The Smarta tradition follows the rules of conduct and ritual laid down in the smriti texts, above all the ancient sutras, and honours all the major gods. In the panchayatana puja Smartas worship five deities together: Shiva, Vishnu, the Goddess, Surya and Ganesha. Adi Shankaracharya is regarded as its greatest teacher, and by some as its founder; his Advaita Vedanta is its philosophy and his four maths are its centres.
- Deities
- The panchayatana: Shiva, Vishnu, the Goddess (Shakti), Surya, Ganesha; Skanda as well in the Shanmata
- Teacher
- Adi Shankaracharya (c. 700–750 CE according to Britannica); his disciples Sureshvara, Padmapada, Totaka, Hastamalaka
- Philosophy
- Advaita Vedanta
- Tilak
- No single fixed mark; the Dashanami renunciants wear the tripundra of ash
- Main festivals
- Shankara Jayanti (Vaishakha Shukla Panchami); the festivals of all five deities
What the Smarta tradition is
The word “Smarta” comes from smriti. According to Britannica the smriti are texts held to be of human authorship, while the Vedas are held to be divinely revealed (shruti); the sutra texts whose rules the Smartas follow are part of the smriti literature.
Smartas are not exclusive worshippers of one deity: they honour all the gods, though a family may favour one; according to Britannica Shiva is especially favoured among them today. According to the Himalayan Academy Smartas worship the Supreme in one of six forms, which is why they are called liberal or non-sectarian.
History in brief
Britannica calls Adi Shankaracharya the greatest teacher of the Smartas and, “according to some”, the founder of the tradition. There are at least 11 biographies of him, all written centuries later; modern research places him around 700–750 CE. He wrote commentaries on the Brahma Sutra, the principal Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.
By tradition he founded four maths in the four directions. According to Britannica his math at Sringeri is still the centre of the sect, and its head, the jagadguru, is the spiritual authority of the Smartas of South India and Gujarat. In North India the word “Smarta” does not necessarily mean a follower of Shankara.
Beliefs and practice
The panchayatana puja is the mark of Smarta worship: Shiva, Vishnu, the Goddess, Surya and Ganesha worshipped together. The Shanmata tradition adds Skanda and counts six paths.
In philosophy Smartas follow Shankaracharya’s Advaita Vedanta: there is one eternal, unchanging reality (Brahman), and the experience of plurality and difference comes from ignorance. Three stages lead to this knowledge: shravana (hearing), manana (reflection) and nididhyasana (meditation), based on the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad’s words “the self is to be seen, heard, reflected on and meditated upon” (2.4.5).
Smarta Brahmins have tended to hold firmly to traditional values and have been active in every branch of learning; according to Britannica they earned the title “shastri”, and in Tamil “ayyar”.
The Shanmata and the Dashanami orders
According to the tradition of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Adi Shankaracharya established six paths of worship (the Shanmata): Shaiva, Vaishnava, Shakta, Ganapatya, Kaumara and Saura. The renunciant order of the Shankaracharyas is divided into ten names (Dashanami): Aranya, Ashrama, Bharati, Giri, Parvata, Puri, Sarasvati, Sagara, Tirtha and Vana, each belonging to one of the four maths.
Main centres
The four amnaya maths of the Shankaracharyas: Jyotirmath in the north, Sringeri in the south, Dwarka in the west and the Govardhan Math at Puri in the east. At Sringeri Shankara Jayanti is celebrated with great festivity on Vaishakha Shukla Panchami. The Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham in Tamil Nadu also describes itself as founded by Adi Shankaracharya.
Where the sources differ
- Shankaracharya’s dates: Britannica gives c. 700–750 CE from modern research and notes that 788–820 used to be given; the Himalayan Academy gives 788–820 CE; the traditions of some maths place him in the 5th century BCE.
- Founder: Britannica calls Shankaracharya the greatest teacher of the Smartas and, “according to some”, the founder; the Himalayan Academy calls him the founder of the six-sect system.
- Five or six deities: Britannica gives the five of the panchayatana; the Himalayan Academy and the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham add Skanda and count six.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Smarta sampradaya?
The tradition that follows the rules of the smriti texts, honours all the major gods and worships Shiva, Vishnu, the Goddess, Surya and Ganesha together in the panchayatana puja. Its philosophy is the Advaita Vedanta of Adi Shankaracharya.
What is the panchayatana puja?
The “worship of the five shrines”: the Smarta worship in which five deities, Shiva, Vishnu, the Goddess (Shakti), Surya and Ganesha, are worshipped together.
What is the difference between Smarta and Vaishnava Ekadashi?
Sometimes the Ekadashi fast falls on two consecutive days. According to Drik Panchang, Smarta households then fast on the first day, and the second is suggested for renunciants, widows and those seeking moksha; that second day coincides with the Vaishnava Ekadashi. So the Vaishnava Ekadashi may fall one day after the Smarta one.
Who founded the Smarta sampradaya?
Adi Shankaracharya is regarded as the tradition’s greatest teacher, and some call him its founder. The tradition itself rests on the Vedas and the smritis, which are older than Shankaracharya.
Sources
- Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.4.5
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: “Smarta sect”, “Shankara”, “Saura sect”, “Dashnami sannyasin”
- Himalayan Academy (Kauai’s Hindu Monastery): “The Four Denominations of Hinduism”
- Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham (kamakoti.org): “Our Heritage: Ganapatyam”, the list of the Shanmata
- Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham: “Shankara Jayanti”, “The Amnaya Peethams” (sringeri.net)
- Drik Panchang: Ekadashi dates (Smarta and Vaishnava)
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