Class of Hindu sacred literature that is based on human memory, as distinct from the Veda s, which are considered to be divinely revealed.
Smrti serves to elaborate, interpret, and codify Vedic literature. It is considered less authoritative than Vedic literature but tends to be more widely known. The term has come to refer particularly to texts pertaining to law and social conduct, including the Kalpa-sutra s, the Purana s, the Bhagavadgita , the Ramayana , and the Mahabharata .