User:VictoriaGrayson/sandbox/Smarta

Proposed lead:
Smārta is a rather loosely used term which refers to a Brahmin who is an adherent of the Smriti corpus of texts. The Grihya Sutras, such as the Apastamba Grihya Sutra, describe the performance of domestic rituals such as marriages, housewarmings, thread ceremonies for Brahmin boys and other domestic rites. Appendices (parisisthas) to the Grihya Sutras describe pujas for icons.

Smarta Brahmins are differentiated from Srauta Brahmins who specialize in the Sruti corpus of texts and have maintained the complex fire rituals of the Brahmanas in the Vedas. Smarta Brahmins are also differentiated Brahmins who traditionally specialize in the tantric literature, for example Adisaivas, Sri Vaishnavas and Kashmiri Pandits.

Supporting quotes:
Flood, Gavin (1996), An Introduction to Hinduism, Cambridge University Press:
 * page 17 "There is also an important tradition of Brahmans called Smartas"
 * page 56 "The Brahmans who followed the teachings of these texts were known as Smartas"
 * page 113 "Brahmans who followed the puranic religion became known as smarta".

Flood, Gavin (2006), ''The Tantric Body. The Secret Tradition of Hindu Religion'', I.B Taurus:
 * pg. 8 "An important indigenous distinction is between tantrika, a follower of the Tantras, and vaidika, a follower of the Vedas. This distinction operates across the sectarian divides of Saivas, Vaisnavas and so on. The former refers to those who follow a system of ritual and teaching found within the Tantras, in contrast to those, especially the Brahman caste, who follow the Veda as primary revelation or  sruti (and so called Srautas), or who follow the later texts of secondary revelation called  smrti (and so called Smartas). The issue is complicated, however, by some vedic Brahmans, particularly  Smartas, observing tantric rites...."

Buhnemann, Gudrun, Mandalas and Yantras in the Hindu Traditions, Leiden, Brill, 2003:
 * pg. 57 "Initially a brief explanation of the word Smārta may be in order. Smārta is a rather loosely used term which refers to a Brahmin who is an ‘adherent of the Smrti’ and of the tradition which is ‘based on the Smrti.’"

Murray Milner (1994). Status and Sacredness : A General Theory of Status Relations and an Analysis of Indian Culture. Oxford University Press, USA:
 * pg.195 "The Smarta tradition has, however, always been dominated not by renouncers, but by Brahman householders."

Encyclopedia Britannica Smarta entry:
 * "primarily Brahman followers"

Lochfeld, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z
 * p.656: "Name for a particular group of brahmins"