Five deities, one Brahman — worship any, arrive at the same place.
The liberal householder tradition: Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, Ganesha, Surya worshipped as five equivalent doors to one Brahman. Orthodoxy without exclusivity.
DeitiesFive forms, one Brahman
Founded800 CE · India
AfterlifeLiberation through knowledge
TextsVedas · Smriti literature
The map
Smartism’s corner of it — solid lines are descent; dotted lines are resemblance only, ideas held in common across unrelated faiths. Click a node to recenter; ✕ returns here. All 171 faiths →
c. 1500 BCE Vedic Religion 800 CE Smartism
Five forms, one Brahman.
Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, Ganesha, Surya — worship any; all resolve into one.
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The householder path is complete.
No renunciation required — the home is an adequate ashram.
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Panchayatana puja.
Five deities on one tray — Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Surya, Ganesha — worshipped together with your chosen one at center: the theology of many-as-one, performed daily.
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