1. Vedas and Agamas

3 1.1 VEDAS AND AGAMAS—The vedas contain information on many matters such as God, man, world, and indicate the ways in which what is desired may be attained and the undesirables may be avoided. They are beginningless, impersonal and are valid by themselves. The language used there may appear as classical Sanskrit but their language contain expressions, which do yield their sense only for the vedic topics. Yaska, the author of Nirukta, offers, while explaining some of these words and suggests alternative explanations². It is not proper to hold that the vedas are simple and could be explained as they are. This view is arrived at, because words of classical Sanskrit and some Vedic language appear phonetically similar, but there is a vast difference when these words are sought to be explained. It is a pity that there is no reliable commentary on the vedas. 1. Example: anak blind Rigveda-samhita 2:15,7; upasak to follow closely Rigveda-samhita 1:190.2; heman- impulse Rigveda-samhita 9:97. 2. Example: hiranyam kasmat? hriyata ayamyamanam iti va, hriyate janajjanamiti va, hitaramanam bhavatiti va, haryater va syat. Nirukta II.iii kupah kasmat ? kupanam bhavati,kupyater va. (Nirukta III.iv.p.153). mrgo na bhimah kucaro giristhah. 4

1 For instance, though the sense of the word mrga is understood in the sense of an animal but, what exactly the animal is, is not clear. It is at this juncture the Tantra or Agama, steps in. That God is stated to have revealed the Agama, is admitted for holding the validity of the Agamas. The words are of the nature of classical Sanskrit and hence are easily understandable. The fourth class among castes and women are allowed to use the expressions here with the admixture of tantric syllabic words they deal with in the temple and worship of God. Agama in its broad sense denotes quintessence of the vedas and traditional literature handed down through generations. The word Agama is derived from the root 'gam' and with the preposition 'a' it means 'to come'. This may also mean moving (mentally) towards 1. "Stri Sudranam na Sarvesamaupanayanikakriya | Diksopanayanam karma krtva samyagyathavidhi."|| Sanatkumara-samhita Brahmaratra ch.IV.V.70 5

an object, which is to be obtained. Therefore, the word 'agama' is taken to imply the handing down of knowledge from teacher to pupil, that is, the traditional (sampradaya) knowledge or literature which has been taught and developed by a particular tradition and which is being handed down through generations. Agamas are also known as Tantras. The word tantra suggests two meanings. Thus the word, when it is derived from the root 'tan' (to expand) with its suffix "stran" it means the spreading of the cosmic energy to the person practising it. When it is split as 'tan' and 'tra', that is to protect and spread, it means explanation of the highest matter leading to supreme knowledge and also to protect the person from bondage who has an absolute faith in it. This has been explained in the Kamikagama' 1. "sarvadhatubhyah stran" - Agama and South Indian Vaisnavisam 1982 p.10 Vide p.10 Agamas and South Indian Vaisnavism. "Tanoti Vipulanarthan tantramantra samanvitan tranam ca kurute yasmattantramityabhidhiyate." 6

Though the Vedas and Agamas are understood by the word Agama, yet the word Agama, in practice is used to convey only a particular literature and not the Vedas. The Vedas, on the other hand, are denoted by words like sruti, nigama etc. The reason could be that, the Vedas, according to convention, are not of human origin and hence they are impersonal (apauruseya). On the contrary the Agamas though treated on par with the Vedas, are not treated as impersonal (apauruseya). In order to distinguish this particular aspect, the word Agama has been coined to denote a particular literature while the word nigama is used to convey only the Vedas. Both Agama and nigama are considered to be the most sacred and the most authoritative texts in Hindu scriptures as they enshrine and teach the supreme value of human endeavour. Vide also "ajna vastu samantacca gamyata ityagamo matah tanute trayate nityam tantramittham vidurbudhah " pingalamata quoted in Tantras, re-quoted in studies in their Religion and Literature p.2 7

Agamas are the means of self realisation (sadhanasastra) and to that effect they recommend a particular way of life and teach the practical method and discipline for attaining self-realisation. It is theoretical and practical and this teaching agrees with cosmological and philosophical thought of human life. It also governs the particular method of worship in temples and rituals and religious function celebrated at home.