Smarta Tradition

Smarta tradition refers to a movement in Hinduism that developed and expanded with the Puranas genre of literature. This Puranic religion is notable for the domestic worship of five shrines with five deities, all treated as equal – Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha, Surya and Devi (Shakti). The Smarta tradition contrasted with the Shrauta tradition, the latter based on elaborate rituals and rites. There has been considerable overlap in the ideas and practices of the Smarta tradition with other significant historic movements within Hinduism, namely Shaivism, Vasihnavism and Shaktism.

The Smarta tradition is traditionally credited to nondualism philosophy and attributed to Adi Shankara of the Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy. Shankara championed the ultimate reality is impersonal and Nirguna (attributeless) and any symbolic god serves the same equivalent purpose. Inspired by this belief, the Smarta tradition followers, along with the five Hindu gods include a sixth impersonal god in their practice. The tradition has been called by William Jackson as "advaitin, monistic in its outlook".