Śruti (“that which is heard”) and smṛti (“that which is remembered”) are traditional categories of religious literature. Śruti conventionally refers to the Vedic corpus, including the Upanishads belonging to Vedic traditions. In many orthodox schools, it has the highest formal scriptural standing because it is understood as revelation transmitted by seers rather than composition by a named human author.
Smṛti commonly covers remembered or transmitted tradition, including works such as the Mahabharata, many Dharmaśāstra texts and Puranic literature. The Bhagavad Gita, although highly revered, is usually classified within this broad category because it belongs to the Mahabharata. The division is significant but does not mean all communities rank texts identically: devotional, Shaiva and Shakta traditions can treat specific non-Vedic works as central religious authorities.