11.1. Shruti and Smritis

The Vedas are considered to be Shruti texts in Hinduism, which means "what is heard" or "that which is revealed". This designation emphasizes the belief that the Vedas were not composed by human beings, but were rather revealed to sages and seers through divine inspiration or intuition.

The term Shruti is used to refer to those texts which are believed to have been directly revealed by the gods, and are therefore considered to be authoritative and sacred. The Vedas are the most important Shruti texts in Hinduism, and are considered to be the foundation of Hindu philosophy, religion, and culture.

In contrast, the Smritis are texts that are believed to have been composed by human beings, and are based on the teachings of the Shruti texts.

I.e Smritis texts in Hinduism, which means (“what is remembered”), accounts of great heroes and their struggles in works such as the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and Bhagavad Gita

These texts include the Puranas, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana, among others. Smritis are also considered to be important in Hinduism, they are not accorded the same level of authority as the Shruti texts.

Vedas