Smartism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Part of a series on
Hinduism
HinduismOm.svg

Om • Brahman • Ishvara
Hindu • History of Hinduism
Deities
Philosophy
Scriptures
Practices
Philosophers
Other Topics
Portal:HinduismHinduSwastika.svg

Hinduism Portal
Hindu Mythology Portal
 v • d • e 


Smartism (or Smarta Sampradaya, Smarta Tradition, as it is termed in Sanskrit) is a liberal or nonsectarian denomination of the Hindu religion who accept all the major Hindu deities as forms of the one Brahman in contrast to Vaishnavism, for example. The term Smarta refers to adherents who follow the Vedas and Shastras.

In Sanskrit, Smārta means "relating to memory, recorded in or based on the Smrti, based on tradition, prescribed or sanctioned by traditional law or usage, (etc)", from the root smr ("remember"); smarana. Smārta is a vriddhi derivation of Smriti just as Śrauta is a vriddhi derivation of Śruti.The system they follow is referred to also as Srauta-Smartha as evidenced in the sankalpams they take during prayers.[1] This joined reference srauta smartha cannot be separated in the context of an orthodox smartha brahmin because he would be expected to follow the sruti and thereby the smritis derived from them.

Contents

[edit] Salient features of Smartism

Smartas are followers and propagators of Smriti or religious texts derived from Vedic scriptures.Smarta religion was formed by a section of people who wanted to reestablish the authority of the Vedas. They sought to bring back the Srauta rituals.

[edit] Shad Dharsana Philosophy

Smartism includes the followers of all the six Dharsanas (systems) of Hindu philosophy. The basic idea of Smarta religion was to reestablish Vaidic practices. Vedas are non-sectarian unlike the Puranas. The Smartas found that you can not bring about a unity among different sects or revive the Vaidic practices without bringing together the six systems of Philosophy. The Vaidic rituals are based on Purva Mimansa. Advaita Vedanta does not believe in rituals. The Bhagavad Gita which contains the Sankhya and Yoga concepts is revered by the Smartas.[2]

[edit] Differences with other Hindu denominations

Smartas believe that the worshipper is free to choose a particular aspect of God to worship. By contrast, a Vaishnavite considers Vishnu or Krishna to be the true God who is worthy of worship and other forms as his subordinates. Accordingly, Vaishnavites, for example, believe that only Vishnu or Krishna can grant the ultimate salvation for mankind, moksha. Similarly, many Shaivites also hold similar beliefs about Shiva. Notably, many Shaivites believe that Shakti is worshipped to reach Shiva, whom for Shaktas is the impersonal Absolute. In Shaktism, emphasis is given to the feminine manifest through which the male unmanifested, Lord Shiva, is realized.

Smartas, like many Shaivites and Vaishnavites, consider Surya to be an aspect of God. Many Shaivites and Vaishnavites, for example, differ from Smartas, in that they regard Surya as an aspect of Shiva and Vishnu, respectively. For example, the sun is called Surya Narayana by Vaishnavites. In Saivite theology, the sun is said to be one of eight forms of Shiva, the Astamurti. Additionally, Ganesh and Skanda, for many Shaivites, would be aspects of Shakti and Shiva, respectively.

[edit] Smarta practices

[edit] Daily routine

The Smartas hold practice of Dharma more important than beliefs. This is a distinct feature of the Dharmic religions. The practices include mainly Yajnas. The daily routine[3] includes performing

The last two named Yajnas are performed in only a few households today.

Brahmacharis perform:

instead of Agnihotra or Aupasana.

The other rituals followed include Amavasya tarpanam and Shraddha.

See also: Nitya karma and Kaamya karma

[edit] Panchayatana Puja

The Smartas evolved a kind of worship which is known as Panchayatana puja. In this Puja, the five principal Brahmanical Hindu Deities (Surya, Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesa and Devi) are the objects of veneration. 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.[4]

Some of the Smartas of South India add a sixth Deity Skanda.

The Smartas follow the Ashrama tradition of Hiduism.There are different sets of rules for each Ashrama (stage of an individual's life). The stages of life prescribed in the Vedic scriptures are Brahmacharya Ashrama, Grihastha Ashrama, Vanaprastha Ashrama and Sannyasa Ashrama. These four orders normally proceed one after the other, depending upon one's age, maturity, mental disposition and qualification. Each stage has its own set of rules within which it is conducted.

[edit] Other practices

All Smartas who take up the Brahmacharya Ashrama by undergoing Upanayana, are expected to learn the Vedas and Shastras besides leading a strict celibate Life. They are expected to adhere to a sattvic diet and adhere to other rules of the Smriti tradition of their respective families. In modern days, the Smarthas contend with learning at least the select portions (called Suktas) and other portions from the Aranyaka of the Veda.

Smartas are recommended to follow the Brahma form of Vedic marriage (a type of arranged marriage). The marriage ceremony is derived from Vedic prescriptions. Women acquire the traditions of her husband's family upon marriage.

Lineage is an important continuity for the Smarthas. It is called the Gotra. Each Smartha family belongs to a particular Gotra which is the progeny of an identified Rishi. People belonging to the same Gotra are deemed brothers & sisters and hence cannot marry each other.

[edit] The Shrauta Tradition

Main article: Shrauta

Traditionally the Smartas follow the Shrauta tradition. The Shrauta tradition emphasises on performance of Yajnas which are described in the Vedas.

[edit] Religious institutions

Traditional Smarta religious institutions:

and other Sankara Maths spread all over India.

The other Hindu missions with Smarta traditions:

[edit] Contributions

[edit] Prominent Smarta Teachers

Some of the prominent Smarta Teachers:

[edit] Scriptures followed

Smartas follow the Hindu scriptures. These include:

The Vedas (Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda). These are considered primary spiritual resources; every Brahmin family is affiliated to one or more of the Vedas. The Upanishads, which are part of the Vedas, are often mentioned separately, given their especial importance as products of past intellectual ferment. The Smritis" are religious books based on Vedas and are written by important Sages/Rishis of the past. Each of them contains recommendations and practices unique to itself. The Book an individual followed depended on his family. Thus, ritual practices sometimes varied from family to family, depending on family tradition. Some of the more common religious law books were the Manu Smriti, the Apastamba Smriti and the Bodhyayana Smriti. The Puranas contain the lore and explanations of the theology of the Vedas. They are basically a collection of sacred historical events that were passed from one generation to the next in the form of mythological stories. Smarta philosophers use the puranas to get a better understanding of Vedas, but do not consider them as completely authentic texts. However, the eighteen Puranas are revered by Smartas, just like any other Hindus. Today the Puranas are the main inspiration for many Smartas.

Smartas also recite Shlokas or Stotras (devotional hymns) composed by various Hindu saints and poets.

See also: Shastras

[edit] Communities

Though most of the Hindus follow the Smarta tradition, only a few communities still call themselves Smartas. These communities are mostly in South India.

Smarta communities:

See:Kannada brahmins

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ A Religious History of Ancient India. Volume 2. By S.R.Goyal. Published by Kusumanjali Prakashan, Meerut, India
  3. ^ A day in the life of a Brahmin
  4. ^ A Religious History of Ancient India. Volume 2. By S.R.Goyal. Published by Kusumanjali Prakashan, Meerut, India
  5. ^ Sankethis.com
  6. ^ Karki math

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartism"
Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages