Nastika
In non-technical usage, the term astika is sometimes loosely translated as "theist" while nastika is translated as "atheist".   However this interpretation is distinct from the use of the term in Hindu philosophy. Notably even among the astika schools, samkhya<ref>"By Sāṃkhya reasoning, the material principle itself simply evolves into complex forms, and there is no need to hold that some spiritual power governs the material principle or its ultimate source."  Francis Clooney, CJ, "Restoring 'Hindu Theology' as a category in Indian intellectual discourse", in  "Blackwell companion to Hinduism", Flood, Gavin (Ed.) Blackwell Publishing, 2003. </ref> and the early mimamsa school do not accept a God (see Atheism in Hinduism) while accepting the authority of the Vedas; they thus are "atheistic astika schools".