The five primary deities of Smarta in a Ganesha-centric panchayatana: Ganesha (centre) with Shiva (top left), Adi Shakti (top right), Vishnu (bottom left), and Surya (bottom right)
The Smartatradition (Sanskrit: स्मार्त, IAST: Smārta), also called Smartism, is a movement in Hinduism that developed and expanded with the Puranas genre of literature.[2] It reflects a synthesis of four philosophical strands, namely Uttara Mīmāṃsā, Advaita, Yoga, and theism.[3] The Smarta tradition rejects theistic sectarianism,[3] and is notable for the domestic worship of five shrines with five deities, all treated as equal – Ganesha, Shiva, Shakti, Vishnu and Surya.[4] The Smarta tradition contrasted with the older Shrauta tradition, which was based on elaborate rituals and rites.[2][5] There has been a considerable overlap in the ideas and practices of the Smarta tradition with other significant historic movements within Hinduism, namely Shaivism, Brahmanism, Vaishnavism, and Shaktism.[6][7][8]
The Smarta tradition developed during (early) Classical Period of Hinduism around the beginning of the Common Era, when Hinduism emerged from the interaction between Brahmanism and local traditions.[9][10] The Smarta tradition is aligned with Advaita Vedanta, and regards Adi Shankara as its founder or reformer.[11] Shankara championed the thesis that ultimate reality is impersonal and Nirguna (attributeless) and any symbolic god serves the same equivalent purpose.[12] Inspired by this belief, the Smarta tradition followers, along with the five Hindu gods, include a sixth impersonal god in their practice.[12] The tradition has been called by William Jackson as "advaitin, monistic in its outlook".[13]
The term Smarta also refers to Brahmins who specialise in the Smriti corpus of texts named the Grihya Sutras, in contrast to Shrauta Sutras.[14][15][16][17] Smarta Brahmins, with their focus on the Smriti corpus, are contrasted from Srauta Brahmins, who specialise in the Sruti Corpus, that is, rituals and ceremonies that follow the Vedas.[18]
^U Murthy (1979), Samskara, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0195610796, p. 150.
^ abFlood 1996, p. 113.
^ abCite error: The named reference Milner 1994 p. 195 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Sanderson, Alexis. "The Saiva Age: The Rise And Dominance Of Saivism During The Early Medieval Period". In Genesis And Development of Tantrism, Edited By Shingo Einoo. Tokyo: Institute Of Oriental Culture, University Of Tokyo, 2009. Institute Of Oriental Culture Special Series, 23, pp. 276–277.
^John Shephard (2009), Ninian Smart On World Religions, Ashgate, ISBN 978-0754666387, p. 186.
^Hiltebeitel 2013.
^Flood 1996.
^U Murthy (1979), Samskara, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0195610796, p. 150.
^ abL. Williamson (2010), Transcendent in America: Hindu-inspired Meditation Movements as New Religion, New York University Press, ISBN 978-0814794500, p. 89.
^William Jackson (1994), Tyāgarāja and the Renewal of Tradition, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120811461, p. 218.
^Knipe 2015, p. 36.
^Buhnemann, Gudrun, Puja: A Study In Smarta Ritual, Publications Of The De Nobili Research Library, Gerold & Co., Vienna, 1988. pp. 32–33.
^Buhnemann, Gudrun, Mandalas And Yantras In The Hindu Traditions, Leiden, Brill, 2003. p. 57. "Initially A Brief Explanation Of The Word Smarta May Be In Order. Smarta Is A Rather Loosely Used Term Which Refers To A Brahmin Who Is An 'Adherent Of The Smrti' And Of The Tradition Which Is 'Based On The Smrti'."
^Flood, Gavin (1996), An Introduction To Hinduism, Cambridge University Press. p. 17. "There Is Also An Important Tradition Of Brahmans Called Smartas, Those Who Follow The Smrti Or Secondary Revelation ..." p. 56. "The Brahmans Who Followed The Teachings Of These Texts Were Known As Smartas, Those Who Followed The Smrtis ..." p. 113. "The Brahmans Who Followed The Puranic Religion Became Known As Smarta, Those Whose Worship Was Based On The Smrtis, Or Pauranika, Those Based On The Puranas."
