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<title>Smarta tradition</title>

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Smarta tradition

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</style><table class="infobox"><caption class="infobox-title">Smarta</caption><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><div class="infobox-caption">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)</div></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color: #d2ccb9">Founder</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><a href="Adi_Shankara" title="Adi Shankara">Adi Shankara</a><a href="#cite_note-1">[1]</a></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color: #d2ccb9">Religions</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><a href="Hinduism" title="Hinduism">Hinduism</a></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color: #d2ccb9">Scriptures</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><a href="Vedas" title="Vedas">Vedas</a> • <a href="Dharma%C5%9B%C4%81stra" title="Dharmaśāstra">Smritisastras</a></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color: #d2ccb9">Languages</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><a href="Sanskrit" title="Sanskrit">Sanskrit</a>, <a href="Old_Tamil" title="Old Tamil">Old Tamil</a>, <a href="Old_Kannada" title="Old Kannada">Old Kannada</a></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color: #d2ccb9">Related ethnic groups</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><a href="Babburkamme" class="mw-redirect" title="Babburkamme">Babburkamme</a>, <a href="Iyer" title="Iyer">Iyer</a>, <a href="Deshastha" class="mw-redirect" title="Deshastha">Deshastha</a>, <a href="Hoysala_Karnataka_Brahmins" class="mw-redirect" title="Hoysala Karnataka Brahmins">Hoysala Karnataka Brahmins</a>, etc.</td></tr></tbody></table>

The Smarta tradition (<a href="Sanskrit_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Sanskrit language">Sanskrit</a>: स्मार्त, <a href="IAST" class="mw-redirect" title="IAST">IAST</a>: Smārta) is a movement in <a href="Hinduism" title="Hinduism">Hinduism</a> that developed and expanded with the <a href="Purana" class="mw-redirect" title="Purana">Puranas</a> genre of literature.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEFlood1996113-2">[2]</a> It reflects a synthesis of four philosophical strands, namely <a href="Uttara_M%C4%ABm%C4%81%E1%B9%83s%C4%81" class="mw-redirect" title="Uttara Mīmāṃsā">Uttara Mīmāṃsā</a>, <a href="Advaita_Vedanta" title="Advaita Vedanta">Advaita</a>, <a href="Yoga_(philosophy)" title="Yoga (philosophy)">Yoga</a>, and <a href="Theism" title="Theism">theism</a>.<a href="#cite_note-Milner_1994_p._195-3">[3]</a> The Smarta tradition rejects theistic sectarianism,<a href="#cite_note-Milner_1994_p._195-3">[3]</a> and is notable for the domestic worship of five shrines with five deities, all treated as equal – <a href="Ganesha" title="Ganesha">Ganesha</a>, <a href="Shiva" title="Shiva">Shiva</a>, <a href="Shakti" title="Shakti">Shakti</a>, <a href="Vishnu" title="Vishnu">Vishnu</a> and <a href="Surya" title="Surya">Surya</a>.<a href="#cite_note-4">[4]</a> The Smarta tradition contrasted with the older <a href="%C5%9Arauta" title="Śrauta">Shrauta</a> tradition, which was based on elaborate rituals and rites.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEFlood1996113-2">[2]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKnipe201536–37-5">[5]</a> There has been a considerable overlap in the ideas and practices of the Smarta tradition with other significant historic movements within Hinduism, namely <a href="Shaivism" title="Shaivism">Shaivism</a>, <a href="Brahmanism" class="mw-redirect" title="Brahmanism">Brahmanism</a>, <a href="Vaishnavism" title="Vaishnavism">Vaishnavism</a>, and <a href="Shaktism" title="Shaktism">Shaktism</a>.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEFlood1996113,_134,_155–161,_167–168-6">[6]</a><a href="#cite_note-Sanderson,_Alexis_2009._pp._276-277-7">[7]</a><a href="#cite_note-8">[8]</a>

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.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel2013-9">[9]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEFlood1996-10">[10]</a> The Smarta tradition is aligned with <a href="Advaita_Vedanta" title="Advaita Vedanta">Advaita Vedanta</a>, and regards <a href="Adi_Shankara" title="Adi Shankara">Adi Shankara</a> as its founder or reformer.<a href="#cite_note-11">[11]</a> Shankara championed the thesis that ultimate reality is impersonal and Nirguna (attributeless) and any symbolic god serves the same equivalent purpose.<a href="#cite_note-williamsonp89-12">[12]</a> Inspired by this belief, the Smarta tradition followers, along with the five Hindu gods, include a sixth impersonal god in their practice.<a href="#cite_note-williamsonp89-12">[12]</a> The tradition has been called by William Jackson as "<a href="Advaita_Vedanta" title="Advaita Vedanta">advaitin</a>, <a href="Monism" title="Monism">monistic</a> in its outlook".<a href="#cite_note-13">[13]</a>

The term Smarta also refers to <a href="Brahmin" title="Brahmin">Brahmins</a> who specialise in the <a href="Smriti" class="mw-redirect" title="Smriti">Smriti</a> corpus of texts named the Grihya Sutras, in contrast to Shrauta Sutras.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKnipe201536-14">[14]</a><a href="#cite_note-15">[15]</a><a href="#cite_note-Buhnemann,_Gudrun_2003._p._57-16">[16]</a><a href="#cite_note-Flood,_Gavin_1996_pg._17-17">[17]</a> Smarta Brahmins, with their focus on the Smriti corpus, are contrasted from <a href="Shrauta" class="mw-redirect" title="Shrauta">Srauta</a> Brahmins, who specialise in the <a href="Sruti" class="mw-redirect" title="Sruti">Śruti</a> Corpus, that is, rituals and ceremonies that follow the <a href="Vedas" title="Vedas">Vedas</a>.<a href="#cite_note-Gavin_Flood_2006_6–7-18">[18]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Etymology">Etymology</h2></div>

Smārta (स्मार्त) is an adjective derived from <a href="Smriti" class="mw-redirect" title="Smriti">Smriti</a> (<a href="Sanskrit_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Sanskrit language">Sanskrit</a>: स्मृति, Smrti, <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1177148991">

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</style>IPA: [s̪mr̩.t̪i]).<a href="#cite_note-SSD-Smarta-19">[19]</a> The smriti are a specific body of Hindu texts usually attributed to an author, traditionally written down but constantly revised, in contrast to <a href="%C5%9Aruti" title="Śruti">Srutis</a> (The Vedic Literature) considered authorless, that were transmitted verbally across the generations and fixed.<a href="#cite_note-Wendy_Doniger_O'Flaherty_1988_Pages_2-3-20">[20]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEDoniger19991017-21">[21]</a>

Smarta has several meanings:<a href="#cite_note-SSD-Smarta-19">[19]</a><a href="#cite_note-monierwilliamssmarta-22">[22]</a>

<ul><li>Relating to memory</li>

<li>Recorded in or based on the <a href="Smriti" class="mw-redirect" title="Smriti">Smriti</a></li>

<li>Based on tradition, prescribed or sanctioned by traditional law</li>

<li>Orthodox <a href="Brahmin" title="Brahmin">Brahmin</a> versed in or guided by traditional law and Vedanta doctrine</li></ul>

In Smarta tradition context, the term Smarta means "Follower Of Smriti".<a href="#cite_note-23">[23]</a> Smarta is especially associated with a "Sect Founded By <a href="Adi_Shankara" title="Adi Shankara">Shankaracharya</a>", according to Monier Williams.<a href="#cite_note-monierwilliamssmarta-22">[22]</a> Some families in South India follow Srauta strictly and do not accept any <a href="Vedanta" title="Vedanta">Vedanta</a> systems. They even have a custom of the sacred thread being worn by women.

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2></div>

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</style><table class="sidebar sidebar-collapse nomobile nowraplinks" style="border-collapse:collapse; text-align:center"><tbody><tr><td class="sidebar-pretitle">Part of a series on</td></tr><tr><th class="sidebar-title-with-pretitle" style="padding:0.2em;background:#FFC569;margin-bottom:0.5em;"><a href="Hinduism" title="Hinduism">Hinduism</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-image"><a href="Om" title="Om"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-above hlist" style="padding-bottom:0.35em; border:0;">

<ul><li><a href="Hindus" title="Hindus">Hindus</a></li>

<li><a href="Hindu_mythology" title="Hindu mythology">Mythology</a></li></ul></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist">

<div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border:1px solid #FFC569;background:#FFC569;padding-top:0.1em;padding-left:3em; text-align:center;;color: var(--color-base)"><a href="Hindu_synthesis" class="mw-redirect" title="Hindu synthesis">Origins</a></div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist" style="text-align:center;padding-top:0; background-color:#FDE7B9; border:2px solid #FDE7B9">Historical

<ul><li><a href="History_of_Hinduism" title="History of Hinduism">History</a></li>

<li><a href="Religion_of_the_Indus_Valley_Civilization" class="mw-redirect" title="Religion of the Indus Valley Civilization">Indus Valley Civilisation</a></li>

<li><a href="Historical_Vedic_religion" title="Historical Vedic religion">Vedic religion</a></li>

<li><a href="Dravidian_folk_religion" title="Dravidian folk religion">Dravidian folk religion</a></li>

<li><a href="%C5%9Arama%E1%B9%87a" title="Śramaṇa">Śramaṇa</a></li>

<li><a href="Tribal_religions_in_India" title="Tribal religions in India">Tribal religions in India</a></li></ul>

Traditional

<ul><li><a href="Itihasa-Purana" title="Itihasa-Purana">Itihasa-Purana</a></li>

<li><a href="Epic-Puranic_royal_genealogies" title="Epic-Puranic royal genealogies">Epic-Puranic royal genealogies</a></li>

<li><a href="Epic-Puranic_chronology" title="Epic-Puranic chronology">Epic-Puranic chronology</a></li></ul></div></div></td>

</tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist">

<div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border:1px solid #FFC569;background:#FFC569;padding-top:0.1em;padding-left:3em; text-align:center;;color: var(--color-base)"><a href="Sampradaya" title="Sampradaya">Sampradaya (traditions)</a></div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist" style="text-align:center;padding-top:0; background-color:#FDE7B9; border:2px solid #FDE7B9">

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Major Sampradaya (traditions)</div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Vaishnavism" title="Vaishnavism">Vaishnavism</a>

<ul><li><a href="Pancharatra" title="Pancharatra">Pancharatra</a></li></ul></li>

<li><a href="Shaivism" title="Shaivism">Shaivism</a>

<ul><li><a href="Kapalika" title="Kapalika">Kapalika</a></li>

<li><a href="Pashupata_Shaivism" title="Pashupata Shaivism">Pashupata</a></li>

<li><a href="Pratyabhijna" title="Pratyabhijna">Pratyabhijña</a></li></ul></li>

<li><a href="Shaktism" title="Shaktism">Shaktism</a></li>

</ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Hindu_denominations" title="Hindu denominations">Other Sampradaya (traditions)</a></div></dt></dl></div></div></td>

</tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist">

<div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border:1px solid #FFC569;background:#FFC569;padding-top:0.1em;padding-left:3em; text-align:center;;color: var(--color-base)"><a href="Hindu_deities" title="Hindu deities">Deities</a></div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist" style="text-align:center;padding-top:0; background-color:#FDE7B9; border:2px solid #FDE7B9">

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Brahman" title="Brahman">Absolute Reality / Unifying Force</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Brahman" title="Brahman">Brahman</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Trimurti" title="Trimurti">Trimurti</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Brahma" title="Brahma">Brahma</a></li>

<li><a href="Vishnu" title="Vishnu">Vishnu</a></li>

<li><a href="Shiva" title="Shiva">Shiva</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Tridevi" title="Tridevi">Tridevi</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Saraswati" title="Saraswati">Saraswati</a></li>

<li><a href="Lakshmi" title="Lakshmi">Lakshmi</a></li>

<li><a href="Parvati" title="Parvati">Parvati</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Other major <a href="Deva_(Hinduism)" title="Deva (Hinduism)">Devas</a> / <a href="Devi" title="Devi">Devis</a></div></dt></dl>

<dl><dd>Vedic Deities:</dd></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Tridasha" class="mw-redirect" title="Tridasha">Tridasha</a>

<ul><li><a href="Adityas" title="Adityas">Adityas</a></li>

<li><a href="Rudras" title="Rudras">Rudras</a></li>

<li><a href="Vasus" class="mw-redirect" title="Vasus">Vasus</a></li>

<li><a href="Ashvins" title="Ashvins">Ashvins</a></li></ul></li>

<li><a href="Mahadevi" title="Mahadevi">Mahadevi</a></li>

<li><a href="Rigvedic_deities" title="Rigvedic deities">Other Vedic Deities</a></li></ul>

<dl><dd>Post-Vedic:</dd></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Avatar" title="Avatar">Avatar</a></li>

<li><a href="Dashavatara" title="Dashavatara">Dashavatara</a></li>

<li><a href="Durga" title="Durga">Durga</a></li>

<li><a href="Navadurga" title="Navadurga">Navadurga</a></li>

<li><a href="Mahavidya" title="Mahavidya">Mahavidya</a></li>

<li><a href="Kartikeya" title="Kartikeya">Kartikeya</a></li>

<li><a href="Ganesha" title="Ganesha">Ganesha</a></li>

<li><a href="Hanuman" title="Hanuman">Hanuman</a></li>

<li><a href="Radha" title="Radha">Radha</a></li>

<li><a href="Shakti" title="Shakti">Shakti</a></li>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Devata" title="Devata">Devatas</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Vishvakarma" title="Vishvakarma">Vishvakarma</a></li>

