Smarta Tradition

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The five prime deities of Smartas in a Ganesha-centric Panchayatana: Ganesha (centre) with Shiva (top left), Devi or Durga (top right), Vishnu (bottom left) and Surya (bottom right).
Smarth Brahmins in western India (c. 1855-1862).

The Smarta Tradition (also known as Smarta Sampradaya, and also spelled Smartha) is an orthodox[1][2] Hindu "family tradition" or sect[2] composed of Brahmins,[1][2] which follows Panchayatana. The term Smarta is used to denote a specific, specialized category of Brahmins, who specialize in the smriti, who hold the smriti as the most authoritative texts.[3]

Generally Smartas worship the Supreme in one of five forms: Ganesha, Shiva, Shakti, Vishnu, and Surya. Because they accept all the major Hindu Gods, they are known as liberal or nonsectarian. They follow a philosophical, meditative path, emphasising man's oneness with God through understanding. It is not as overtly sectarian as either Vaishnavism or Shaivism and is based on the recognition that Brahman (God) is the highest principle in the universe and pervades all of existence.[4][5]


Smarta has several meanings:[6]

  • "Prescribed or sanctioned by traditional law or usage"
  • "Recorded in or based on the smRti
  • "Based on tradition"
  • "Relating to memory"
  • "Orthodox Brahman versed in or guided by traditional law and usage"

Smarta is derived from Smriti (Sanskritस्मृति, SmṛtiIPA: [s̪mr̩.t̪i] ?), "Whole body of sacred tradition or what is remembered by human teachers".[6] The smriti are a specific body of Hindu religious scripture, which are considered to be of human authorship.[1]

Both smārta and Smriti have the smarana root smr, "remember".[citation needed]


See also Late Middle Kingdoms - The Late-Classical Age and Classical Hinduism (c. 200 BC - AD 1100)

According to,

[A]ll Brahmins who specialized in the Karma Kanda (Samhita and Brahmana, the ritual parts of the Vedas) of the Vedas, and who followed the Vedas and Shastras (both Smriti and Shruti) came to be known as Smartas."[7]

Both Alf Hiltebeitel and Flood locate the origins of the Smarta Tradition in the (early) Classical Period of Hinduism, when Hinduism emerged from the interaction between Brahmanism and local traditions.[8][9]

The "Hindu Synthesis"[edit]

Hiltebeitel situates the origins of the Smarta tradition in the ongoing interaction between the Vedic-Brahmanic tradition and non-Vedic traditions. According to him, a period of consolidation in the development of Hinduism took place between the time of the late Vedic Upanishad (c. 500 BC) and the period of the rise of the Guptas (c. 320-467), which he calls the "Hindus synthesis", "Brahmanic synthesis", or "orthodox synthesis".[8] It develops in interaction with other religions and peoples:


The smriti texts of the period between 200 BC- AD100 proclaim the authority of the Vedas, and acceptance of the Vedas becomes a central criterium for defining Hinduism over and against the heterodoxies, which rejected the Vedas. Of the six Hindu darsanas, the Mimamsa and the Vedanta "are rooted primarily in the Vedic sruti tradition and are sometimes called smarta schools in the sense that they develop smarta orthodox current of thoughts that are based, like smriti, directly on sruti. According to Hiltebeitel, "the consolidation of Hinduism takes place under the sign of bhakti". It is the Bhagavadgita that seals this achievement. The result is a universal achievement that may be called smarta. It views Shiva and Vishnu as "complementary in their functions but ontologically identical".[8]

Puranic Hinduism[edit]

According to Flood, the Smarta tradition originated with the development of the Puranas.[10] The Puranic corpus is a complex body of materials that advance the views of various competing cults. Flood connects the rise of the written Purana historically with the rise of devotional cults centring upon a particular deity in the Gupta era.[11][note 1]

After the end of the Gupta Empire and the collapse of the Harsha Empire, power became decentralised in India. Several larger kingdoms emerged, with "countless vasal states". The kingdoms were ruled via a feudal system. Smaller kingdoms were dependent on the protection of the larger kingdoms.[13] With the breakdown of the Gupta empire, gifts of virgin waste-land were heaped on brahmanas,[14][15] to ensure profitable agrarian exploitation of land owned by the kings, but also to provide status to the new ruling classes. Brahmanas spread further over India, interacting with local clans with different religions and ideologies.[14]

The early medieval Puranas were composed to disseminate religious mainstream ideology among the pre-literate tribal societies undergoing acculturation.[16] The Brahmanas used the Puranas to incorporate those clans into the agrarian society and its accompanying religion and ideology.[14] Local chiefs and peasants were absorbed into the castesystem, which was used to keep "control over the new kshatriyas and shudras.[17]

