17 Facts About Smarta Brahmins

The Smarta Brahmins tradition rejects theistic sectarianism, and is notable for the domestic worship of five shrines with five deities, all treated as equal – Ganesha, Shiva, Shakti, Vishnu and Surya.

The Smarta Brahmins tradition contrasted with the older Shrauta tradition, which was based on elaborate rituals and rites.

Smarta Brahmins tradition developed during Classical Period of Hinduism around the beginning of the Common Era, when Hinduism emerged from the interaction between Brahmanism and local traditions.

The Smarta Brahmins tradition is aligned with Advaita Vedanta, and regards Adi Shankara as its founder or reformer.

Term Smarta refers to Brahmins who specialise in the Smriti corpus of texts named the Grihya Sutras, in contrast to Shrauta Sutras.

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Smarta Brahmins is an adjective derived from Smriti.

Smarta Brahmins is especially associated with a "Sect Founded By Shankaracharya", according to Monier Williams.

The revived Smarta Brahmins tradition attempted to integrate varied and conflicting devotional practices, with its ideas of nondual experience of Atman as Brahman.

The growth of this Smarta Tradition began in the Gupta period, and likely was dominated by Dvija classes, in particular the Brahmins, of the early medieval Indian society.

The ideas of Smarta Brahmins were historically influential, creative with concepts such as of Harihara and Ardhanarishvara, and many of the major scholars of Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism, and Bhakti movement came out of the Smarta Brahmins tradition.

Medieval era scholars such as Vedanta Desika and Vallabhacharya recognized Smarta Brahmins as competing with Vaishnavism and other traditions.

Smarta Brahmins tradition emerged initially as a synthesis movement to unify Hinduism into a nonsectarian form based on the Vedic heritage.

Smarta Brahmins Tradition accepts two concepts of Brahman, which are the saguna Brahman – the Brahman with attributes, and nirguna Brahman – the Brahman without attributes.

Adjective Smarta Brahmins is used to classify a Brahmin who adheres to the Smriti corpus of texts.

Smarta Brahmins specialize in the Smriti corpus of texts, are differentiated from Srauta Brahmins who specialize in the Sruti corpus of texts such as the Brahmanas layer embedded inside the Vedas.

Smarta Brahmins are differentiated from Brahmins who specialize in the Agamic literature such as the Adi Shaiva Brahmins, Sri Vaishnava Brahmins and Shaiva Kashmiri Pandits.

Smarta Brahmins Visvakarmas are vegetarian artisans who follow the Smarta Brahmins tradition.