<li><a href="Kubera" title="Kubera">Kubera</a></li></ul></div></div></td>

</tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist">

<div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border:1px solid #FFC569;background:#FFC569;padding-top:0.1em;padding-left:3em; text-align:center;;color: var(--color-base)"><a href="Hindu_philosophy" title="Hindu philosophy">Concepts</a></div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist" style="text-align:center;padding-top:0; background-color:#FDE7B9; border:2px solid #FDE7B9">

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Worldview</div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Hindu_cosmology" title="Hindu cosmology">Cosmology</a></li>

<li><a href="Hindu_mythology" title="Hindu mythology">Mythology</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Ontology</div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Tattva" title="Tattva">Tattvas</a></li>

<li><a href="Tanmatras" title="Tanmatras">Subtle elements</a></li>

<li><a href="Panchikarana" title="Panchikarana">Panchikarana</a></li>

<li><a href="Pancha_Bhuta" title="Pancha Bhuta">Gross elements</a></li>

<li><a href="Gu%E1%B9%87a" title="Guṇa">Guṇas</a></li>

<li><a href="Purusha" title="Purusha">Purusha</a></li>

<li><a href="Prak%E1%B9%9Bti" class="mw-redirect" title="Prakṛti">Prakṛti</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Para_Brahman" title="Para Brahman">Supreme reality</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Brahman" title="Brahman">Brahman</a>

<ul><li><a href="Nirguna_brahman" class="mw-redirect" title="Nirguna brahman">Nirguna</a></li>

<li><a href="Saguna_brahman" title="Saguna brahman">Saguna</a></li></ul></li>

<li><a href="Saccid%C4%81nanda" title="Saccidānanda">Saccidānanda</a></li></ul>

<ul><li><a href="Ishvara" title="Ishvara">Ishvara</a></li>

<li><a href="Deva_(Hinduism)" title="Deva (Hinduism)">Devas</a> / <a href="Devi" title="Devi">Devi</a></li>

<li><a href="Devata" title="Devata">Devatas</a></li>

<li><a href="God_in_Hinduism" title="God in Hinduism">God in Hinduism</a></li>

<li><a href="God_and_gender_in_Hinduism" title="God and gender in Hinduism">God and gender</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Puru%E1%B9%A3%C4%81rtha" title="Puruṣārtha">Puruṣārtha (meaning of life)</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Dharma" title="Dharma">Dharma</a></li>

<li><a href="Artha" title="Artha">Artha</a></li>

<li><a href="Moksha" title="Moksha">Moksha</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="%C4%80%C5%9Brama_(stage)" title="Āśrama (stage)">Āśrama (stages of life)</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Brahmacharya" title="Brahmacharya">Brahmacharya</a></li>

<li><a href="G%E1%B9%9Bhastha" class="mw-redirect" title="Gṛhastha">Gṛhastha</a></li>

<li><a href="V%C4%81naprastha" class="mw-redirect" title="Vānaprastha">Vānaprastha</a></li>

<li><a href="Sannyasa" title="Sannyasa">Sannyasa</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Three_Yogas" title="Three Yogas">Three paths to liberation</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Bhakti_yoga" title="Bhakti yoga">Bhakti yoga</a></li>

<li><a href="Jnana_yoga" class="mw-redirect" title="Jnana yoga">Jnana yoga</a></li>

<li><a href="Karma_yoga" title="Karma yoga">Karma yoga</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Moksha" title="Moksha">Liberation</a></div></dt></dl>

<dl><dd>Mokṣa-related topics:</dd></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Paramatman" title="Paramatman">Paramātman</a></li>

<li><a href="Karma" title="Karma">Karma</a></li>

<li><a href="Sa%E1%B9%83s%C4%81ra" title="Saṃsāra">Saṃsāra</a></li></ul>

<ul><li><a href="%C4%80tman_(Hinduism)" title="Ātman (Hinduism)">Ātman (self)</a></li>

<li><a href="An%C4%81tman_(Hinduism)" title="Anātman (Hinduism)">Anātman (non-self)</a></li>

<li><a href="Three_bodies_doctrine" title="Three bodies doctrine">Sūkṣma śarīra (subtle body)</a></li>

<li><a href="Antahkarana" title="Antahkarana">Antaḥkaraṇa (mental organs)</a> </li>

<li><a href="Praj%C3%B1%C4%81_(Hinduism)" title="Prajñā (Hinduism)">Prajña (wisdom)</a></li>

<li><a href="%C4%80nanda_(Hindu_philosophy)" title="Ānanda (Hindu philosophy)">Ānanda (happiness)</a></li>

<li><a href="Viveka" title="Viveka">Viveka (discernment)</a></li>

<li><a href="Vairagya" title="Vairagya">Vairagya (dispassion)</a></li>

<li><a href="Samatva" title="Samatva">Sama (equanimity)</a></li>

<li><a href="Temperance_(virtue)#Hinduism" title="Temperance (virtue)">Dama (temperance)</a></li>

<li>Uparati (self-settledness)</li>

<li><a href="Titiksha" title="Titiksha">Titiksha (forbearance)</a></li>

<li><a href="Faith_in_Hinduism" title="Faith in Hinduism">Shraddha (faith)</a></li>

<li>Samadhana (concentration)</li>

<li><a href="Arishadvargas" title="Arishadvargas">Arishadvargas (six enemies)</a></li>

<li><a href="Ahamkara" title="Ahamkara">Ahamkara (attachment)</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Ethics</div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Ethics_in_religion#Hindu_ethics" title="Ethics in religion">Niti śastra</a></li>

<li><a href="Yamas" title="Yamas">Yamas</a></li>

<li><a href="Niyama" title="Niyama">Niyama</a></li>

<li><a href="Ahimsa" title="Ahimsa">Ahimsa</a></li>

<li><a href="Achourya" title="Achourya">Achourya</a></li>

<li><a href="Non-possession" title="Non-possession">Aparigraha</a></li>

<li><a href="Brahmacharya" title="Brahmacharya">Brahmacharya</a></li>

<li><a href="Satya" title="Satya">Satya</a></li>

<li><a href="Temperance_(virtue)#Hinduism" title="Temperance (virtue)">Damah</a></li>

<li><a href="Akrodha" title="Akrodha">Akrodha</a></li>

<li><a href="Arjava" title="Arjava">Arjava</a></li>

<li><a href="Santosha" title="Santosha">Santosha</a></li>

<li><a href="Tapas_(Indian_religions)" title="Tapas (Indian religions)">Tapas</a></li>

<li><a href="Sv%C4%81dhy%C4%81ya" title="Svādhyāya">Svādhyāya</a></li>

<li><a href="Shaucha" title="Shaucha">Shaucha</a></li>

<li><a href="Mitahara" title="Mitahara">Mitahara</a></li>

<li><a href="%C5%9A%C4%81stra_pram%C4%81%E1%B9%87am_in_Hinduism" class="mw-redirect" title="Śāstra pramāṇam in Hinduism">Sources of dharma</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Pramana" title="Pramana">Epistemology</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li>Pratyakṣa (perception)</li>

<li><a href="Pramana#Anumāṇa" title="Pramana">Anumāṇa (inference)</a></li>

<li><a href="Upam%C4%81%E1%B9%87a" class="mw-redirect" title="Upamāṇa">Upamāṇa (comparison, analogy)</a></li>

<li><a href="Pramana#Arthāpatti" title="Pramana">Arthāpatti (postulation, presumption)</a></li>

<li><a href="Pramana#Anupalabdi" title="Pramana">Anupalabdi (non-perception, negation)</a></li>

<li><a href="Shabda" title="Shabda">Śabda (word, testimony)</a></li></ul></div></div></td>

</tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist">

<div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border:1px solid #FFC569;background:#FFC569;padding-top:0.1em;padding-left:3em; text-align:center;;color: var(--color-base)">Practices</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist" style="text-align:center;padding-top:0; background-color:#FDE7B9; border:2px solid #FDE7B9">

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Worship_in_Hinduism" title="Worship in Hinduism">Worship</a>, sacrifice, and charity</div></dt></dl>

<li><a href="Prayer_in_Hinduism" title="Prayer in Hinduism">Prarthana</a></li>

<li><a href="%C5%9Arauta" title="Śrauta">Śrauta</a></li>

<li><a href="Hindu_temple" title="Hindu temple">Temple</a></li>

<li><a href="Murti" title="Murti">Murti</a></li>

<li><a href="Bhakti" title="Bhakti">Bhakti</a></li>

<li><a href="Bhajan" title="Bhajan">Bhajana</a></li>

<li><a href="Kirtan" title="Kirtan">Kīrtana</a></li>

<li><a href="Yajna" title="Yajna">Yajna</a></li>

<li><a href="Tarpana" title="Tarpana">Tarpana</a></li>

<li><a href="Vrata" title="Vrata">Vrata</a></li>

<li><a href="Pr%C4%81ya%C5%9Bcitta" title="Prāyaścitta">Prāyaścitta</a></li>

<li><a href="Tirtha_(Hinduism)" title="Tirtha (Hinduism)">Tirtha</a></li>

<li><a href="Yatra" title="Yatra">Yatra</a></li>

<li><a href="Hindu_pilgrimage_sites_in_India" title="Hindu pilgrimage sites in India">Tirthadana</a></li>

<li><a href="Matha" title="Matha">Matha</a></li>

<li><a href="Indian_classical_dance" title="Indian classical dance">Nritta-Nritya</a></li>

<li><a href="Exorcism_in_Hinduism" title="Exorcism in Hinduism">Exorcism</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Meditation</div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Tapas_(Indian_religions)" title="Tapas (Indian religions)">Tapas</a></li>

<li><a href="Dhyana_in_Hinduism" title="Dhyana in Hinduism">Dhyana</a></li>

<li>Samādhāna</li>

<li><a href="Nididhy%C4%81sana" title="Nididhyāsana">Nididhyāsana</a></li></ul>

<ul><li><a href="Sadhu" title="Sadhu">Sadhu</a></li>

<li><a href="Yogini" title="Yogini">Yogini</a></li>

<li><a href="Asana" title="Asana">Asana</a></li>

<li><a href="S%C4%81dhan%C4%81" title="Sādhanā">Sādhanā</a></li>

<li><a href="Hatha_yoga" title="Hatha yoga">Hatha yoga</a></li>

<li><a href="Jnana_yoga" class="mw-redirect" title="Jnana yoga">Jnana yoga</a></li>

<li><a href="Bhakti_yoga" title="Bhakti yoga">Bhakti yoga</a></li>

<li><a href="Karma_yoga" title="Karma yoga">Karma yoga</a></li>

<li><a href="Kundalini_yoga" title="Kundalini yoga">Kundalini yoga</a></li></ul>

<ul><li><a href="Bharatanatyam" title="Bharatanatyam">Bharatanatyam</a></li>

<li><a href="Kathak" title="Kathak">Kathak</a></li>

<li><a href="Kathakali" title="Kathakali">Kathakali</a></li>

<li><a href="Kuchipudi" title="Kuchipudi">Kuchipudi</a></li>

<li><a href="Manipuri_dance" title="Manipuri dance">Manipuri</a></li>

<li><a href="Mohiniyattam" title="Mohiniyattam">Mohiniyattam</a></li>

<li><a href="Odissi" title="Odissi">Odissi</a></li>

<li><a href="Sattriya" title="Sattriya">Sattriya</a></li>

<li><a href="Bhagavata_Mela" title="Bhagavata Mela">Bhagavata Mela</a></li>

<li><a href="Yakshagana" title="Yakshagana">Yakshagana</a></li>

<li><a href="Dandiya_Raas" title="Dandiya Raas">Dandiya Raas</a></li>

<li><a href="Carnatic_music" title="Carnatic music">Carnatic music</a></li>

<li><a href="Pandav_Lila" title="Pandav Lila">Pandav Lila</a></li>

<li><a href="Kalaripayattu" title="Kalaripayattu">Kalaripayattu</a></li>

<li><a href="Silambam" title="Silambam">Silambam</a></li>

<li><a href="Adimurai" title="Adimurai">Adimurai</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Samskara_(rite_of_passage)" title="Samskara (rite of passage)">Rites of passage</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Garbhadhana" title="Garbhadhana">Garbhadhana</a></li>

<li><a href="Pumsavana" title="Pumsavana">Pumsavana</a></li>

<li><a href="Pumsavana_Simantonayana" title="Pumsavana Simantonayana">Pumsavana Simantonayana</a></li>

<li><a href="Simantonnayana" title="Simantonnayana">Simantonnayana</a></li>

<li><a href="Jatakarma" title="Jatakarma">Jatakarma</a></li>

<li><a href="N%C4%81makara%E1%B9%87a" title="Nāmakaraṇa">Nāmakaraṇa</a></li>

<li><a href="Nishkramana" title="Nishkramana">Nishkramana</a></li>

<li><a href="Annaprashana" title="Annaprashana">Annaprashana</a></li>

<li><a href="Chudakarana" class="mw-redirect" title="Chudakarana">Chudakarana</a></li>

<li><a href="Karnavedha" title="Karnavedha">Karnavedha</a></li>

<li><a href="Vidy%C4%81ra%E1%B9%83bha%E1%B9%83" title="Vidyāraṃbhaṃ">Vidyāraṃbhaṃ</a></li>

<li><a href="Upanayana" title="Upanayana">Upanayana</a></li>

<li><a href="Keshanta" title="Keshanta">Keshanta</a></li>

<li><a href="Ritu_Kala_Samskaram" title="Ritu Kala Samskaram">Ritushuddhi</a></li>

<li><a href="Samavartanam" title="Samavartanam">Samavartanam</a></li>

<li><a href="Hindu_wedding" title="Hindu wedding">Vivaha</a></li>

<li><a href="Antyesti" title="Antyesti">Antyesti</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="List_of_Hindu_festivals" title="List of Hindu festivals">Festivals</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Diwali" title="Diwali">Diwali</a></li>

