The Hindu canon begins with two pillars
Sanatan Dharma organises its scriptures into two great categories — Shruti, the eternal truths heard and preserved by ancient seers, and Smriti, the tradition remembered and composed by sages for everyday life. Start with either pillar and drill down into the texts within.
Shruti vs Smriti
What’s the difference?
Shruti — “what is heard”
The eternal, apaurusheya (not authored by humans) revelations received by rishis in deep meditation. Considered divine in origin, transmitted with absolute fidelity across generations.
- · Vedas — four eternal scriptures
- · Upanishads — philosophical climax of the Vedas
Smriti — “what is remembered”
Texts composed by enlightened sages, drawing on Shruti and adapting its truths for human life — story, law, philosophy, science, ritual. Authoritative, but rooted in human authorship.
- · Itihasa — Ramayana & Mahabharata
- · Puranas — 18 Mahapuranas
- · Darshana — six philosophical schools
- · Dharmashastra, Vedangas, Upavedas, Agamas
Pillar I · What is heard
Shrutiश्रुति
The eternal Vedic revelations — Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda, and the Upanishads that follow them. The foundation of every other scripture in the tradition.
Vedas
4 sub-categories
The four eternal scriptures — Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda — the foundation of all Vedic knowledge.
Upanishads
5 sub-categories
Philosophical reflections at the heart of the Vedas — the nature of the Self, Brahman, and ultimate reality.
Pillar II · What is remembered
Smritiस्मृति
The vast remembered tradition — epics, Puranas, philosophical schools, law books, auxiliary sciences, and ritual texts. Where Shruti speaks of timeless reality, Smriti applies it to human life.
Puranas (18)
18 sub-categories
Eighteen Mahapuranas — sacred stories of creation, deities, cosmology, dharma, and devotion.
Upavedas
4 sub-categories
Auxiliary sciences — Ayurveda (medicine), Dhanurveda (warfare), Gandharvaveda (arts), Sthapatyaveda (architecture).
Itihasa
2 sub-categories
The great epics — Ramayana and Mahabharata — dharma made vivid in story and character.
Vedangas
6 sub-categories
Six limbs of the Veda — Shiksha, Kalpa, Vyakarana, Nirukta, Chandas, and Jyotisha.
Darshana
6 sub-categories
Six classical schools of Hindu philosophy — Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Sankhya, Yoga, Mimamsa, and Vedanta.
Agamas
3 sub-categories
Tantric and ritual texts — guides to temple worship, mantra, and the path of devotion.
Dharmaśāstra (Law Books)
3 sub-categories
Law books on personal, social, and ethical conduct — Manu Smriti and the broader tradition.
Want the full map?
The homepage shows the complete scripture hierarchy as an interactive tree — every category, every text, every layer of the tradition.