Shanmata
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Shanmata (IAST Ṣaṇmata) is the system of worship founded by Adi Shankara, the 8th century CE Hindu philosopher. It centers around the worship of the six main deities of Hinduism, viz, Shiva, Vishnu, Shakti, Ganesha, Surya and Skanda. In this system, six major deities are worshipped. This is based on the belief in the essential oneness of all deities, the unity of Godhead, and their conceptualization of the myriad deities of India as various manifestations of the one divine power, Brahman. Smartas accept and worship the six manifestations of God, (Ganesha, Shiva, Shakti, Vishnu, Surya and Skanda) and the choice of the nature of God is up to the individual worshipper since different manifestations of God are held to be equivalent. In Adi Shankara's time these deities had their own Hindu followers who are said to have quarrelled with each other claiming the relative superiority of their chosen deity. Adi Shankara synthesised these quarrelling sects by integrating the worship of all these deities in the Shanmata system.
