In the vedic religion, this term referred to a leader who instructed his followers using examples from the vedas, while in Nikaya Buddhism, it referred to a high-ranking monk who led monks in training and instructed them in doctrine; so while the exact meaning varied according to the particular religion, the term Ajari was used in several instances in the sense of leadership.
ヴェーダの宗教ではヴェーダにおける規範を伝授する指導者を、また部派仏教においては修行僧たちの規律を指導し、教義を伝授する高僧をいい、教団によって種類は異なるが、指導内容ごとに複数の阿闍梨がいた。