Agamas
Agamas are a collection of scriptures of several Hindu devotional schools. The texts of the Agamas cover a wide range of topics, including cosmology, epistemology, philosophical doctrines, precepts on meditation and practices, four kinds of yoga, mantras, temple construction, and deity worship.
Revealed Scripture·Agamic
- Agamas are a vast body of revealed scriptures covering ritual, worship, philosophy, and temple construction.
- The word 'Agama' means 'that which has come down' — revealed knowledge transmitted from guru to disciple.
- The three main streams are Vaishnava Agamas (Pancharatra and Vaikhanasa), Shaiva Agamas (28 primary), and Shakta Agamas (Tantras).
- Agamas provide the practical dimension of Hinduism — how to build temples, install deities, and perform puja.
- Unlike the Vedas (which focus on yajna/sacrifice), Agamas focus on puja (image worship), yoga, and bhakti.
- Agamas are considered a second revelation — equal to or supplementing the Vedas in their respective traditions.
- They are the foundation of Hindu temple architecture, iconography, and all forms of deity worship.
- South Indian temple worship follows Agamic prescriptions meticulously — Pancharatra for Vaishnava, Shaiva Siddhanta for Shaiva.
Structural Organization
StreamVaishnava / Shaiva / Shakta→AgamaIndividual scripture→PadaSection (Jnana, Yoga, Kriya, Charya)
Example: Shaiva Agama → Kamika Agama → 4 Padas
Key Topics
Temple Construction
Vastu Shastra — precise rules for building temples
Deity Installation (Pratishtha)
Rituals to install and consecrate divine images
Daily Puja
16-step Shodashopachara puja — standard temple worship
Yoga & Meditation
Internal practices for spiritual realization
Iconography
Forms, poses, and attributes of each deity
Diksha (Initiation)
Formal initiation by a guru into Agamic tradition
Key Figures
Agastya
Revered transmitter of Shaiva Agamas in South India
Narada
Transmitter of Vaishnava Pancharatra Agamas
Abhinavagupta
Tantraloka — greatest synthesizer of Kashmir Shaivism (Shakta-Shaiva)
Key Texts & Works
Kamika Agama
Primary Shaiva Agama — temple construction and worship
Pancharatra Samhitas
Vaishnava Agamas — Narada Pancharatra, Ahirbudhnya Samhita
Tantraloka (Abhinavagupta)
37-chapter synthesis of Kashmir Shaiva Agamas