<li><a href="Maha_Shivaratri" title="Maha Shivaratri">Maha Shivaratri</a></li>

<li><a href="Navaratri" title="Navaratri">Navaratri</a>

<ul><li><a href="Durga_Puja" title="Durga Puja">Durga Puja</a></li>

<li><a href="Ramlila" title="Ramlila">Ramlila</a></li>

<li><a href="Vijayadashami" title="Vijayadashami">Vijayadashami-Dussehra</a></li></ul></li>

<li><a href="Raksha_Bandhan" title="Raksha Bandhan">Raksha Bandhan</a></li>

<li><a href="Ganesh_Chaturthi" title="Ganesh Chaturthi">Ganesh Chaturthi</a></li>

<li><a href="Vasant_Panchami" title="Vasant Panchami">Vasant Panchami</a></li>

<li><a href="Rama_Navami" title="Rama Navami">Rama Navami</a></li>

<li><a href="Krishna_Janmashtami" title="Krishna Janmashtami">Janmashtami</a></li>

<li><a href="Makar_Sankranti" title="Makar Sankranti">Makar Sankranti</a></li>

<li><a href="Kumbh_Mela" title="Kumbh Mela">Kumbh Mela</a></li>

<li><a href="Pongal_(festival)" title="Pongal (festival)">Pongal</a></li>

<li><a href="Ugadi" title="Ugadi">Ugadi</a></li>

<li><a href="Vaisakhi" title="Vaisakhi">Vaisakhi</a>

<li><a href="Puthandu" title="Puthandu">Puthandu</a></li>

<li><a href="Vishu" title="Vishu">Vishu</a></li></ul></li>

<li><a href="Ratha_Yatra_(Puri)" title="Ratha Yatra (Puri)">Ratha Yatra</a></li></ul></div></div></td>

</tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist">

<div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border:1px solid #FFC569;background:#FFC569;padding-top:0.1em;padding-left:3em; text-align:center;;color: var(--color-base)"><a href="Hindu_philosophy" title="Hindu philosophy">Philosophical schools</a></div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist" style="text-align:center;padding-top:0; background-color:#FDE7B9; border:2px solid #FDE7B9">

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Astika" class="mw-redirect" title="Astika">Six Astika schools</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Samkhya" title="Samkhya">Samkhya</a></li>

<li><a href="Nyaya" title="Nyaya">Nyaya</a></li>

<li><a href="Vaisheshika" title="Vaisheshika">Vaisheshika</a></li>

<li><a href="M%C4%ABm%C4%81%E1%B9%83s%C4%81" title="Mīmāṃsā">Mīmāṃsā</a></li>

<li><a href="Vedanta" title="Vedanta">Vedanta</a>

<ul><li><a href="Advaita_Vedanta" title="Advaita Vedanta">Advaita</a></li>

<li><a href="Dvaita_Vedanta" title="Dvaita Vedanta">Dvaita</a></li>

<li><a href="Vishishtadvaita" title="Vishishtadvaita">Vishishtadvaita</a></li>

<li><a href="Achintya_Bheda_Abheda" title="Achintya Bheda Abheda">Achintya Bheda Abheda</a></li>

<li><a href="Shuddhadvaita" title="Shuddhadvaita">Shuddhadvaita</a></li>

<li><a href="Svabhavika_Bhedabheda" class="mw-redirect" title="Svabhavika Bhedabheda">Svabhavika Bhedabheda</a></li>

<li><a href="Akshar_Purushottam_Darshan" title="Akshar Purushottam Darshan">Akshar Purushottam Darshan</a></li></ul></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Other schools</div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="%C4%80j%C4%ABvika" title="Ājīvika">Ājīvika</a></li>

<li><a href="Buddhism" title="Buddhism">Buddhism</a></li>

<li><a href="Jainism" title="Jainism">Jainism</a></li>

<li><a href="Charvaka" title="Charvaka">Charvaka</a></li></ul></div></div></td>

</tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist">

<div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border:1px solid #FFC569;background:#FFC569;padding-top:0.1em;padding-left:3em; text-align:center;;color: var(--color-base)"><a href="List_of_Hindu_gurus_and_sants" title="List of Hindu gurus and sants">Gurus, Rishi, philosophers</a></div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist" style="text-align:center;padding-top:0; background-color:#FDE7B9; border:2px solid #FDE7B9">

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Ancient_India" class="mw-redirect" title="Ancient India">Ancient</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Saptarshi" title="Saptarshi">Saptarshi</a>

<ul><li><a href="Vashistha" class="mw-redirect" title="Vashistha">Vashistha</a></li>

<li><a href="Kashyapa" title="Kashyapa">Kashyapa</a></li>

<li><a href="Jamadagni" title="Jamadagni">Jamadagni</a></li>

<li><a href="Nyaya_Sutras" class="mw-redirect" title="Nyaya Sutras">Gotama</a></li>

<li><a href="Vishvamitra" title="Vishvamitra">Vishvamitra</a></li>

<li><a href="Bharadwaja" class="mw-redirect" title="Bharadwaja">Bharadwaja</a></li></ul></li>

<li><a href="Agastya" title="Agastya">Agastya</a></li>

<li><a href="Angiras" title="Angiras">Angiras</a></li>

<li><a href="Aruni" class="mw-redirect" title="Aruni">Aruni</a></li>

<li><a href="Ashtavakra" title="Ashtavakra">Ashtavakra</a></li>

<li><a href="Jaimini" title="Jaimini">Jaimini</a></li>

<li><a href="Kanada_(philosopher)" class="mw-redirect" title="Kanada (philosopher)">Kanada</a></li>

<li><a href="Kapila" title="Kapila">Kapila</a></li>

<li><a href="Patanjali" title="Patanjali">Patanjali</a></li>

<li><a href="P%C4%81%E1%B9%87ini" title="Pāṇini">Pāṇini</a></li>

<li><a href="Prashastapada" title="Prashastapada">Prashastapada</a></li>

<li><a href="Raikva" title="Raikva">Raikva</a></li>

<li><a href="Satyakama_Jabala" class="mw-redirect" title="Satyakama Jabala">Satyakama Jabala</a></li>

<li><a href="Valmiki" title="Valmiki">Valmiki</a></li>

<li><a href="Vyasa" title="Vyasa">Vyasa</a></li>

<li><a href="Yajnavalkya" title="Yajnavalkya">Yajnavalkya</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Medieval_India" title="Medieval India">Medieval</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Abhinavagupta" title="Abhinavagupta">Abhinavagupta</a></li>

<li><a href="Adi_Shankara" title="Adi Shankara">Adi Shankara</a></li>

<li><a href="Akka_Mahadevi" title="Akka Mahadevi">Akka Mahadevi</a></li>

<li><a href="Allama_Prabhu" title="Allama Prabhu">Allama Prabhu</a></li>

<li><a href="Alvars" title="Alvars">Alvars</a></li>

<li><a href="Basava" title="Basava">Basava</a></li>

<li><a href="Chaitanya_Mahaprabhu" title="Chaitanya Mahaprabhu">Chaitanya</a></li>

<li><a href="Ramdas_Kathiababa" title="Ramdas Kathiababa">Ramdas Kathiababa</a></li>

<li><a href="Chakradhar_Swami" title="Chakradhar Swami">Chakradhara</a></li>

<li><a href="Changdev" class="mw-redirect" title="Changdev">Chāngadeva</a></li>

<li><a href="Dadu_Dayal" title="Dadu Dayal">Dadu Dayal</a></li>

<li><a href="Eknath" title="Eknath">Eknath</a></li>

<li><a href="Gangesha_Upadhyaya" class="mw-redirect" title="Gangesha Upadhyaya">Gangesha Upadhyaya</a></li>

<li><a href="Gaudapada" title="Gaudapada">Gaudapada</a></li>

<li><a href="Gorakshanath" class="mw-redirect" title="Gorakshanath">Gorakshanatha</a></li>

<li><a href="Haridasa_Thakur" title="Haridasa Thakur">Haridasa Thakur</a></li>

<li><a href="Hith_Harivansh_Mahaprabhu" title="Hith Harivansh Mahaprabhu">Harivansh</a></li>

<li><a href="Jagannatha_Dasa_(Odia_poet)" title="Jagannatha Dasa (Odia poet)">Jagannatha Dasa</a></li>

<li><a href="Jayanta_Bhatta" title="Jayanta Bhatta">Jayanta Bhatta</a></li>

<li><a href="Jayatirtha" title="Jayatirtha">Jayatīrtha</a></li>

<li><a href="Jiva_Goswami" title="Jiva Goswami">Jiva Goswami</a></li>

<li><a href="J%C3%B1%C4%81ne%C5%9Bvar" class="mw-redirect" title="Jñāneśvar">Jñāneśvar</a></li>

<li><a href="Kabir" title="Kabir">Kabir</a></li>

<li><a href="Kanaka_Dasa" title="Kanaka Dasa">Kanaka Dasa</a></li>

<li><a href="Kum%C4%81rila_Bha%E1%B9%AD%E1%B9%ADa" title="Kumārila Bhaṭṭa">Kumārila Bhaṭṭa</a></li>

<li><a href="Madhus%C5%ABdana_Sarasvat%C4%AB" title="Madhusūdana Sarasvatī">Madhusūdana</a></li>

<li><a href="Madhvacharya" title="Madhvacharya">Madhva</a></li>

<li><a href="Matsyendranath" class="mw-redirect" title="Matsyendranath">Matsyendranatha</a></li>

<li><a href="Morya_Gosavi" title="Morya Gosavi">Morya Gosavi</a></li>

<li><a href="Mukundraj" title="Mukundraj">Mukundarāja</a></li>

<li><a href="Namdev" title="Namdev">Namadeva</a></li>

<li><a href="Narahari_Tirtha" title="Narahari Tirtha">Narahari Tirtha</a></li>

<li><a href="Narasimha_Saraswati" title="Narasimha Saraswati">Narasimha Saraswati</a></li>

<li><a href="Nayanars" title="Nayanars">Nayanars</a></li>

<li><a href="Nimbarkacharya" class="mw-redirect" title="Nimbarkacharya">Nimbarkacharya</a></li>

<li><a href="Srinivasacharya" title="Srinivasacharya">Srinivasacharya</a></li>

<li><a href="Prabh%C4%81kara" title="Prabhākara">Prabhākara</a></li>

<li><a href="Purandara_Dasa" title="Purandara Dasa">Purandara Dasa</a></li>

<li><a href="Raghavendra_Swami" class="mw-redirect" title="Raghavendra Swami">Raghavendra Swami</a></li>

<li><a href="Raghunatha_Siromani" class="mw-redirect" title="Raghunatha Siromani">Raghunatha Siromani</a></li>

<li><a href="Raghuttama_Tirtha" title="Raghuttama Tirtha">Raghuttama Tirtha</a></li>

<li><a href="Ram_Charan_(guru)" title="Ram Charan (guru)">Ram Charan</a></li>

<li><a href="Ramananda" title="Ramananda">Ramananda</a></li>

<li><a href="Ramanuja" title="Ramanuja">Ramanuja</a></li>

<li><a href="Ramprasad_Sen" title="Ramprasad Sen">Ramprasad Sen</a></li>

<li><a href="Ravidas" title="Ravidas">Ravidas</a></li>

<li><a href="Rupa_Goswami" title="Rupa Goswami">Rupa Goswami</a></li>

<li><a href="Samarth_Ramdas" title="Samarth Ramdas">Samarth Ramdas</a></li>

<li><a href="Sankardev" title="Sankardev">Sankardev</a></li>

<li><a href="Satyanatha_Tirtha" title="Satyanatha Tirtha">Satyanatha Tirtha</a></li>

<li><a href="Siddheshwar" title="Siddheshwar">Siddheshwar</a></li>

<li><a href="Sripada_Srivallabha" class="mw-redirect" title="Sripada Srivallabha">Sripada Srivallabha</a></li>

<li><a href="Sripadaraja" title="Sripadaraja">Sripadaraja</a></li>

<li><a href="Surdas" title="Surdas">Surdas</a></li>

<li><a href="Swaminarayan" title="Swaminarayan">Swaminarayan</a></li>

<li><a href="Syama_Sastri" title="Syama Sastri">Śyāma Śastri</a></li>

<li><a href="Tukaram" title="Tukaram">Tukaram</a></li>

<li><a href="Tulsidas" title="Tulsidas">Tulsidas</a></li>

<li><a href="Tyagaraja" title="Tyagaraja">Tyagaraja</a></li>

<li><a href="V%C4%81caspati_Mi%C5%9Bra" class="mw-redirect" title="Vācaspati Miśra">Vācaspati Miśra</a></li>

<li><a href="Vadiraja_Tirtha" title="Vadiraja Tirtha">Vadiraja Tirtha</a></li>

<li><a href="Vallabha" title="Vallabha">Vallabha</a></li>

<li><a href="Thiruvalluvar" title="Thiruvalluvar">Valluvar</a></li>

<li><a href="Vedanta_Desika" title="Vedanta Desika">Vedanta Desika</a></li>

<li><a href="Vidyaranya" title="Vidyaranya">Vidyaranya</a></li>

<li><a href="Vyasaraja" class="mw-redirect" title="Vyasaraja">Vyasaraja</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed">Modern</div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Sri_Aurobindo" title="Sri Aurobindo">Aurobindo</a></li>

<li><a href="Bhaktisiddhanta_Sarasvati" title="Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati">Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati</a></li>

<li><a href="Bhaktivinoda_Thakur" title="Bhaktivinoda Thakur">Bhaktivinoda Thakur</a></li>

<li><a href="Chandrashekarendra_Saraswati" class="mw-redirect" title="Chandrashekarendra Saraswati">Chandrashekarendra Saraswati</a></li>

