Within the Smarta tradition, the categories of “monotheistic” and “polytheistic” do not map neatly onto what is actually practiced and taught. At the philosophical level, this tradition is grounded in Advaita Vedānta, which affirms a single, formless, ultimate reality known as Brahman. All deities—Śiva, Viṣṇu, Devī, Gaṇeśa, Sūrya, and others—are understood as manifestations or forms of that one Brahman, not as ultimately separate, independent gods. From this standpoint, the tradition is monistic and can be regarded as monotheistic at the highest, metaphysical level, because it acknowledges only one supreme, nondual divine principle.

At the level of ritual and devotion, however, the picture looks quite different. Smartas engage in pañcāyatana pūjā, a form of worship that honors five (sometimes six) deities equally, while allowing each devotee to choose a preferred deity without denying the legitimacy of the others. This creates a devotional life that appears outwardly polytheistic, with multiple divine forms, iconographies, and modes of worship. Yet these many forms are treated as diverse doorways to the same singular essence, rather than as rival or unrelated gods.

Because of this dual perspective, the Smarta tradition is best described as monistic with a functional or practical polytheism. It upholds one ultimate reality expressed through many deities, and its worship reflects an inclusive vision in which plurality is harmonized within unity. Terms such as “monistic polytheism,” “inclusive henotheism,” or “philosophical monotheism with polytheistic worship” attempt to capture this subtle balance, but all point to the same insight: the many are honored precisely as expressions of the One.