Denominations in Hinduism: Smartism

Within Hinduism there are four big denominations. The differences between them are so great that they are like different religions. One group worships Shiva as the most important god, and see in him the highest truth and reality - the world soul, brahman. These are the shaiva. Just as the Shaiva follow Shiva, another group follows Vishnu, and see him as a symbol of brahman - they are the Vaishnava.

Both Shaivism and Vaishnavism are more or less monotheistic denominations. This group worships several goddesses to symbolise the feminine force in the universe - Shakti. To the followers of Shaktism, Shakti is the world soul. Shakti takes on several roles, as different goddesses, but it is the faith in this one power that’s important. So Shaktism is also more or less monotheistic.

But what about this group? They worship five different gods. Does that make them polytheists and different from the other groups? No. They like to call themselves something else.

But let’s start from the beginning. In the 8th century Common Era, lives this spiritual leader and philosopher: Adi Shankara. Adi Shankara studies with a spiritual teacher - a guru. Together they have read many texts that are older than Hinduism itself. The texts that interest Adi Shankara the most are called The Upanishads - or Vedanta.

The Upanishads (or Vedanta) talk about how the world soul - brahman - and the personal soul - atman - are the same. They also state that the whole world is an illusion. And that by realising that the difference between atman and brahman is also an illusion, it’s possible to reach freedom - moksha - to escape rebirth. To get off the wheel of reincarnation is the objective for all of the great denominations in Hinduism. That brahman and atman are the same...

Isn’t that also what most Hindus believe? Yes, but they follow different paths to reach moksha. Some believe that Shiva will lead them there, others that Vishnu or Shakti will. So what’s so special about Adi Shankara’s philosophy? Well, since everything is one, and there’s no difference between what is created by god (atman) and god (brahman) no one can exist who is worshiping anything else outside of them.

There is no separation into two. Everything is one. The one who worships and the one being worshipped is the same. The name of Shankara’s philosophy is Advaita Vedanta. Advaita means something like “not-two”.

The idea that everything is one, and is not split into one who believes, and the thing that is believed in, is called monism. Something else that’s different in the teachings of Advaita Vedanta is the possibility of achieving moksha even during this present lifetime. So why do the followers of Advaita Vedanta worship five gods then? Well, if you only follow one god and see it as an image of brahman it’s easy to forget the truth that god - brahman - is not something different from atman. That is why it’s better to have several symbols that show different sides, or aspects, of god.

The denomination that follows Adi Shankara’s ideas is called: Smarta. Smarta’s five gods represent different sides of the indivisible brahman. Most often, these gods are: Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Ganesha, and Suriya. Though to many Smarta Shiva is still more important than the other gods. And Adi Shankara is looked upon as an incarnation - an avatar - of Shiva.

But regardless of whether Smarta worship five gods or Shiva alone, most think of themselves as neither polytheists, nor monotheists, but as monists.