<li><a href="Chinmayananda" class="mw-redirect" title="Chinmayananda">Chinmayananda</a></li>

<li><a href="Dayananda_Saraswati" title="Dayananda Saraswati">Dayananda Saraswati</a></li>

<li><a href="Jaggi_Vasudev" class="mw-redirect" title="Jaggi Vasudev">Jaggi Vasudev</a></li>

<li><a href="Krishnananda_Saraswati" title="Krishnananda Saraswati">Krishnananda Saraswati</a></li>

<li><a href="Mahavatar_Babaji" title="Mahavatar Babaji">Mahavatar Babaji</a></li>

<li><a href="Maharishi_Mahesh_Yogi" title="Maharishi Mahesh Yogi">Mahesh Yogi</a></li>

<li><a href="Narayana_Guru" title="Narayana Guru">Narayana Guru</a></li>

<li><a href="Nigamananda_Paramahansa" title="Nigamananda Paramahansa">Nigamananda</a></li>

<li><a href="Nisargadatta_Maharaj" title="Nisargadatta Maharaj">Nisargadatta Maharaj</a></li>

<li><a href="A._C._Bhaktivedanta_Swami_Prabhupada" title="A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada">Prabhupada</a></li>

<li><a href="Sarvepalli_Radhakrishnan" title="Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan">Radhakrishnan</a></li>

<li><a href="Ramachandra_Dattatrya_Ranade" class="mw-redirect" title="Ramachandra Dattatrya Ranade">R. D. Ranade</a></li>

<li><a href="Ramakrishna" title="Ramakrishna">Ramakrishna</a></li>

<li><a href="Swami_Rama_Tirtha" class="mw-redirect" title="Swami Rama Tirtha">Rama Tirtha</a></li>

<li><a href="Ramana_Maharshi" title="Ramana Maharshi">Ramana Maharshi</a></li>

<li><a href="Ravi_Shankar_(spiritual_leader)" title="Ravi Shankar (spiritual leader)">Ravi Shankar</a></li>

<li><a href="Swami_Ramdas" title="Swami Ramdas">Ramdas</a></li>

<li><a href="Swami_Samarth" title="Swami Samarth">Samarth</a></li>

<li><a href="Sathya_Sai_Baba" title="Sathya Sai Baba">Sathya Sai Baba</a></li>

<li><a href="Sai_Baba_of_Shirdi" title="Sai Baba of Shirdi">Shirdi Sai Baba</a></li>

<li><a href="Swami_Shraddhanand" title="Swami Shraddhanand">Shraddhanand</a></li>

<li><a href="Satyadhyana_Tirtha" title="Satyadhyana Tirtha">Satyadhyana Tirtha</a></li>

<li><a href="Siddharameshwar_Maharaj" class="mw-redirect" title="Siddharameshwar Maharaj">Siddharameshwar Maharaj</a></li>

<li><a href="Sivananda_Saraswati" title="Sivananda Saraswati">Sivananda</a></li>

<li><a href="Trailanga" title="Trailanga">Trailanga</a></li>

<li><a href="U._G._Krishnamurti" title="U. G. Krishnamurti">U. G. Krishnamurti</a></li>

<li><a href="Upasni_Maharaj" class="mw-redirect" title="Upasni Maharaj">Upasni Maharaj</a></li>

<li><a href="Vethathiri_Maharishi" title="Vethathiri Maharishi">Vethathiri Maharishi</a></li>

<li><a href="Swami_Vivekananda" title="Swami Vivekananda">Vivekananda</a></li>

<li><a href="Paramahansa_Yogananda" title="Paramahansa Yogananda">Yogananda</a></li></ul></div></div></td>

</tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content plainlist">

<div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="border:1px solid #FFC569;background:#FFC569;padding-top:0.1em;padding-left:3em; text-align:center;;color: var(--color-base)"><a href="Hindu_texts" title="Hindu texts">Texts</a></div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content hlist" style="text-align:center;padding-top:0; background-color:#FDE7B9; border:2px solid #FDE7B9">

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="%C5%9A%C4%81stra_pram%C4%81%E1%B9%87am_in_Hinduism" class="mw-redirect" title="Śāstra pramāṇam in Hinduism">Sources and classification of scripture</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="%C5%9Aruti" title="Śruti">Śruti</a></li>

<li><a href="Sm%E1%B9%9Bti" title="Smṛti">Smṛti</a></li>

<li><a href="%C4%80c%C4%81ra" title="Ācāra">Ācāra</a></li>

<li><a href="Atmatusti" title="Atmatusti">Ātmatuṣṭi</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Hindu_texts" title="Hindu texts">Scriptures</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Timeline_of_Hindu_texts" title="Timeline of Hindu texts">Timeline of Hindu texts</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Vedas" title="Vedas">Vedas</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Rigveda" title="Rigveda">Rigveda</a></li>

<li><a href="Yajurveda" title="Yajurveda">Yajurveda</a></li>

<li><a href="Samaveda" title="Samaveda">Samaveda</a></li>

<li><a href="Atharvaveda" title="Atharvaveda">Atharvaveda</a></li></ul>

<dl><dd>Divisions</dd></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Samhitapatha" class="mw-redirect" title="Samhitapatha">Samhita</a></li>

<li><a href="Brahmana" title="Brahmana">Brahmana</a></li>

<li><a href="Aranyaka" title="Aranyaka">Aranyaka</a></li>

<li><a href="Upanishads" title="Upanishads">Upanishads</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Upanishads" title="Upanishads">Upanishads</a></div></dt></dl>

<dl><dt><a href="Principal_Upanishads" title="Principal Upanishads">Principal Upanishads</a></dt>

<dl><dd>Rigveda:</dd></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Aitareya_Upanishad" title="Aitareya Upanishad">Aitareya</a></li>

<li><a href="Kaushitaki_Upanishad" title="Kaushitaki Upanishad">Kaushitaki</a></li></ul>

<dl><dd>Yajurveda:</dd></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Brihadaranyaka_Upanishad" title="Brihadaranyaka Upanishad">Brihadaranyaka</a></li>

<li><a href="Taittiriya_Upanishad" title="Taittiriya Upanishad">Taittiriya</a></li>

<li><a href="Katha_Upanishad" title="Katha Upanishad">Katha</a></li>

<li><a href="Shvetashvatara_Upanishad" title="Shvetashvatara Upanishad">Shvetashvatara</a></li>

<li><a href="Maitrayaniya_Upanishad" title="Maitrayaniya Upanishad">Maitri</a></li></ul>

<dl><dd>Samaveda:</dd></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Chandogya_Upanishad" title="Chandogya Upanishad">Chandogya</a></li>

<dl><dd>Atharvaveda:</dd></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Mundaka_Upanishad" title="Mundaka Upanishad">Mundaka</a></li>

<li><a href="Mandukya_Upanishad" title="Mandukya Upanishad">Mandukya</a></li>

<li><a href="Prashna_Upanishad" title="Prashna Upanishad">Prashna</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Vedangas" class="mw-redirect" title="Vedangas">Vedangas</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Shiksha" title="Shiksha">Shiksha</a></li>

<li><a href="Vedic_metre" title="Vedic metre">Chandas</a></li>

<li><a href="Vy%C4%81kara%E1%B9%87a" title="Vyākaraṇa">Vyākaraṇa</a></li>

<li><a href="Nirukta" title="Nirukta">Nirukta</a></li>

<li><a href="Kalpa_(Vedanga)" title="Kalpa (Vedanga)">Kalpa</a></li>

<li><a href="Jyotisha" class="mw-redirect" title="Jyotisha">Jyotisha</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="List_of_Hindu_scriptures" class="mw-redirect" title="List of Hindu scriptures">Other scriptures</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Bhagavad_Gita" title="Bhagavad Gita">Bhagavad Gita</a></li>

<li><a href="Agama_(Hinduism)" title="Agama (Hinduism)">Agamas (Hinduism)</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Itihasa-Purana" title="Itihasa-Purana">Itihasas</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Ramayana" title="Ramayana">Ramayana</a></li>

<li><a href="Mahabharata" title="Mahabharata">Mahabharata</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Puranas" title="Puranas">Puranas</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Vishnu_Purana" title="Vishnu Purana">Vishnu Purana</a></li>

<li><a href="Bhagavata_Purana" title="Bhagavata Purana">Bhagavata Purana</a></li>

<li><a href="Devi_Bhagavata_Purana" title="Devi Bhagavata Purana">Devi Bhagavata Purana</a></li>

<li><a href="Naradiya_Purana" title="Naradiya Purana">Naradiya Purana</a></li>

<li><a href="Vamana_Purana" title="Vamana Purana">Vāmana Purana</a></li>

<li><a href="Matsya_Purana" title="Matsya Purana">Matsya Purana</a></li>

<li><a href="Garuda_Purana" title="Garuda Purana">Garuda Purana</a></li>

<li><a href="Brahma_Purana" title="Brahma Purana">Brahma Purana</a></li>

<li><a href="Brahmanda_Purana" title="Brahmanda Purana">Brahmanda Purana</a></li>

<li><a href="Brahma_Vaivarta_Purana" title="Brahma Vaivarta Purana">Brahma Vaivarta Purana</a></li>

<li><a href="Bhavishya_Purana" title="Bhavishya Purana">Bhavishya Purana</a></li>

<li><a href="Padma_Purana" title="Padma Purana">Padma Purana</a></li>

<li><a href="Agni_Purana" title="Agni Purana">Agni Purana</a></li>

<li><a href="Shiva_Purana" title="Shiva Purana">Shiva Purana</a></li>

<li><a href="Linga_Purana" title="Linga Purana">Linga Purana</a></li>

<li><a href="Kurma_Purana" title="Kurma Purana">Kūrma Purana</a></li>

<li><a href="Skanda_Purana" title="Skanda Purana">Skanda Purana</a></li>

<li><a href="Varaha_Purana" title="Varaha Purana">Varaha Purana</a></li>

<li><a href="Markandeya_Purana" title="Markandeya Purana">Markandeya Purana</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Vedas#Upaveda" title="Vedas">Upavedas</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Ayurveda" title="Ayurveda">Ayurveda</a></li>

<li><a href="Dhanurveda" title="Dhanurveda">Dhanurveda</a></li>

<li><a href="Gandharvaveda" class="mw-redirect" title="Gandharvaveda">Gandharvaveda</a></li>

<li><a href="Sthapatyaveda" class="mw-redirect" title="Sthapatyaveda">Sthapatyaveda</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Shastra" title="Shastra">Shastras</a>, <a href="Sutra" title="Sutra">sutras</a>, and <a href="Samhita" title="Samhita">samhitas</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Dharma%C5%9B%C4%81stra" title="Dharmaśāstra">Dharma Shastra</a></li>

<li><a href="Arthashastra" title="Arthashastra">Artha Śastra</a></li>

<li><a href="Shilpa_Shastras" title="Shilpa Shastras">Shilpa Shastras</a></li>

<li><a href="Kama_Sutra" title="Kama Sutra">Kama Sutra</a></li>

<li><a href="Brahma_Sutras" title="Brahma Sutras">Brahma Sutras</a></li>

<li><a href="Samkhya_Pravachana_Sutra" title="Samkhya Pravachana Sutra">Samkhya Sutras</a></li>

<li><a href="Purva_Mimamsa_Sutras" title="Purva Mimamsa Sutras">Mimamsa Sutras</a></li>

<li><a href="Ny%C4%81ya_S%C5%ABtras" title="Nyāya Sūtras">Nyāya Sūtras</a></li>

<li><a href="Vai%C5%9Be%E1%B9%A3ika_S%C5%ABtra" title="Vaiśeṣika Sūtra">Vaiśeṣika Sūtra</a></li>

<li><a href="Yoga_Sutras_of_Patanjali" title="Yoga Sutras of Patanjali">Yoga Sutras</a></li>

<li><a href="Pramana" title="Pramana">Pramana Sutras</a></li>

<li><a href="Charaka_Samhita" title="Charaka Samhita">Charaka Samhita</a></li>

<li><a href="Sushruta_Samhita" title="Sushruta Samhita">Sushruta Samhita</a></li>

<li><a href="Natya_Shastra" title="Natya Shastra">Natya Shastra</a></li>

<li><a href="Panchatantra" title="Panchatantra">Panchatantra</a></li>

<li><a href="Naalayira_Divya_Prabandham" title="Naalayira Divya Prabandham">Naalayira Divya Prabandham</a></li>

<li><a href="Tirumurai" title="Tirumurai">Tirumurai</a></li>

<li><a href="Ramcharitmanas" title="Ramcharitmanas">Ramcharitmanas</a></li>

<li><a href="Yoga_Vasistha" class="mw-redirect" title="Yoga Vasistha">Yoga Vasistha</a></li>

<li><a href="Shiva_Swarodaya" title="Shiva Swarodaya">Swara yoga</a></li>

<li>Panchadasi</li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Stotra" title="Stotra">Stotras</a>, <a href="List_of_suktas_and_stutis" title="List of suktas and stutis">stutis</a> and <a href="Bhashya" title="Bhashya">Bhashya</a> </div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Kanakadhara_Stotra" title="Kanakadhara Stotra">Kanakadhara Stotra</a></li>

<li><a href="Shiva_Stuti" title="Shiva Stuti">Shiva Stuti</a></li>

<li><a href="Vayu_Stuti" title="Vayu Stuti">Vayu Stuti</a></li></ul>

<dl><dt><div style="font-size: 100%; background-color:#ffd6ad; border-top:0px dashed"><a href="Tamil_literature" title="Tamil literature">Tamil literature</a></div></dt></dl>

<ul><li><a href="Tirumurai" title="Tirumurai">Tirumurai</a></li>

<li><a href="Naalayira_Divya_Prabandham" title="Naalayira Divya Prabandham">Naalayira Divya Prabandham</a></li>

