Within the Smārta tradition, the non-dual vision of Advaita Vedānta provides a powerful theoretical foundation for social equality. Its core teaching that the same ātman, identical with Brahman, dwells in all beings renders distinctions of caste, gender, and status ultimately products of ignorance rather than expressions of ultimate reality. External differences are treated as belonging to the realm of māyā, while liberation is held to be available to all who possess the requisite spiritual maturity. From this standpoint, rigid social hierarchies cannot claim absolute religious sanction, even if they have been woven into customary practice.

Historically, however, Smārta communities largely operated within the prevailing caste framework. Classical ritual manuals and institutional structures were often centered on Brahmin lineages, and many rites were restricted to the so‑called “twice‑born” groups. Varṇa-based duties and ideas of ritual purity were accepted as part of the social and religious order, especially for householders. Thus, there has long been a tension between the egalitarian implications of non-dual philosophy and the hierarchical patterns embedded in traditional practice.

A similar pattern appears in relation to gender. On the one hand, Smartism accords a significant place to the Divine Feminine, venerating both male and female deities and affirming, at the level of Advaita, that all embodied distinctions are ultimately non-real. On the other hand, women’s roles were historically limited in many formal religious contexts: priesthood, extensive scriptural study, and institutional leadership were typically reserved for men, and women’s participation was often channeled through domestic and supportive ritual functions. These patterns reflected broader social norms rather than the full implications of non-dual metaphysics.

In more recent interpretations and practices, many Smārta teachers and communities have sought to draw out the egalitarian thrust of Advaita more consistently. Reformist currents emphasize that the recognition of one Self in all beings undermines caste discrimination and calls for greater inclusivity in education, worship, and community life. There is a growing insistence that genuine understanding of non-dualism entails not only inner realization but also a re-examination of inherited social distinctions. In this way, Smartism continues to negotiate the gap between its philosophical vision of unity and the diverse, sometimes resistant, social forms through which that vision is expressed.