Agama (Hinduism)

Shivaite agamas are strictly theistic and describe Shiva as the Supreme Lord, immanent and transcendental. They are subdivided into 64 “Kashmir Shaiva-Agamas” (64 Tric tantras ) and 28 Agam Shaiva-Siddhanta . The last group includes the fundamental scriptures of the saiva-siddhanta school. Of these, ten belong to the Shivabheda category and are considered dualistic. Eighteen agamas are classified as rudrabheads and are non-dualistic. Rishi Tirumular in his Tirumantiram mentions 28 agamas and lists the names of nine. Of these, eight - Karana, Kamika, Vira, Chintya, Vatula, Vimala, Suprabheda and Makuta - are in the list below 28 agamas, and the ninth, Kalottara, is currently considered Upagama, that is, auxiliary text, Vatula.

Kamika is the agama that is most widely used in Tamil Shaivite temples, since there is a commentary on it (paddhati) of Aghorashiva. Vira Shivaites are especially respectful of the Vatula Agama and Vira Agama. The scriptures of the Shaiva-agam, more than anything else, unite all schools of Shaivism. The agamas themselves claim that they are all fully consistent with the teachings of the Vedas , contain the essence of the Vedas, and must be studied with the same high degree of devotion.

Upagamas are secondary agamas. A large set of texts similar in nature to the main agamas. Each of the 28 Siddhanti Shaiva Agam has up to 16 Upagam associated with it, which provide more accurate or detailed information on the main text, 207 or 208 Upagam are known in total ^[2] .

Each agama usually contains 4 parts-kanda:

1. Vidya-kanda or jnana-kanda - about knowledge , philosophy;
2. Yoga-kanda - about the methods of yoga ;
3. Kriya-kanda - about action;
4. Charya-kanda - about practices.

Kriya-kanda and Charya-kanda describe various methods of worship, the installation of murtis in temples, and other traditional methods of religious service. But Shaivism is not only following religious traditions. This is the spiritual path to gaining yoga - a living connection with God and jnana - knowledge as a vision and experience. The relevant sections of the agam set out the content of these forms of spiritual experience. In the Yoga Kanda part , the nature of the Shiva-tattva, the relationship between Shiva and the cosmos, the relationship between jiva and Shiva are described. The paths of yoga as a connection between the soul and God. The most important is Jnana-kanda , so it gives the result of the whole path, siddhanta , conclusion.

Out of 28 Shaiva-agam, 10 are considered to belong to Shiva himself: 1. Kamika 2. Yogaja 3. Chintya 4. Karana 5. Ajita 6. Dipta 7. Sukshma 8. Sahasrak 9. Anshuman 10. Suprabha.

The other 18 penned by various teachers and rishis who had a direct vision of Shiva: 11. Vijaya 12. Nishwasa 13. Swayambhuva 14. Ajnejaka 15. Bhadra 16. Raurava 17 Makuta 18. Vimala 19. Chandrajnyan 20. Mukhayugbiba. 21. Udgita 22. Lalita 23. Siddha 24. Santana 25. Narasimha 26. Kirana 27. Parameshvara 28.Para

All these 18 were told by Siva to the saints for the benefit of the devoted devotees.

In Shaktism , 77 Agamas are known, which are divided into three categories ^[3] :

• 5 Sabhagam - teach skills leading to knowledge and liberation ;
• 64 Kaulagams - which teach skills aimed at developing magical powers;
• 8 Mishragam - who have the goal of both.

• Pancharatra
• Tantra (Hinduism)

• Klaus K. Klostermaier . A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism . - Oxford: Oneworld, 1998 .-- x, 243 p. - (Concise Encyclopedia of World Faiths). - ISBN 1851681752 .

• Kirana-agama (chapter 11) on the page of the translator Erchenkov O.N.
• Chandrajnana-agama on the page of translator O. Erchenkov