<li><a href="Tirumuruk%C4%81%E1%B9%9F%E1%B9%9Fuppa%E1%B9%ADai" title="Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai">Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai</a></li>

<li><a href="Tiruppukal" title="Tiruppukal">Tiruppukal</a></li>

<li><a href="Kural" title="Kural">Kural</a></li>

<li><a href="Kamba_Ramayanam" class="mw-redirect" title="Kamba Ramayanam">Kamba Ramayanam/Ramavataram</a></li>

<li><a href="Five_Great_Epics" title="Five Great Epics">Five Great Epics</a></li>

<li><a href="Eighteen_Greater_Texts" title="Eighteen Greater Texts">Eighteen Greater Texts</a></li>

<li><a href="Eighteen_Lesser_Texts" title="Eighteen Lesser Texts">Eighteen Lesser Texts</a></li>

<li><a href="Athichudi" title="Athichudi">Athichudi</a></li>

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</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="History_of_India#Iron_Age_–_Vedic_period_(c._1500–600_BCE)" title="History of India">History of India § Iron Age – Vedic period (c. 1500–600 BCE)</a>, and <a href="History_of_Hinduism#Classical_Hinduism_(c._200_BCE_–_1200_CE)" title="History of Hinduism">History of Hinduism § Classical Hinduism (c. 200 BCE – 1200 CE)</a></div>

Both <a href="Alf_Hiltebeitel" title="Alf Hiltebeitel">Alf Hiltebeitel</a> and Gavin Flood locate the origins of the Smarta Tradition in the (early) Classical Period of Hinduism, particularly with the <a href="Nonduality_(spirituality)" class="mw-redirect" title="Nonduality (spirituality)">nondualist</a> (Advaita) interpretation of Vedanta,<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201318–22,_29–30-24">[24]</a> when Hinduism emerged from the interaction between Brahmanism and local traditions.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel2013-9">[9]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEFlood1996-10">[10]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="The_"Hindu_Synthesis"">The "Hindu Synthesis"</h3></div>

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 BCE) and the period of the rise of the <a href="Gupta_Empire" title="Gupta Empire">Guptas</a> (c. 320–467), which he calls the "Hindus synthesis", "Brahmanic synthesis", or "orthodox synthesis".<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201312-25">[25]</a> It develops in interaction with other religions and peoples:

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</style><blockquote class="templatequote">The emerging self-definitions of Hinduism were forged in the context of continuous interaction with heterodox religions (Buddhists, Jains, Ajivikas) throughout this whole period, and with foreign people (Yavanas, or Greeks; Sakas, or Scythians; Pahlavas, or Parthians; and Kusanas, or Kushans) from the third phase on [between the Mauryan empire and the rise of the Guptas].<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201313-26">[26]</a></blockquote>

The smriti texts of the period between 200 BCE and 100 CE<a href="#cite_note-smartasutras-27">[note 1]</a> proclaim the authority of the Vedas, and "nonrejection of the Vedas comes to be one of the most important touchstones for defining Hinduism over and against the heterodoxies, which rejected the Vedas."<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201314-28">[27]</a> The Smriti texts interpret the Vedas in a number of ways, which gave rise to six darsanas (orthodox schools) of <a href="Hindu_philosophy" title="Hindu philosophy">Hindu philosophy</a>. 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."<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201318-29">[28]</a> They emphasize the Vedas with reason and other <a href="Pramanas" class="mw-redirect" title="Pramanas">pramanas</a>, in contrast to Haituka schools which emphasize hetu (cause, reason) independent of the Vedas while accepting the authority of the Vedas.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201318–19-30">[29]</a><a href="#cite_note-31">[30]</a> Of the two Smarta traditions, Mimamsa focused on Vedic ritual traditions, while Vedanta focussed on <a href="Upanishadic" class="mw-redirect" title="Upanishadic">Upanishadic</a> knowledge tradition.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201318–19-30">[29]</a>

Around the start of the common era, and thereafter, a syncretism of Haituka schools (Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya and Yoga), the Smarta schools (Mimamsa, Vedanta) with ancient theistic ideas (bhakti, tantric) gave rise to a growth in traditions such as <a href="Shaivism" title="Shaivism">Shaivism</a>, <a href="Vaishnavism" title="Vaishnavism">Vaishnavism</a> and <a href="Shaktism" title="Shaktism">Shaktism</a>.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201318–22-32">[31]</a> The revived Smarta tradition attempted to integrate varied and conflicting devotional practices, with its ideas of nondual experience of <a href="Atman_(Hinduism)" class="mw-redirect" title="Atman (Hinduism)">Atman</a> (self, soul) as <a href="Brahman" title="Brahman">Brahman</a>.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201329–30-33">[32]</a> The rapprochement included the practice of pancayatana-puja (five shrine worship), wherein a Hindu could focus on any saguna deity of choice (<a href="I%E1%B9%A3%E1%B9%ADa-devat%C4%81_(Hinduism)" class="mw-redirect" title="Iṣṭa-devatā (Hinduism)">istadevata</a>) such as Vishnu, Shiva, Durga, Surya and Ganesha as an interim step towards realizing the nirguna Brahman.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201329–30-33">[32]</a> The growth of this Smarta Tradition began in the Gupta period (4th–5th century CE), and likely was dominated by <a href="Dvija" title="Dvija">Dvija</a> classes, in particular the <a href="Brahmin" title="Brahmin">Brahmins</a>,<a href="#cite_note-34">[33]</a> of the early medieval Indian society.<a href="#cite_note-Jackson1994p212-35">[34]</a> This Smarta tradition competed with other major traditions of Hinduism such as Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and Shaktism.<a href="#cite_note-Jackson1994p212-35">[34]</a> The ideas of Smarta were historically influential, creative with concepts such as of <a href="Harihara" title="Harihara">Harihara</a> (half Shiva, half Vishnu deity) and <a href="Ardhanarishvara" title="Ardhanarishvara">Ardhanarishvara</a> (half woman, half man deity), and many of the major scholars of Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism, and Bhakti movement came out of the Smarta tradition.<a href="#cite_note-Jackson1994p212-35">[34]</a>

According to Hiltebeitel, "the consolidation of Hinduism takes place under the sign of bhakti."<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201320-36">[35]</a> 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".<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201320-36">[35]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Puranic_Hinduism">Puranic Hinduism</h3></div>

According to Flood, the Smarta tradition originated with the development of the <a href="Puranas" title="Puranas">Puranas</a>.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEFlood1996113-2">[2]</a> 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 <a href="Gupta_Empire" title="Gupta Empire">Gupta</a> era.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEFlood1996359-37">[36]</a><a href="#cite_note-39">[note 2]</a>

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.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEMichaels200441-40">[38]</a> With the breakdown of the Gupta empire, gifts of virgin waste-land were heaped on brahmanas,<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTENath2001-41">[39]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEThapar2004325,_487-42">[40]</a> 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.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTENath2001-41">[39]</a>

The early medieval Puranas were composed to disseminate religious mainstream ideology among the pre-literate <a href="Adivasi" title="Adivasi">tribal societies</a> undergoing <a href="Acculturation" title="Acculturation">acculturation</a>.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTENath200119-43">[41]</a> The Brahmanas used the Puranas to incorporate those clans into the agrarian society and its accompanying religion and ideology.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTENath2001-41">[39]</a> Local chiefs and peasants were absorbed into the caste system, which was used to keep "control over the new kshatriyas and shudras".<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEThapar2004487-44">[42]</a>

The Brahmanism of the <a href="Dharmashastras" class="mw-redirect" title="Dharmashastras">Dharmashastras</a> and the smritis underwent a radical transformation at the hands of the Purana composers, resulting in the rise of Puranic Hinduism,<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTENath200119-43">[41]</a> "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.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTENath200120-45">[43]</a>

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 <a href="Bhagavata_Purana" title="Bhagavata Purana">Bhagavata Purana</a>. 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, and Chandesvara.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTENath200131–32-46">[44]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Shankara_and_Advaita_Vedanta">Shankara and Advaita Vedanta</h3></div>

<div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main articles: <a href="Adi_Shankara" title="Adi Shankara">Adi Shankara</a> and <a href="Advaita_Vedanta" title="Advaita Vedanta">Advaita Vedanta</a></div>

Traditionally, Adi Shankara is regarded as the greatest teacher and reformer of the Smarta tradition.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEDoniger19991017-21">[21]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPopular_Prakashan200052-47">[45]</a><a href="#cite_note-62">[note 4]</a> According to Hiltebeitel, Adi Shankara established the <a href="Nondualist" class="mw-redirect" title="Nondualist">nondualist</a> interpretation of the <a href="Upanishads" title="Upanishads">Upanishads</a> as the touchstone of a revived smarta tradition:

<blockquote class="templatequote">Practically, Adi Shankara Acharya fostered a rapprochement between Advaita and smarta orthodoxy, which by his time had not only continued to defend the <a href="Varna_(Hinduism)" title="Varna (Hinduism)">varnasramadharma</a> theory as defining the path of karman, but had developed the practice of pancayatanapuja ("five-shrine worship") as a solution to varied and conflicting devotional practices. Thus one could worship any one of five deities (Vishnu, Siva, Durga, Surya, Ganesa) as one's istadevata ("deity of choice").<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel2013-9">[9]</a></blockquote>

The <a href="Sringeri_Matha" class="mw-redirect" title="Sringeri Matha">Sringeri Sharada monastery</a>, according to tradition founded by Adi Shankara, in Karnataka is still the centre of the Smarta sect.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEDoniger19991017-21">[21]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPopular_Prakashan200052-47">[45]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Recognition_of_Smarta_as_a_tradition">Recognition of Smarta as a tradition</h3></div>

Medieval era scholars such as Vedanta Desika and Vallabhacharya recognized Smarta as competing with Vaishnavism and other traditions. According to Jeffrey Timm, for example, in verse 10 of the Tattvarthadipanibandha, <a href="Vallabhacharya" class="mw-redirect" title="Vallabhacharya">Vallabhacharya</a> states that, "Mutually contradictory conclusions are non-contradictory when they are considered from their respective contexts, like Vaishnava, Smarta, etc."<a href="#cite_note-63">[59]</a>

According to Murray Milner Jr., a professor of Sociology, the Smarta tradition refers to "Hindus who tend toward Brahmanical orthodoxy in both thought and behavior". Smartas are usually committed to a "relatively unified Hinduism" and they reject extreme forms of sectarian isolationism, reminiscent of the European discourse about the church and Christian sects.<a href="#cite_note-Milner_1994_p._195-3">[3]</a> The tradition, states Milner, has roots that emerged sometime between 3rd century BCE and 3rd century CE, likely in response to the growth of Jainism and Buddhism.<a href="#cite_note-Milner_1994_p._195-3">[3]</a> It reflected a Hindu synthesis of four philosophical strands: Mimamsa, Advaita, Yoga and theism.<a href="#cite_note-Milner_1994_p._195-3">[3]</a>

Smarta tradition emerged initially as a synthesis movement to unify Hinduism into a nonsectarian form based on the Vedic heritage. It accepted varnasrama-dharma, states Bruce Sullivan, which reflected an acceptance of <a href="Varna_(Hinduism)" title="Varna (Hinduism)">Varna</a> (caste/class) and <a href="Ashrama_(stage)" class="mw-redirect" title="Ashrama (stage)">ashrama</a> (four stages of human life) as a form of social and religious duty. In the later second half of the 1st millennium, <a href="Adi_Shankara" title="Adi Shankara">Adi Shankara</a> reformed and brought ideas to the movement in the form of the <a href="Advaita_Vedanta" title="Advaita Vedanta">Advaita Vedanta</a> philosophy.<a href="#cite_note-64">[60]</a> According to Upinder Singh, the Smarta tradition's religious practice emerged as a transformation of <a href="Brahmanism" class="mw-redirect" title="Brahmanism">Brahmanism</a> and can be described as <a href="Hinduism" title="Hinduism">Hinduism</a>.<a href="#cite_note-65">[61]</a> Smarta as a tradition emphasized all gods as equal and different ways of perceiving the all-pervasive metaphysical impersonal <a href="Brahman" title="Brahman">Brahman</a>.<a href="#cite_note-66">[62]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Modern_Hinduism">Modern Hinduism</h3></div>

In recent times bhakti cults have increasingly become popular with the smartas.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEMorris2006135-67">[63]</a>

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

<blockquote class="templatequote">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.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEVaitheespara201091-68">[64]</a></blockquote>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Philosophy_and_practices">Philosophy and practices</h2></div>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Panchayatana_Puja">Panchayatana Puja</h3></div>

The Smartas evolved a kind of worship which is known as <a href="Panchayatana_puja" title="Panchayatana puja">Panchayatana puja</a>. In this Puja, one or more of the five Hindu Deities (<a href="Surya" title="Surya">Surya</a>, <a href="Shiva" title="Shiva">Shiva</a>, <a href="Vishnu" title="Vishnu">Vishnu</a>, <a href="Ganesha" title="Ganesha">Ganesha</a> and <a href="Adi_Shakti" class="mw-redirect" title="Adi Shakti">Adi Shakti</a>) are the objects of veneration.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201329–30-33">[32]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEDoniger19991017-21">[21]</a> 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.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEGoyal1984-69">[65]</a> Some of the Smartas of South India add a sixth god <a href="Kartikeya" title="Kartikeya">Kartikeya</a> (see <a href="Shanmata" title="Shanmata">Shanmata</a>). According to <a href="Arthur_Llewellyn_Basham" title="Arthur Llewellyn Basham">Basham</a>, any upper-class Hindus still prefer the way of the Smartas to Saiva and Vaisnava forms of worship.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBasham1991109-70">[66]</a>

Panchayatana puja is a practice that became popular in medieval India,<a href="#cite_note-Bühnemann2003p60-71">[67]</a> and has been attributed to Adi Shankara.<a href="#cite_note-lexicon-72">[68]</a> However, archaeological evidence suggests that this practice long predates the birth of Adi Shankara. Many Panchayatana mandalas and temples have been uncovered that are from the <a href="Gupta_Empire" title="Gupta Empire">Gupta Empire</a> period, and one Panchayatana set from the village of Nand (about 24 kilometers from <a href="Ajmer" title="Ajmer">Ajmer</a>) has been dated to belong to the <a href="Kushan_Empire" title="Kushan Empire">Kushan Empire</a> era (pre-300 CE).<a href="#cite_note-Williams1981p2-73">[69]</a> The Kushan period set includes Shiva, Vishnu, Surya, Brahma and one deity whose identity is unclear.<a href="#cite_note-Williams1981p2-73">[69]</a> According to James Harle, major Hindu temples from 1st millennium CE embed the pancayatana architecture very commonly, from <a href="Odisha" title="Odisha">Odisha</a> to <a href="Karnataka" title="Karnataka">Karnataka</a> to <a href="Kashmir" title="Kashmir">Kashmir</a>; and the temples containing fusion deities such as <a href="Harihara" title="Harihara">Harihara</a> (half Shiva, half Vishnu) are set in Panchayatana worship style.<a href="#cite_note-Harle1994p141-74">[70]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Saguna_and_Nirguna_Brahman">Saguna and Nirguna Brahman</h3></div>

According to Smartism, supreme reality, Brahman, transcends all of the various forms of personal deity.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEEspinNickoloff2007563-75">[71]</a><a href="#cite_note-78">[note 5]</a> The Smartas follow an orthodox Hindu philosophy, which means they accept the Vedas, and the ontological concepts of Atman and Brahman therein.

