A serious exploration of Smartism naturally begins with its scriptural and philosophical foundations. Central among these are the principal Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Brahma Sutras, especially as illumined by the Advaita commentaries of Adi Shankaracharya. Texts such as his Brahma Sutra Bhāṣya, Upanishad bhāṣyas, and independent works like Vivekachudamani articulate the non-dual vision that undergirds Smarta worship of multiple deities. Classical Advaita writings by teachers such as Gaudapada, Mandana Mishra, and Sureshvara further refine this vision and help clarify how ritual, devotion, and knowledge are integrated rather than opposed. For many students, beginning with an accessible Gita commentary in the Advaita tradition and then moving to the Upanishads and Brahma Sutras provides a steady, graded path into the heart of the tradition.

Alongside these primary sources, carefully chosen secondary literature can provide structure and context. Works by Swami Tapasyananda and Swami Satchidanandendra Saraswati, including The Method of the Vedanta, offer systematic expositions of Advaita Vedanta that are deeply relevant to Smartism. Scholarly studies such as A Sourcebook in Advaita Vedanta and Advaita Vedanta: A Philosophical Reconstruction, as well as writings by researchers like Eliot Deutsch, Paul Hacker, Sengaku Mayeda, and Lance Nelson, help situate the Smarta–Advaita current within the broader landscape of Hindu thought. Such texts can clarify historical development, key debates, and technical terminology, allowing the seeker to approach traditional works with greater subtlety and discrimination.

Equally important are the living institutions that embody Smarta practice and Advaita teaching. The monastic centers traditionally associated with Shankara—such as Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Dwaraka Peetham, Puri/Jyotir Math, and Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham—preserve ritual, liturgy, and teaching lineages that express the synthesis of multi-deity worship and non-dual insight. Contemporary organizations like Chinmaya Mission and Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, as well as the teachings of Swami Dayananda Saraswati and Swami Chinmayananda, transmit this heritage in a form accessible to modern students while remaining rooted in the classical sources. The works and ashram of Ramana Maharshi also stand as a powerful witness to the lived reality of Advaita, and many find that his writings illuminate the inner core of what the Smarta tradition points toward.

Finally, a balanced approach tends to weave together text, teacher, and practice. University courses on Hinduism or Indian philosophy, when available, can provide a disciplined framework for study, especially when they include focused attention on Advaita Vedanta and the Smarta tradition. Online repositories of Advaita texts, recorded lectures by traditional ācāryas, and Sanskrit study materials can then serve as supports for ongoing, independent inquiry. Over time, regular engagement with scripture, guidance from a competent teacher grounded in the Smarta sampradāya, and exposure to the ritual life of Smarta temples and maṭhas can allow the many facets of this tradition—philosophical, devotional, and liturgical—to reveal themselves as expressions of a single, non-dual truth.