A pandit (Sanskrit: पण्डितः, paṇḍitaḥ; Hindi: पंडित, paṇḍit; also spelled pundit; abbreviated Pt. or Pdt.) is an individual with specialised knowledge or a teacher in any field of learning within Hinduism. The title is particularly associated with mastery of the Vedic scriptures, dharma, or Hindu philosophy. In contemporary usage, the term has extended to denote experts in other domains, most notably classical music.
In Sanskrit, the word generally refers to any "wise, educated or learned man" with specialised knowledge. It is derived from the root paṇḍ (पण्ड्), meaning "to collect, heap, pile up", which is applied in the sense of accumulating knowledge. The term appears in Vedic and post-Vedic texts, though in those contexts it is used without a specific sociological connotation.
During the colonial era, the term in English-language literature commonly denoted lawyers who specialised in Hindu law and assisted courts in interpreting traditional jurisprudence. The word also entered English as the loanword "pundit", which today refers more broadly to a person who offers authoritative opinion on a particular subject area, typically politics, the social sciences, technology or sport, often through the mass media.
The equivalent honorific for a Muslim man, particularly in the musical sense, is Ustad. For a Hindu woman, the corresponding titles are Vidushi, Pandita, or Panditain, although these forms are not in widespread use at present.
Adapted from the English Wikipedia article on Pandit.