("something
which is recalled") Despite its sacrality, this key genre of Hindu
religious literature is regarded as less authoritative than the second main
category, shruti.
The shruti ("heard") scriptures, according to
legend, were not authored by humans but rather are based on the primal
vibrations of the universe itself.
The ancient sages, whose perceptual powers had been
developed by hard religious practice, were able to "hear" and
comprehend these vibrations, and passed them on to others in a learning
lineage.
The smrti writings, on the other hand, are ascribed to human
writers who are putting out "remem bered" issues and hence bear the
risk of inaccuracy.
The dharma literature, the sectarian compilations known as
puranas, the two major epics (Mahabharata and Ramayana), the Bhagavad Gita, and
the tantras, which are manuals outlining the secret, ritually based religious
practice of tantra adherents, are all part of the smrti literature.
Although the smrtis have less religious power than the
shrutis in theory, they are often significantly more important in practice,
partly because their contents are far more well-known.
This is especially true in sectarian Hinduism, where the
sectarian literature of a community is sometimes granted the greatest religious
authority.
