The doctrinal heart of Sanātana Dharma rests upon two great streams of sacred literature: Śruti and Smṛti. Śruti, “that which is heard,” is regarded as the most authoritative and consists of the four Vedas—Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma, and Atharva—together with their Brāhmaṇas, Āraṇyakas, and Upaniṣads. These texts encompass liturgy, ritual exposition, contemplative teachings, and profound philosophical inquiry into Brahman, Ātman, and liberation. Because they are regarded as revealed and not of human authorship, they serve as the ultimate touchstone for what is considered eternal in the tradition. Within this vision, the Vedic corpus is not merely a collection of books, but the primary manifestation of the “eternal way” in scriptural form.

Flowing from and grounded in Śruti is the vast body of Smṛti, “that which is remembered,” which shapes how Sanātana Dharma is lived in the world. This includes the Itihāsas—the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata, within which the Bhagavad Gītā holds a particularly central place—as well as the Dharmaśāstras such as Manusmṛti and related law texts. The Purāṇas, both the major eighteen and the numerous minor works, along with various traditional treatises on philosophy, ethics, and practice, further elaborate cosmology, theology, and models of righteous living. Though considered of human composition and therefore secondary to Śruti, these texts interpret and apply Vedic principles to society, ritual, and personal conduct. Together, Śruti and Smṛti form an interwoven foundation: one providing the timeless revelation, the other articulating its meaning in the shifting circumstances of human life.