The Smarta Tradition accepts two concepts of Brahman, which are the <a href="Saguna_Brahman" class="mw-redirect" title="Saguna Brahman">saguna Brahman</a> – the Brahman with attributes, and <a href="Nirguna_Brahman" class="mw-redirect" title="Nirguna Brahman">nirguna Brahman</a> – the Brahman without attributes.<a href="#cite_note-dx.doi.org-79">[74]</a> The nirguna Brahman is the unchanging Reality, however, the saguna Brahman is posited as a means to realizing this nirguna Brahman.<a href="#cite_note-williamw-80">[75]</a> The concept of the saguna Brahman is considered in this tradition to be a useful symbolism and means for those who are still on their spiritual journey, but the saguna concept is abandoned by the fully enlightened once he or she realizes the identity of their own soul with that of the nirguna Brahman.<a href="#cite_note-williamw-80">[75]</a> A Smarta may choose any saguna deity (istadevata) such as Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, Surya, Ganesha or any other, and this is viewed in Smarta Tradition as an interim step towards realizing the nirguna Brahman and its equivalence to one's own Atman.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201329–30-33">[32]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Texts">Texts</h2></div>

<div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="Shastra" title="Shastra">Shastra</a></div>

Smartas follow the <a href="Hindu_scriptures" class="mw-redirect" title="Hindu scriptures">Hindu scriptures</a>. These include the <a href="Shruti" class="mw-redirect" title="Shruti">shruti</a> (<a href="Vedas" title="Vedas">Vedas</a>),<a href="#cite_note-Coburn,_Thomas_B._1984._pp._439-81">[76]</a><a href="#cite_note-82">[77]</a><a href="#cite_note-83">[78]</a><a href="#cite_note-Wendy_Doniger_O'Flaherty_1988_Pages_2-3-20">[20]</a> but most markedly the smriti literature, which incorporated shramanic and Buddhist influences<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTELarson2009185-84">[79]</a> of the period from about 200 BCE to about 300 CE<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTELarson2009185-84">[79]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTECousins2010-85">[80]</a> and the emerging bhakti tradition into the Brahmanical fold.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel2002-86">[81]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTELarson2009185-84">[79]</a> According to Larson,

<blockquote class="templatequote">[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.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTELarson2009185-84">[79]</a></blockquote>

The identity of Atman and Brahman, and their unchanging, eternal nature, are the basic truths in this tradition. The emphasis in Vedic texts here is the jnana-kanda (knowledge, philosophical speculations) in the Upanishadic part of the Vedas, not its karma-kanda (ritual injunctions).<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKoller2013100-101-87">[82]</a> Along with the Upanishads, the <a href="Bhagavad_Gita" title="Bhagavad Gita">Bhagavad Gita</a> and <a href="Brahma_Sutras" title="Brahma Sutras">Brahma Sutras</a> are the central texts of the Advaita Vedanta tradition, providing the truths about the identity of Atman and Brahman and their changeless nature.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKoller2013100-101-87">[82]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEIsaeva199335-88">[83]</a>

<ul><li>The major <a href="Smriti" class="mw-redirect" title="Smriti">Smriti</a> texts are:<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTELochtefeld2002656-89">[84]</a>

<ul><li>The two epics <a href="Ramayana" title="Ramayana">Ramayana</a> of <a href="Valmiki" title="Valmiki">Valmiki</a> and the <a href="Mahabharata" title="Mahabharata">Mahabharata</a>, which have been commented on by many Smarta philosophers and scholars. Harikathas, Pravachanams, Upanyasams, and Kalakshepams on these texts are still very popular. The Ramayana is the text of choice for daily devotional reading or Nitya Parayanam for many Smartas and it has pervaded and guided Hindu conscience for centuries.</li>

<li>The <a href="Bhagavad_Gita" title="Bhagavad Gita">Bhagavad Gita</a>, which is part of the Mahabharata, and commentaries on it by Adi Shankara, <a href="Madhusudhana_Saraswati" class="mw-redirect" title="Madhusudhana Saraswati">Madhusudhana Saraswati</a> and Sridhara Swami. The Bhagavad Gita exemplifies the "Hindu synthesis" of Brahmanic orthodoxy with the emerging <a href="Bhakti" title="Bhakti">bhakti</a> traditions<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel2002-86">[81]</a> 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.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEScheepers2000-90">[85]</a></li>

<li>The <a href="Puranas" title="Puranas">Puranas</a>, a collection of mythological stories of the various Hindu gods, especially Shiva and Vishnu. The <a href="Srimad_Bhagavatham" class="mw-redirect" title="Srimad Bhagavatham">Srimad Bhagavatham</a> and <a href="Vishnu_Purana" title="Vishnu Purana">Vishnu Purana</a> 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.</li>

<li>Common religious law books or dharma literature, namely the <a href="Manu_Smriti" class="mw-redirect" title="Manu Smriti">Manu Smriti</a>, the <a href="Apastamba_Smriti" class="mw-redirect" title="Apastamba Smriti">Apastamba Smriti</a> and the Bodhyayana Smriti.</li></ul></li></ul>

The Brahmasutra is considered as the Nyaya Prasthana (canonical base for reasoning).<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEIsaeva199335-36-91">[86]</a> The Bhagavad Gita is considered as the Smriti Prasthana.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEIsaeva199335-36-91">[86]</a> The text relies on other Smritis, such as the <a href="Vedangas" class="mw-redirect" title="Vedangas">Vedangas</a>, <a href="Itihasa" class="mw-redirect" title="Itihasa">Itihasa</a>, <a href="Dharmasastras" class="mw-redirect" title="Dharmasastras">Dharmasastras</a>, <a href="Puranas" title="Puranas">Puranas</a> and others.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEFlood1996113-2">[2]</a> Some of this smriti literature incorporated shramanic and Buddhist influences<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTELarson2009185-84">[79]</a> of the period from about 200 BC to about AD 300<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTELarson2009185-84">[79]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTECousins2010-85">[80]</a> and the emerging bhakti tradition into the Brahmanical fold.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel2002-86">[81]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTELarson2009185-84">[79]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Institutions">Institutions</h2></div>

The Smarta Tradition includes temples and monasteries. More Smarta temples are found in West and South India, than in North India.<a href="#cite_note-92">[87]</a>

Adi Shankara is one of the leading scholars of the Smarta Tradition, and he founded some of the most famous monasteries in Hinduism.<a href="#cite_note-ryanjonesmatha-93">[88]</a> These have hosted the <a href="Dashanami_Sampradaya" class="mw-redirect" title="Dashanami Sampradaya">Daśanāmi Sampradāya</a> under four Maṭhas, at <a href="Dwarka" title="Dwarka">Dwarka</a> in the West, <a href="Jagannatha_Puri" class="mw-redirect" title="Jagannatha Puri">Jagannatha Puri</a> in the East, <a href="Sringeri" title="Sringeri">Sringeri</a> in the South and <a href="Badrinath" title="Badrinath">Badrinath</a> in the North.<a href="#cite_note-ryanjonesmatha-93">[88]</a><a href="#cite_note-kwerner148-94">[89]</a>> He himself Ascended the Savagna peetam in Kanchi, known as Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Each math was headed by one of his disciples, called Shankaracharya, who each independently continued the Advaita Vedanta Sampradaya.<a href="#cite_note-ryanjonesmatha-93">[88]</a> The ten Shankara-linked Advaita monastic orders are distributed as follows: Indra Saraswati at Kanchi, Bharati, Puri and Saraswati at Sringeri, Aranya and Vana at Puri, Tirtha and Ashrama at Dwarka, and Giri, Parvata and Sagara at Badrinath.<a href="#cite_note-gjlarson99-95">[90]</a>

The mathas which Shankara built exist until today, and continue the teachings and influence of Shankara.<a href="#cite_note-Narayanan2009p50-96">[91]</a><a href="#cite_note-97">[92]</a>

The table below gives an overview of the four largest Advaita Mathas founded by Adi Shankara, and their details.<a href="#cite_note-kwerner148-94">[89]</a><a href="#cite_note-98">[web 1]</a> However, evidence suggests that Shankara established more mathas locally for Vedanta studies and its propagation, states Hartmut Scharfe, such as the "four mathas in the city of <a href="Trichur" class="mw-redirect" title="Trichur">Trichur</a> alone, that were headed by Trotaka, Sureshvara, Hastamalaka and Padmapada".<a href="#cite_note-99">[93]</a>

The <a href="Sringeri_Matha" class="mw-redirect" title="Sringeri Matha">Sringeri Sharada monastery</a> founded by <a href="Adi_Shankara" title="Adi Shankara">Adi Shankara</a> in Karnataka is the centre of the Smarta sect for its disciples.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEDoniger19991017-21">[21]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPopular_Prakashan200052-47">[45]</a> Puri, Kanchi and Dwaraka Peetams have records of lineage of Sankaracharya since the 5th century BC.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEDr,_Vaidhyanathan201735-100">[94]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEJonathan_Bader2017270-101">[95]</a>

<th><a href="Guru-shishya_tradition" class="mw-redirect" title="Guru-shishya tradition">Shishya</a> (lineage)

</th>

<th><a href="Relative_direction" class="mw-redirect" title="Relative direction">Direction</a>

</th>

<th>Maṭha

</th>

<th>State

</th>

<th><a href="Mah%C4%81v%C4%81kya" class="mw-redirect" title="Mahāvākya">Mahāvākya</a>

</th>

</th>

<th><a href="Sampradaya" title="Sampradaya">Sampradaya</a>

</th></tr>

<tr>

<td><a href="Padmap%C4%81da" class="mw-redirect" title="Padmapāda">Padmapāda</a>

</td>

<th>East

</th>

<td><a href="Govardhana_matha" class="mw-redirect" title="Govardhana matha">Govardhana Pīṭhaṃ</a>

</td>

<td><a href="Odisha" title="Odisha">Odisha</a>

</td>

<td>Prajñānam brahma (Consciousness is Brahman)

</td>

</td>

<td>Bhogavala

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td><a href="Sure%C5%9Bvara" title="Sureśvara">Sureśvara</a>

</td>

<th>South

</th>

<td><a href="Sringeri_Sharada_Peetham" title="Sringeri Sharada Peetham">Sringeri Śārada Pīṭhaṃ</a>

</td>

<td><a href="Karnataka" title="Karnataka">Karnataka</a>

</td>

<td>Aham brahmāsmi (I am Brahman)

</td>

<td><a href="Yajur_Veda" class="mw-redirect" title="Yajur Veda">Yajur Veda</a>

</td>

<td>Bhūrivala

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td><a href="Hastamalakacharya" title="Hastamalakacharya">Hastāmalakācārya</a>

</td>

<th>West

</th>

<td><a href="Dvaraka_Pitha" class="mw-redirect" title="Dvaraka Pitha">Dvāraka Pīṭhaṃ</a>

</td>

<td><a href="Gujarat" title="Gujarat">Gujarat</a>

</td>

<td>Tattvamasi (That thou art)

</td>

</td>

<td>Kitavala

</td></tr>

<tr>

<td><a href="Totakacharya" title="Totakacharya">Toṭakācārya</a>

</td>

<th>North

</th>

<td><a href="Jyotirmath" class="mw-redirect" title="Jyotirmath">Jyotirmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ</a>

</td>

<td><a href="Uttarakhand" title="Uttarakhand">Uttarakhand</a>

</td>

<td>Ayamātmā brahma (This Atman is Brahman)

</td>

<td><a href="Atharva_Veda" class="mw-redirect" title="Atharva Veda">Atharva Veda</a>

</td>

<td>Nandavala

</td></tr></tbody></table>

Other Advaita Vedanta mathas following Smarta Tradition include:

<ul><li>Svarnavalli Matha at Swarnavalli near <a href="Sodhe" class="mw-redirect" title="Sodhe">Sodhe</a>, <a href="Sirsi%2C_Karnataka" title="Sirsi, Karnataka">Sirsi, Karnataka</a></li>