The Brahmanism of the Dharmashastras and the smritis underwent a radical transformation at the hands of the Purana composers, resulting in the rise of Puranic Hinduism,[16] "which like a colossus striding across the religious firmament soon came to overshadow all existing religions". Puranic Hinduism was a "multiplex belief-system which grew and expanded as it absorbed and synthesized polaristic ideas and cultic traditions". It was distinguished from its Vedic Smarta roots by its popular base, its theological and sectarian pluralism, its Tantric veneer, and the central place of bhakti.[18]

Many local religions and traditions were assimilated into puranic Hinduism. Vishnu and Shiva emerged as the main deities, together with Sakti/Deva, subsuming local cults, popular totem symbols and creation myths. Rama and Krsna became the focus of a strong bhakti tradition, which found expression particularly in the Bhagavata Purana. The Krsna tradition subsumed numerous Naga, yaksa and hill and tree based cults. Siva absorbed local cults by the suffixing of Isa or Isvara to the name of the local deity, for example Bhutesvara, Hatakesvara, Chandesvara.[19]

Shankara and Advaita Vedanta[edit]

The majority of members of Smarta community follow the Advaita Vedanta philosophy of Adi Shankara Acharya. Smarta and Advaita have become almost synonymous, though not all Advaitins are Smartas.[7]

Traditionally, Shankara (8th century) is regarded as the greatest teacher and reformer of the Smarta.[1][20][2] According to

Not all Brahmins specialized in this Smriti tradition. Some were influenced by Buddhism, Jainism or Charvaka tradition and philosophy. This did not mean that all these people rejected the authority of Vedas, but only that their tradition of worship and philosophy was based not on smriti texts. In time, Shankaracharya brought all the Vedic communities together. He tried to remove the non-smriti aspects that had crept into the Hindu communities. He also endeavoured to unite them by arguing that any of the different Hindu gods could be worshipped, according to the prescriptions given in the smriti texts. He established that worship of various deities are compatible with Vedas and is not contradictory, since all are different manifestations of one nirguna Brahman. Shankaracharya was instrumental in reviving interest in the smritis.[7][note 3]

According to Hiltebeitel, Shankara established the nondualist interpretation of the Upanishads as the touchstone of a revived smarta tradition:


The Sringeri Sharada monastery founded by Adi Shankara Acharya in Karnataka is still the centre of the Smarta sect.[1][2]

Modern Hinduism[edit]

In recent times bhakti cults have increasingly become popular with the smartas [31] In modern times Smarta-views have been highly influential in both the Indian and western[32] understanding of Hinduism via Neo-Vedanta. Vivekananda was an advocate of Smarta-views,[32] and Radhakrishnan was himself a Smarta-Brahman.[33][34] According to,


Vaitheespara notes the adherence of the Smarta Brahmans to "the pan-Indian Sanskrit-brahmanical tradition":

The emerging pan-Indian nationalism was clearly founded upon a number of cultural movements that, for the most part, reimagined an 'Aryo-centric', neo-brahmanical vision of India, which provided the 'ideology' for this hegemonic project. In the Tamil region, such a vision and ideology was closely associated with the Tamil Brahmans and, especially, the Smarta Brahmans who were considered the strongest adherents of the pan-Indian Sanskrit-Brahmanical tradition.[36]



Smartas believe in the essential oneness of five (panchadeva) or six (Shanmata[7][note 4]) deities as personifications of the Supreme.

God is Saguna and Nirguna[edit]

According to Smartism, supreme reality, Brahman, transcends all of the various forms of personal deity.[38][note 5] God is both Saguna and Nirguna:[39]

As Saguna, God exhibits qualities such as an infinite nature and a number of characteristics such as compassion, love, and justice. As Nirguna, God is understood as pure consciousness that is not connected with matter as experienced by humanity. Because of the holistic nature of God, these are simply two forms or names that are expressions of Nirguna Brahman, or the Ultimate Reality.[39]


The Smartas are an orthodox[2] and traditional Hindu denomination, which is very strict about rules and regulations.[35] The Smartas worship five deities, Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, Ganesh, and Surya[35] as manifestations of the One transcendental reality.