^Gavin Flood (2006). The Tantric Body: The Secret Tradition of Hindu Religion. I. B. Tauris. pp. 6–7. ISBN 978-1-84511-011-6.
The Smartatradition (Sanskrit: स्मार्त, IAST: Smārta), also called Smartism, is a movement in Hinduism that developed and expanded with the Puranas genre...
Ganesha, Shiva, Shakti, Vishnu and Surya. The Smartatradition contrasted with the older Shrauta tradition, which was based on elaborate rituals and rites...
unifier of previously conflicting practices with the smartatradition. Philosophically, the Smartatradition emphasizes that all images and statues (murti)...
is one of the five equivalent deities in Panchayatana puja of the Smartatradition of Hinduism. Shiva has many aspects, benevolent as well as fearsome...
temples. Shiva is a part of the SmartaTradition, sometimes referred to as Smartism, another tradition of Hinduism. The Smarta Hindus are associated with the...
Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smartatradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchayatana...
is one of the five equivalent deities in Panchayatana puja of the Smartatradition of Hinduism. According to Vaishnavism, the supreme being is with qualities...
in other traditions within Hinduism, such as the Smarta and Shaiva traditions. Two hundred years after Ramanuja, the Sri Vaishnava tradition split into...
major Hindu denominations are Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, and the Smartatradition. The six Āstika schools of Hindu philosophy, which recognise the authority...
also known as Pancha Devi Deva Puja is a system of puja (worship) in the Smarta sampradaya, which is one of four major sampradaya of Hinduism. It consists...
A Smarta may choose any saguna deity (istadevata) such as Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, Surya, Ganesha or any other, and this is viewed in SmartaTradition as...
of the Smartatradition with other significant historic movements within Hinduism, namely Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and Shaktism. Even though Smarta sampradaya...
Iyers, who follow the Smartatradition, and Iyengars, who adhere to the tradition of Sri Vaishnavism. Iyers are Shrauta-Smarta Brahmins, whose members...
— Vishnu Purana, Chapter 7, Translated by Horace Hayman Wilson The Smartatradition, which by and large, follows Advaita philosophy believes all forms...
'Prabhu castes'. Both Pathare Prabhu and CKP follow the Advaita Vedanta Smartatradition of Hinduism propounded by Adi Shankara. Along with all the Maharashtrian...
the Smartatradition. This worship practice invokes the five deities Ganesha, Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, and Surya. Adi Shankara instituted the tradition primarily...
tradition, and many have fought bravely in the Battle of Palnadu on the side of Brahma Naidu. Most of the Telugu-speaking priests of Smartatradition...
meaning "Six Sects" in Sanskrit, is a system of worship, believed in the Smartatradition to have been founded by the Hindu philosopher Adi Shankara, whose lifetime...
prevalent in South India, over which the maţha has authority in the Smartatradition). The head of the matha is called Jagadguru (teacher to the world)...
Brahman in Hinduism. Panchayatana puja is a form of bhakti found in the Smartatradition of Hinduism. It consists of the simultaneous worship of multiple deities:...
concentrated in the villages of Kota of Udupi district. Kotas follow Smartatradition. The Guru Narasimha Temple, Saligrama is important to them. Nambudiri...
the Advaita philosophy propounded by Adi Shankara and adhere to the Smartatradition. This is in contrast to the Iyengar community, who are adherents of...
Velneshwar which is frequently visited by pilgrims. The village follows the Smartatradition and the people of the village worship Lord Ganesha, Shiva, Vishnu,...
Nanda kings and the duration of their rule, but based on the Buddhist tradition recorded in the Mahāvaṃsa, they appear to have ruled during c. 345–322...
mentions that the post-Vedic Smriti, which are also included in later Smartatradition. Emphasis on rituals and the dominant position of Brahmins developed...
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