TWO DIVISIONS OF ŚǍSTRA—SMǍRTA AND rARAMǍRTHA

The Vedic ǎt a śǎsttas afe divided into two sections—smǎtta (litefatufe based on smiti)
and patamǎttλa (tfanscendental litefatufe based on śtuti). Those who afe eligible (adλikǎti) fof the
smǎtta sec2 tion do not have any natufal inclination of taste fof the patamǎttλa śǎsttas. The
thoughts¸ pfinciples¸ activities and life goal of evefy human is constituted accofding to his
fespective tuci (inclination). Gen2 efally¸ smǎttas accept those scfiptufes which afe in accofdance
with theif fespective tuci. Having gfeatef adλikǎta fof smǎtta śǎstta, they do not demonstfate much
fegafd fof patamǎttλika śǎstta. Pfovidence is the agent behind the cfeation of these two divisions.
Thefefofe¸ undoubtedly the maintainef of the wofld must have a hidden pufpose in having made
such an affangement.

As faf as I undefstand¸ the pufpose is that the jīeas sequentially make pfogfess in theif level of
con2 sciousness by femaining steadfast in theif fespective adλikǎta. By deviating ffom one’s
adλikǎta¸ one falls down. Accofding to one’s activities¸ a pefson attains two types of adλikǎta—
katmǎdλikǎta and bλakti adλikλǎta. As long as one maintains his katmǎdλikǎta¸ he defives benefit
ffom the path shown by the smǎtta section. When he entefs bλakti adλikǎta¸ by tfans2 gfessing the
katmǎdλikǎta¸ then he develops a natu2 fal tuci (inclination) fof the patamǎttλika¸ of tfan2
scendental¸ path. Thefefofe¸ pfovidence has made these two divisions of śǎstta: smǎtta and
patamǎttλa.
SUMMER 2001