Panchayatana Puja[edit]

The Smarta s evolved a kind of worship which is known as Panchayatana puja. In this Puja, the five principal Brahmanical Hindu Deities (Surya, Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha and Devi or Shakti) are the objects of veneration.[1] The five symbols of the major Gods are placed on a round open metal dish called Panchayatana, the symbol of the deity preferred by the worshiper being in the center. A similar arrangement is also seen in the medieval temples, in which the central shrine housing the principal Deity is surrounded by four smaller shrines containing the figures of the other deities.[40] Some of the Smartas of South India add a sixth god Kartikeya (See Shanmata). According to Basham, "[m]any upper-class Hindus still prefer the way of the Smartas to Saiva and Vaisnava forms of worship".[41]

There are different sets of rules for each Ashrama (stage of an individual's life). The stages of life prescribed in the Vedic scriptures are Brahmacharya Ashrama, Grihastha Ashrama, Vanaprastha Ashrama and Sannyasa Ashrama. These four orders normally proceed one after the other, depending upon one's age, maturity, mental disposition and qualification. Each stage has its own set of rules within which it is conducted.[citation needed]

Daily routine[edit]

The daily routine of a Smarta brahmin[42] includes performing

The last two named Yajnas are performed in only a few households today. Brahmacharis perform Agnikaryam instead of Agnihotra or Aupasana. The other rituals followed include Amavasya tarpanam and Shraddha.

Other practices[edit]

All Smarta s who take up the Brahmacharya Ashrama by undergoing Upanayana are expected to adhere to a sattvic diet and adhere to other rules of the Smriti tradition of their respective families. In modern days, the Smarta s contend with learning at least the select portions (called Suktas) and other portions from the Aranyaka of the Veda.

Smarta s are recommended to follow the Brahma form of Vedic marriage (a type of arranged marriage). The marriage ceremony is derived from Vedic prescriptions. Women acquire the traditions of her husband's family upon marriage.

Lineage is an important continuity for the Smarta s. It is called the Gotra. Each Smarta family belongs to a particular Gotra which is the progeny of an identified Rishi. People belonging to the same Gotra are deemed brothers & sisters and hence cannot marry each other.


See also: Shastras

Smarta s follow the Hindu scriptures. These include the Shruti,[note 6] but most markedly the smriti literature. The smriti literature incorporated shramanic and Buddhist influences[43] of the period from about 200 BC to about AD 300 [43][44] and the emerging bhakti tradition into the Brahmanical fold.[45][43] According to Larson,

[M]ost of the basic ideas and practices of classical Hinduism derive from the new smriti literature. In other words, HIndus for the most part pay little more than lip service to the Vedic scriptures. The most important dimensions of being Hindu derive, instead, from the smriti texts. The point can also be made in terms of the emerging social reality. Whereas the shruti is taken seriously by a small number of Brahmins, the smriti are taken seriously by the overwhelming majority of Hindus, regardless of class or caste identity.[43]

  • The major Smriti texts are:[3]
    • The two epics Ramayana of Valmiki and the Mahabharata, which have been commented by many Smarta philosophers and scholars. Harikathas, Pravachanams, Upanyasams, Kalakshepams on these texts are still very popular. The Ramayana is the text of choice for daily devotional reading or Nitya Parayanam for many Smarta s and it has pervaded and guided Hindu conscience for centuries.
    • The Bhagavad Gita, which is part of the Mahabharata, and commentaries on it by Adi Shankaracharya, Madhusudhana Saraswati and Sridhara Swami. The Bhagavad Gita exemplifies the "Hindu synthesis" of Brahmanic orthodoxy with the emerging bhakti traditions[45] and the use of the shramanic and Yogic terminology to spread the Brahmanic idea of living according to one's duty or dharma, in contrast to the yogic ideal of liberation from the workings of karma.[46]
    • The Puranas, a collection of mythological storiesof the various Hindu gods, especially Shiva and Vishnu. The Srimad Bhagavatham and Vishnu Purana are treated with the same reverence as the major epics, as also being the chosen texts for daily devotional reading (Parayana grantham). "Sridhariyam" on the Bhagavatham, and "Bhavartha-Dipika" on the Vishnu Purana are well known commentaries, both by Sridhara Swami.
    • Common religious law books or dharma literature, namely the Manu Smriti, the Apastamba Smriti and the Bodhyayana Smriti.
    • In addition to the above scriptures, Smarta s also recite various hymns or Shlokas and Stotras composed by Hindu saints and poets.[7]

The afore mentioned scriptures are also the texts of choice for daily reading by the Acharyas of the Shankara mutts.



Only a few communities still call themselves Smartas. These communities are mostly in South India. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica:

The Smartas of the North differ somewhat from their counterparts in the South and in Gujarat, in that the nomenclature does not necessarily connote followers of Shankara. Also the number of pure Smarta temples are fewer in the North.[47]

Smarta communities:

See:Kannada brahmins

Religious institutions[edit]

Traditional Smarta religious institutions:

and other Sankara Maths spread all over India.

