; literature.”

⚙ Sastra is a rare find. Our records hold just 55 recorded uses, spread over 10 countries.