<li><a href="Ramachandrapura_Math" class="mw-redirect" title="Ramachandrapura Math">Ramachandrapura Math</a> at Haniya, <a href="Hosanagara" title="Hosanagara">Hosanagara</a>, Karnataka</li>

<li><a href="Kanchi_matha" class="mw-redirect" title="Kanchi matha">Kanchi matha</a>, at <a href="Kanchipuram" title="Kanchipuram">Kanchipuram</a>, <a href="Tamil_Nadu" title="Tamil Nadu">Tamil Nadu</a></li>

<li><a href="Chitrapur_Math" title="Chitrapur Math">Chitrapur Math</a>, <a href="Shirali" title="Shirali">Shirali</a>, Karnataka</li>

<li><a href="Shri_Gaudapadacharya_Math" class="mw-redirect" title="Shri Gaudapadacharya Math">Shri Gaudapadacharya Math</a>, <a href="Kavale" title="Kavale">Kavale</a>, <a href="Ponda_taluk" class="mw-redirect" title="Ponda taluk">Ponda</a>, Goa</li>

<li>Sri Samsthan Dabholi Math, Dabholi, Goa</li></ul>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Smarta_Brahmins_and_Visvakarmas">Smarta Brahmins and Visvakarmas</h2></div>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Smarta_Brahmins">Smarta Brahmins</h3></div>

The adjective Smārta is also used to classify a <a href="Brahmin" title="Brahmin">Brahmin</a> who adheres to the <a href="Smriti" class="mw-redirect" title="Smriti">Smriti</a> corpus of texts.<a href="#cite_note-Flood,_Gavin_1996_pg._17-17">[17]</a><a href="#cite_note-Buhnemann,_Gudrun_2003._p._57-16">[16]</a>

Smarta Brahmins specialize in the Smriti corpus of texts,<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEFlood199656–57-102">[96]</a> are differentiated from <a href="Shrauta" class="mw-redirect" title="Shrauta">Srauta</a> Brahmins who specialize in the <a href="Sruti" class="mw-redirect" title="Sruti">Sruti</a> corpus of texts such as the <a href="Brahmana" title="Brahmana">Brahmanas</a> layer embedded inside the <a href="Vedas" title="Vedas">Vedas</a>.<a href="#cite_note-Gavin_Flood_2006_6–7-18">[18]</a> Smarta Brahmins are also differentiated from Brahmins who specialize in the <a href="Agama_(Hinduism)" title="Agama (Hinduism)">Agamic</a> (<a href="Tantra" title="Tantra">Tantra</a>) literature such as the <a href="Shaiva_Siddhanta" title="Shaiva Siddhanta">Adi Shaiva</a> Brahmins, <a href="Sri_Vaishnavism" title="Sri Vaishnavism">Sri Vaishnava</a> Brahmins and Shaiva <a href="Kashmiri_Pandits" title="Kashmiri Pandits">Kashmiri Pandits</a>.<a href="#cite_note-Sanderson,_Alexis_2009._pp._276-277-7">[7]</a><a href="#cite_note-103">[97]</a> However, these identities are not clearly defined, and active groups such as "Agamic Smarta Saiva Brahmins" have thrived.<a href="#cite_note-104">[98]</a>

In a more general sense, all Brahmins who do not come from small communities of orthodox Vedic sects are considered Smarta Brahmins. Many orthodox Vedic sects have also turned to temple worship and management, which is considered a Smarta and Agamic tradition. Sri Vaishnava Brahmins sought to combine the Smarta tradition, Alvar Bhakti, and the Pancharatra traditions. Kashmiri Pandits combine Smarta and Agamic tradition.

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Smarta_Visvakarmas">Smarta Visvakarmas</h3></div>

<a href="Vishwakarma_(caste)" class="mw-redirect" title="Vishwakarma (caste)">Visvakarmas</a> are artisans found in South India, such as in the state of <a href="Karnataka" title="Karnataka">Karnataka</a>. They are known for their traditional expertise and skills as blacksmiths, carpenters, coppersmiths, sculptors, and goldsmiths. Smarta Visvakarmas are vegetarian artisans who follow the Smarta tradition. They contrast with Vaishnava Visvakarmas who follow the <a href="Vaishnavism" title="Vaishnavism">Vaishnavism</a> tradition of Hinduism and some of whom may consume non-vegetarian food.<a href="#cite_note-Ridder1987-105">[99]</a><a href="#cite_note-stein257-106">[100]</a> The remarriage of widows is a tradition found among the Smarta Visvakarmas, but has been atypical among Vaishnava Visvakarma.<a href="#cite_note-stein257-106">[100]</a>

According to Brouwer, examples of Smarta Visvakarmas include Niligundapanta (traditionally blacksmiths and carpenters), Konnurpanta (all five artisan trades) and Madipattar (goldsmiths).<a href="#cite_note-Ridder1987-105">[99]</a> The Smarta & Vaishnava Visvakarmas claim to be Brahmins but were never considered to be Brahmins by the mainstream smarta Brahmins of Karnataka and other castes.<a href="#cite_note-Ridder1987-105">[99]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Influence">Influence</h2></div>

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Vaitheespara notes the adherence of the Smarta Brahmans to "the pan-Indian Sanskrit-brahmanical tradition" and their influence on pan-Indian nationalism:

<blockquote class="templatequote">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.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEVaitheespara201091-68">[64]</a></blockquote>

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<ul><li><a href="Neo-Vedanta" title="Neo-Vedanta">Neo-Vedanta</a></li>

<li><a href="Advaita_Vedanta" title="Advaita Vedanta">Advaita Vedanta</a></li>

<li><a href="Ishta-deva" class="mw-redirect" title="Ishta-deva">Ishta-deva</a></li>

<li><a href="Simran_(Sanskrit_word)" class="mw-redirect" title="Simran (Sanskrit word)">Smarana</a></li></ul>

</div>

Prominent Smarta teachers

<ul><li><a href="Gaudapada" title="Gaudapada">Gaudapada</a></li>

<li><a href="Govinda_Bhagavatpada" class="mw-redirect" title="Govinda Bhagavatpada">Govinda Bhagavatpada</a></li>

<li><a href="Adi_Shankara" title="Adi Shankara">Adi Shankara</a></li>

<li><a href="Sureshwaracharya" class="mw-redirect" title="Sureshwaracharya">Sureshwaracharya</a></li>

<li><a href="Padmapadacharya" title="Padmapadacharya">Padmapadacharya</a></li>

<li><a href="Hastamalakacharya" title="Hastamalakacharya">Hastamalakacharya</a></li>

<li><a href="Totakacharya" title="Totakacharya">Totakacharya</a></li>

<li><a href="Vachaspati_Mishra" class="mw-redirect" title="Vachaspati Mishra">Vachaspati Mishra</a></li>

<li><a href="Sri_Ramakrishna" class="mw-redirect" title="Sri Ramakrishna">Sri Ramakrishna</a></li>

<li><a href="Swami_Vivekananda" title="Swami Vivekananda">Swami Vivekananda</a></li>

<li><a href="Sri_Ramana_Maharshi" class="mw-redirect" title="Sri Ramana Maharshi">Sri Ramana Maharshi</a></li>

<li><a href="Sarvepalli_Radhakrishnan" title="Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan">Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEFort1998179-107">[101]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEMinor19873-108">[102]</a></li>

<li><a href="Madhusudana_Saraswati" class="mw-redirect" title="Madhusudana Saraswati">Madhusudana Saraswati</a></li>

<li><a href="Swami_Karpatri" title="Swami Karpatri">Swami Karpatri</a></li></ul>

</div>

Sects

Examples of sects that follow the Smarta tradition and Advaita Vedanta, with Shankara as the primary reformer:

<ul><li><a href="Halenadu_Karnataka_Brahmin" title="Halenadu Karnataka Brahmin">Halenadu Karnataka Brahmin</a></li>

<li><a href="Hoysala_Karnataka_Brahmins" class="mw-redirect" title="Hoysala Karnataka Brahmins">Hoysala Karnataka Brahmins</a></li>

<li><a href="Iyers" class="mw-redirect" title="Iyers">Iyers</a></li></ul>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notes">Notes</h2></div>

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<li id="cite_note-smartasutras-27"><a href="#cite_ref-smartasutras_27-0">^</a> The <a href="Vedanga" title="Vedanga">Vedanga</a> texts, states <a href="Alf_Hiltebeitel" title="Alf Hiltebeitel">Alf Hiltebeitel</a>, are Smriti texts that were composed in the second half of the Vedic period that ended around 500 BCE.(<a href="#CITEREFHiltebeitel2013">Hiltebeitel 2013</a>, p. 13) The Vedanga texts include the <a href="Kalpa_(Vedanga)" title="Kalpa (Vedanga)">Kalpa (Vedanga)</a> texts consisting of the Srautasutras, Grihyasutras and Dharmasutras, many of which were revised well past the Vedic period.(<a href="#CITEREFHiltebeitel2013">Hiltebeitel 2013</a>, pp. 13–14) The Grihyasutras and Dharmasutras, states Hiltebeitel, were composed between 600 BCE and 400 CE, and these are sometimes called the Smartasutras, the roots of the Smriti tradition.(<a href="#CITEREFHiltebeitel2013">Hiltebeitel 2013</a>, pp. 13–14)

</li>

<li id="cite_note-39"><a href="#cite_ref-39">^</a> <a href="Wendy_Doniger" title="Wendy Doniger">Wendy Doniger</a>, based on her study of indologists, assigns approximate dates to the various Puranas:<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTECollins198836-38">[37]</a>

<ul><li><a href="Markandeya_Purana" title="Markandeya Purana">Markandeya Purana</a> to c. 250 CE (with one portion dated to c. 550 CE)</li>

<li><a href="Matsya_Purana" title="Matsya Purana">Matsya Purana</a> to c. 250–500</li>

<li><a href="Vayu_Purana" title="Vayu Purana">Vayu Purana</a> to c. 350</li>

<li><a href="Harivamsa" class="mw-redirect" title="Harivamsa">Harivamsa</a> and <a href="Vishnu_Purana" title="Vishnu Purana">Vishnu Purana</a> to c. 450</li>

<li><a href="Brahmanda_Purana" title="Brahmanda Purana">Brahmanda Purana</a> to c. 350–950</li>

<li><a href="Vamana_Purana" title="Vamana Purana">Vamana Purana</a> to c. 450–900, <a href="Kurma_Purana" title="Kurma Purana">Kurma Purana</a> to c. 550–850</li>

<li><a href="Linga_Purana" title="Linga Purana">Linga Purana</a> to c. 600–1000</li></ul>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-mayavada-58"><a href="#cite_ref-mayavada_58-0">^</a> The term "mayavada" is still being used, in a critical way, by the Hare Krshnas.<a href="#cite_note-54">[52]</a><a href="#cite_note-55">[53]</a><a href="#cite_note-56">[54]</a><a href="#cite_note-57">[55]</a>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-62"><a href="#cite_ref-62">^</a> Shankara himself, and his influential predecessor <a href="Gaudapada" title="Gaudapada">Gaudapada</a>, used Buddhist terminology and mention Buddhist doctrines in their work,<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEComans200035-36-48">[46]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTESharma200060-64-49">[47]</a> suggesting that they were influenced by Buddhism.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTERaju1971177-178-50">[48]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTERenard2010157-51">[49]</a> Gaudapada, states Raju took over the Buddhist doctrines that <a href="Yogacara" class="mw-redirect" title="Yogacara">ultimate reality is pure consciousness (vijñapti-mātra)</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTERaju1971177-52">[50]</a> and "that the nature of the world is the four-cornered negation", then "wove [both doctrines] into a philosophy of the Mandukaya Upanisad, which was further developed by Shankara".<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTERaju1971177-178-50">[48]</a> In Gaudapada's text, similarly, the Buddhist concept of <a href="Ajativada" class="mw-redirect" title="Ajativada">"ajāta"</a> from <a href="Nagarjuna" title="Nagarjuna">Nagarjuna's</a> <a href="Madhyamaka" title="Madhyamaka">Madhyamaka</a> philosophy is found.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTERenard2010157-51">[49]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEComans200035-36-48">[46]</a> Gaudapada also took over the Buddhist concept of <a href="Ajativada" class="mw-redirect" title="Ajativada">"ajāta"</a> from <a href="Nagarjuna" title="Nagarjuna">Nagarjuna's</a> <a href="Madhyamaka" title="Madhyamaka">Madhyamaka</a> philosophy.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTERenard2010157-51">[49]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEComans200035-36-48">[46]</a> Adi Shankara Acharya succeeded in reading Gaudapada's mayavada<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTESharma200064-53">[51]</a><a href="#cite_note-mayavada-58">[note 3]</a> into Badarayana's Brahma Sutras, "and give it a locus classicus", against the realistic strain of the Brahma Sutras.<a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTESharma200064-53">[51]</a> Yet, while there is borrowed terminology, Gaudapada's doctrines are unlike Buddhism. Gaudapada's influential text consists of four chapters; Chapter One, Two and Three of which are entirely Vedantin and founded on the <a href="Upanishads" title="Upanishads">Upanishads</a>, with little Buddhist flavor.<a href="#cite_note-trvmurti114-59">[56]</a> Chapter Four uses Buddhist terminology and incorporates Buddhist doctrines, state both Murti and Richard King, but Vedanta scholars who followed Gaudapada through the 17th century never referenced nor used Chapter Four, they only quote from the first three.<a href="#cite_note-trvmurti114-59">[56]</a><a href="#cite_note-iepgauda-60">[57]</a> The Gaudapada tradition is Vedantin with its foundation of Atman and Brahman, and his doctrines fundamentally different from Buddhism which deny these foundational concepts of Hinduism.<a href="#cite_note-trvmurti114-59">[56]</a><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPotter198181-61">[58]</a>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-78"><a href="#cite_ref-78">^</a> By contrast, the dualistic <a href="Vaishnavism" title="Vaishnavism">Vaishnava</a> traditions consider <a href="Vishnu" title="Vishnu">Vishnu</a> or <a href="Krishna" title="Krishna">Krishna</a> to be the supreme God who grants salvation. Similarly, the dualistic subtradition of <a href="Shaiva_Siddhanta" title="Shaiva Siddhanta">Shaiva Siddhanta</a> holds the same beliefs about <a href="Shiva" title="Shiva">Shiva</a>. Other traditions of Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism hold a spectrum of beliefs between dualism and <a href="Nonduality_(spirituality)" class="mw-redirect" title="Nonduality (spirituality)">nondualism</a>.<a href="#cite_note-76">[72]</a><a href="#cite_note-77">[73]</a>

</li>

</ol></div>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>

<li id="cite_note-1"><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a> U Murthy (1979), Samskara, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0195610796, p. 150.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEFlood1996113-2">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEFlood1996113_2-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEFlood1996113_2-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEFlood1996113_2-2">c</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEFlood1996113_2-3">d</a> <a href="#CITEREFFlood1996">Flood 1996</a>, p. 113.

