In Sanskrit, the word “śramaṇa” means one who strives towards a goal.
The śramanas followed a lifestyle of renunciation that looked much the same as the Vedic ṛṣīs who recited the Vedas and followed Vedic philosophy, such as the Upaniṣads.
However, the important difference is that the śramaṇas, unlike the Vedic ṛṣīs, did not obey Vedic authority and Vedic ritual.