HINDUISM :: Smartism

SMARTISM

Smartism is a denomination of Hinduism that places emphasis on a group of five deities rather than just a single deity.The "worship of the five forms" (pañcāyatana pūjā) system, which was popularized by the ninth-century philosopher Śankarācārya among orthodox Brahmins of the Smārta tradition, invokes the five deities Ganesha, Vishnu,Shiva, Devī, and Sūrya. Śankarācārya later added Kumara (Muruga/Subrahmanya/Karttikeya) to these five, making six total. This reformed system was promoted byŚankarācārya primarily to unite the principal deities of the six major sects on an equal status.The monistic philosophy preached by Śankarācārya made it possible to choose one of these as a preferred principal deity and at the same time worship the other four deities as different forms of the same all-pervading Brahman.