</li>

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</style><cite id="CITEREFMilner1994" class="citation book cs1">Milner, M. (1994). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=EdqMMcYQ7r8C&pg=PA195">Status and Sacredness: A General Theory of Status Relations and an Analysis of Indian Culture</a>. Oxford University Press. pp. 194–195. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-0-19-535912-1</bdi>. Retrieved 18 June 2018.</cite>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-4"><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a> <cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Smarta-sect">"Smarta sect | Hinduism"</a>. Encyclopedia Britannica.</cite>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEKnipe201536–37-5"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKnipe201536–37_5-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFKnipe2015">Knipe 2015</a>, pp. 36–37.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEFlood1996113,_134,_155–161,_167–168-6"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEFlood1996113,_134,_155–161,_167–168_6-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFFlood1996">Flood 1996</a>, pp. 113, 134, 155–161, 167–168.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-Sanderson,_Alexis_2009._pp._276-277-7">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Sanderson,_Alexis_2009._pp._276-277_7-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Sanderson,_Alexis_2009._pp._276-277_7-1">b</a> 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.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-8"><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a> John Shephard (2009), Ninian Smart On World Religions, Ashgate, <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-0754666387</bdi>, p. 186.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel2013-9">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel2013_9-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel2013_9-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel2013_9-2">c</a> <a href="#CITEREFHiltebeitel2013">Hiltebeitel 2013</a>.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEFlood1996-10">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEFlood1996_10-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEFlood1996_10-1">b</a> <a href="#CITEREFFlood1996">Flood 1996</a>.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-11"><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a> U Murthy (1979), Samskara, Oxford University Press, <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-0195610796</bdi>, p. 150.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-williamsonp89-12">^ <a href="#cite_ref-williamsonp89_12-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-williamsonp89_12-1">b</a> L. Williamson (2010), Transcendent in America: Hindu-inspired Meditation Movements as New Religion, New York University Press, <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-0814794500</bdi>, p. 89.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-13"><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a> William Jackson (1994), Tyāgarāja and the Renewal of Tradition, Motilal Banarsidass, <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-8120811461</bdi>, p. 218.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEKnipe201536-14"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKnipe201536_14-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFKnipe2015">Knipe 2015</a>, p. 36.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-15"><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a> Buhnemann, Gudrun, Puja: A Study In Smarta Ritual, Publications Of The De Nobili Research Library, Gerold & Co., Vienna, 1988. pp. 32–33.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-Buhnemann,_Gudrun_2003._p._57-16">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Buhnemann,_Gudrun_2003._p._57_16-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Buhnemann,_Gudrun_2003._p._57_16-1">b</a> 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'."

</li>

<li id="cite_note-Flood,_Gavin_1996_pg._17-17">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Flood,_Gavin_1996_pg._17_17-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Flood,_Gavin_1996_pg._17_17-1">b</a> 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."

</li>

<li id="cite_note-Gavin_Flood_2006_6–7-18">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Gavin_Flood_2006_6–7_18-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Gavin_Flood_2006_6–7_18-1">b</a> <cite id="CITEREFGavin_Flood2006" class="citation book cs1">Gavin Flood (2006). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=1Uer8W670IoC">The Tantric Body: The Secret Tradition of Hindu Religion</a>. I. B. Tauris. pp. 6–7. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-1-84511-011-6</bdi>.</cite>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-SSD-Smarta-19">^ <a href="#cite_ref-SSD-Smarta_19-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-SSD-Smarta_19-1">b</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?script=HK&beginning=0+&tinput=+smArta&trans=Translate&direction=AU">Spoken Sanskrit Dictionary, smArta</a>

</li>

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEDoniger19991017-21">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDoniger19991017_21-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDoniger19991017_21-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDoniger19991017_21-2">c</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDoniger19991017_21-3">d</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDoniger19991017_21-4">e</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDoniger19991017_21-5">f</a> <a href="#CITEREFDoniger1999">Doniger 1999</a>, p. 1017.

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201318–22,_29–30-24"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201318–22,_29–30_24-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFHiltebeitel2013">Hiltebeitel 2013</a>, pp. 18–22, 29–30.

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201312-25"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201312_25-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFHiltebeitel2013">Hiltebeitel 2013</a>, p. 12.

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201314-28"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201314_28-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFHiltebeitel2013">Hiltebeitel 2013</a>, p. 14.

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201318-29"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201318_29-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFHiltebeitel2013">Hiltebeitel 2013</a>, p. 18.

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201318–22-32"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201318–22_32-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFHiltebeitel2013">Hiltebeitel 2013</a>, pp. 18–22.

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201329–30-33">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201329–30_33-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201329–30_33-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201329–30_33-2">c</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHiltebeitel201329–30_33-3">d</a> <a href="#CITEREFHiltebeitel2013">Hiltebeitel 2013</a>, pp. 29–30.

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<li id="cite_note-34"><a href="#cite_ref-34">^</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.britannica.com/topic/Smarta-sect">Smarta sect</a>, Encyclopædia Britannica (2012): "Smarta Sect, Orthodox Hindu Sect Composed Of Members Of The 'Twice-Born', Or Initiated Upper Classes (Brahmin, Kshatriya, And Vaishya), Whose Primarily Brahmin Followers ..."

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTECollins198836-38"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTECollins198836_38-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFCollins1988">Collins 1988</a>, p. 36. sfn error: no target: CITEREFCollins1988 (help)

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEMichaels200441-40"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMichaels200441_40-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFMichaels2004">Michaels 2004</a>, p. 41.

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEThapar2004325,_487-42"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEThapar2004325,_487_42-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFThapar2004">Thapar 2004</a>, p. 325, 487.

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEThapar2004487-44"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEThapar2004487_44-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFThapar2004">Thapar 2004</a>, p. 487.

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTENath200120-45"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTENath200120_45-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFNath2001">Nath 2001</a>, p. 20.

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTENath200131–32-46"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTENath200131–32_46-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFNath2001">Nath 2001</a>, pp. 31–32.

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEPopular_Prakashan200052-47">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPopular_Prakashan200052_47-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPopular_Prakashan200052_47-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPopular_Prakashan200052_47-2">c</a> <a href="#CITEREFPopular_Prakashan2000">Popular Prakashan 2000</a>, p. 52.

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEComans200035-36-48">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEComans200035-36_48-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEComans200035-36_48-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEComans200035-36_48-2">c</a> <a href="#CITEREFComans2000">Comans 2000</a>, p. 35-36.

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTESharma200060-64-49"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESharma200060-64_49-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFSharma2000">Sharma 2000</a>, p. 60-64.

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTERaju1971177-52"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTERaju1971177_52-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFRaju1971">Raju 1971</a>, p. 177.

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<li id="cite_note-54"><a href="#cite_ref-54">^</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://gaudiyatouchstone.net/mayavada-and-buddhism-%E2%80%93-are-they-one-and-same">Swami B.V. Giri, Gaudya Touchstone, Mayavada and Buddhism – Are They One and the Same?</a>

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTECousins2010-85">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTECousins2010_85-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTECousins2010_85-1">b</a> <a href="#CITEREFCousins2010">Cousins 2010</a>.

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEIsaeva199335-88"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEIsaeva199335_88-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFIsaeva1993">Isaeva 1993</a>, p. 35.

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEScheepers2000-90"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEScheepers2000_90-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFScheepers2000">Scheepers 2000</a>. sfn error: no target: CITEREFScheepers2000 (help)

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEIsaeva199335-36-91">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEIsaeva199335-36_91-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEIsaeva199335-36_91-1">b</a> <a href="#CITEREFIsaeva1993">Isaeva 1993</a>, p. 35-36.

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<li id="cite_note-92"><a href="#cite_ref-92">^</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/549451/Smarta-sect">Smarta sect</a>, Encyclopædia Britannica

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<li id="cite_note-ryanjonesmatha-93">^ <a href="#cite_ref-ryanjonesmatha_93-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-ryanjonesmatha_93-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-ryanjonesmatha_93-2">c</a> <cite id="CITEREFConstance_JonesJames_D._Ryan2006" class="citation book cs1">Constance Jones; James D. Ryan (2006). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=OgMmceadQ3gC">Encyclopedia of Hinduism</a>. Infobase. p. 280. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-0-8160-7564-5</bdi>.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-kwerner148-94">^ <a href="#cite_ref-kwerner148_94-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-kwerner148_94-1">b</a> <cite id="CITEREFKarel_Werner2013" class="citation book cs1">Karel Werner (2013). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=yMxdAgAAQBAJ">Love Divine</a>. Routledge. pp. 148–151. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-1-136-77461-4</bdi>.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-gjlarson99-95"><a href="#cite_ref-gjlarson99_95-0">^</a> <cite id="CITEREFGerald_James_Larson1995" class="citation book cs1">Gerald James Larson (1995). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=MuT-6200wdEC">India's Agony Over Religion</a>. State University of New York Press. pp. 99–100. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-1-4384-1014-2</bdi>.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-Narayanan2009p50-96"><a href="#cite_ref-Narayanan2009p50_96-0">^</a> <cite id="CITEREFVasudha_Narayanan2009" class="citation book cs1">Vasudha Narayanan (2009). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=E0Mm6S1XFYAC">Hinduism</a>. The Rosen Publishing Group. pp. 50–51. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-1-4358-5620-2</bdi>.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-97"><a href="#cite_ref-97">^</a> <cite id="CITEREFNakamura2004" class="citation book cs1">Nakamura, Hajime (2004). A History of Early Vedanta Philosophy. Part Two (Original: 1950). Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 680–681. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-8120819634</bdi>.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-99"><a href="#cite_ref-99">^</a> Hartmut Scharfe (2002), From Temple schools to Universities, in Education in Ancient India: Handbook of Oriental Studies, Brill Academic, <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-9004125568</bdi>, page 179

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEDr,_Vaidhyanathan201735-100"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEDr,_Vaidhyanathan201735_100-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFDr,_Vaidhyanathan2017">Dr, Vaidhyanathan 2017</a>, p. 35. sfn error: no target: CITEREFDr,_Vaidhyanathan2017 (help)

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEJonathan_Bader2017270-101"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJonathan_Bader2017270_101-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFJonathan_Bader2017">Jonathan Bader 2017</a>, p. 270. sfn error: no target: CITEREFJonathan_Bader2017 (help)

</li>

<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEFlood199656–57-102"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEFlood199656–57_102-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFFlood1996">Flood 1996</a>, pp. 56–57.

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<li id="cite_note-103"><a href="#cite_ref-103">^</a> <cite id="CITEREFGavin_Flood2006" class="citation book cs1">Gavin Flood (2006). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=1Uer8W670IoC">The Tantric Body: The Secret Tradition of Hindu Religion</a>. I.B.Tauris. pp. 7–8. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-1-84511-011-6</bdi>.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-104"><a href="#cite_ref-104">^</a> <cite id="CITEREFFred_W._Clothey2006" class="citation book cs1">Fred W. Clothey (2006). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=uRxAOJWnyEwC">Ritualizing on the Boundaries: Continuity and Innovation in the Tamil Diaspora</a>. University of South Carolina Press. pp. 168–169. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-1-57003-647-7</bdi>.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-stein257-106">^ <a href="#cite_ref-stein257_106-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-stein257_106-1">b</a> <cite id="CITEREFBurton_SteinSanjay_Subrahmanyam1996" class="citation book cs1">Burton Stein; Sanjay Subrahmanyam (1996). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=XcrsAAAAMAAJ">Institutions and economic change in South Asia</a>. Oxford University Press. pp. 257–258. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-0-19-563857-8</bdi>.</cite>

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEFort1998179-107"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEFort1998179_107-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFFort1998">Fort 1998</a>, p. 179.

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<li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEMinor19873-108"><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMinor19873_108-0">^</a> <a href="#CITEREFMinor1987">Minor 1987</a>, p. 3.

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</ol></div>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Bibliography">Bibliography</h3></div>

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</div>

Web sources

<li id="cite_note-98"><a href="#cite_ref-98">^</a> <cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20060626233820/http://www.sringerisharadapeetham.org/html/History/amnaya.html">"Adi Shankara's four Amnaya Peethams"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.sringerisharadapeetham.org/html/History/amnaya.html">the original</a> on 26 June 2006. Retrieved 20 August 2006.</cite>

</li>

</ol></div></div>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2></div>

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Advaita_Vedanta">Advaita Vedanta</h3></div>

<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.sankaracharya.org">Adi Sankaracharya and Advaita Vedanta Library</a></li>

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Puranas">Puranas</h3></div>

<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part14/chap9.htm">Oneness of God from Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham</a></li></ul></div><div><div class="zim-footer">

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