The other Hindu missions with Advaita traditions closely linked with the Smarta philosophy are:

Prominent Smarta teachers[edit]

Some of the prominent Smarta teachers:

See also[edit]


  1. ^ Wendy Doniger, based on her study of indologists, assigns approximate dates to the various Puranas:[12]
  2. ^ The term "mayavada" is still being used, in a critical way, by the Hare Krshnas.[27][28][29][30]
  3. ^ Shankara himself, and his grand-teacher Gaudapada, were influenced by Buddhism.[21][22][23][24] Gaudapda took over the Buddhist doctrines that ultimate reality is pure consciousness (vijñapti-mātra)[25] and "that the nature of the world is the four-cornered negation".[25] Gaudapada "wove [both doctrines] into a philosophy of the Mandukaya Upanisad, which was further developed by Shankara".[22] Gaudapada also took over the Buddhist concept of "ajāta" from Nagarjuna's Madhyamaka philosophy.[23][24] Shankara succeeded in reading Gaudapada's mayavada[26][note 2] into Badarayana's Brahma Sutras, "and give it a locus classicus", against the realistic strain of the Brahma Sutras.[26]
  4. ^ Tamil Hindus add Skanda.[37]
  5. ^ By contrast, a Vaishnavite considers Vishnu or Krishna to be the true God who is worthy of worship and other forms as his subordinates. Accordingly, Vaishnavites, for example, believe that only Vishnu or Krishna can grant the ultimate salvation for mankind, moksha. Similarly, many Shaivites also hold the same beliefs about Shiva. Notably, many Shaivites believe that Shakti is worshiped to reach Shiva, whom for Saktas is the impersonal Absolute. In Saktism, emphasis is given to the feminine manifest through which the male unmanifested, Lord Shiva, is realized.
  6. ^ The Vedas (Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda). These are considered primary spiritual resources; every Brahmin family is affiliated to one or more of the Vedas. And the Upanishads, which are part of the Vedas, are often mentioned separately, given their especial importance as products of past intellectual ferment.


  1. ^ a b c d e f Doniger 1999, p. 1017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Popular Prakashan 2000, p. 52.
  3. ^ a b Lochtefeld 2002, p. 656.
  4. ^ "Hindus in SA". Retrieved 7 February 2014. 
  5. ^ Dubois. Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies. Cosimo. p. 111. 
  6. ^ a b Spoken Sanskrit Dictionary, Smriti
  8. ^ a b c d e Hiltebeitel 2013.
  9. ^ Flood 1996.
  10. ^ Flood 1996, p. 113.
  11. ^ Flood 1996, p. 359.
  12. ^ Collins 1988, p. 36.
  13. ^ Michaels 2004, p. 41.
  14. ^ a b c Nath 2001.
  15. ^ Thapar 2003, p. 325, 487.
  16. ^ a b Nath 2001, p. 19.
  17. ^ Thapar 2003, p. 487.
  18. ^ Nath 2001, p. 20.
  19. ^ Nath 2001, pp. 31-32.
  20. ^ Rosen 2006, p. 166.
  21. ^ Sharma 2000, p. 60-64.
  22. ^ a b Raju 1992, p. 177-178.
  23. ^ a b Renard 2010, p. 157.
  24. ^ a b Comans 2000, p. 35-36.
  25. ^ a b Raju 1992, p. 177.
  26. ^ a b Sharma 2000, p. 64.
  28. ^ >, Mayavada Philosophy
  29. ^, The Mayavada School
  30. ^ Gaura Gopala Dasa, The Self-Defeating Philosophy of Mayavada
  31. ^ Morris 2006, p. 135.
  32. ^ a b c, Hinduism
  33. ^ a b Fort 1998, p. 179.
  34. ^ a b Minor 1987, p. 3.
  35. ^ a b c, Heart of Hinduism: The Smarta Tradition
  36. ^ Vaitheespara 2010, p. 91.
  37. ^ Hindu Way of Life
  38. ^ Espin & Nickoloff 2007, p. 563.
  39. ^ a b WiseGeek, What is Smartism?
  40. ^ Goyal 1984.
  41. ^ Basham 1991, p. 109.
  42. ^ A day in the life of a Brahmin
  43. ^ a b c d Larson 2009, p. 185.
  44. ^ Cousins 2010.
  45. ^ a b Hiltebeitel 2002.
  46. ^ Scheepers 2000.
  47. ^ Encyclopedia Britannica, Smarta sect
  48. ^
  49. ^ Karki math


Published sources[edit]

External links[edit]

Advaita Vedanta[edit]