Smartism is the branch of Hinduism that worships five deities, Vishnu, Shiva, Surya, Ganesha and Devi. Any deity may be worshipped in Smartism. Adherents to Smartism are called Smartas. Smartas comprise the smallest of the four Hindu sects. In Smartism, all of the deities are regarded as equals, though individuals are allowed to give preference to one particular deity according to their personal beliefs. Smartism is linked to the ideology of the guru, Adi Shankaracharya. The idea behind the founding of Smartism was to do away with certain practices in Hinduism, such as animal sacrifice; and also because Adi Shankaracharya believed in the concept of Advaita Vedanta, in which Brahman is the fundamental and highest reality above all gods. All of the Hindu epics and Puranic literature are accepted by Smartism.
| Website | https://www.himalayanacademy.com/media/books/hindu-basics/web/hin_ch06.html |
| Categories | Beliefs & practices, Congregations |
| Locations | Global |
| Faiths | Hinduism |
| Languages | English |