Agamas

Ancient Indian texts

Agamas are a class of sacred scriptures in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, containing teachings on ritual, theology, and spiritual practice.

In Hinduism, they form an important body of texts alongside the Vedas, particularly in Shaiva and Vaishnava traditions.

The temple priests followed the rituals prescribed in the Agamas. (Lowercase agamas refers to a family of lizards.)

Jain

sutras

Aphoristic teaching verses

canonicalAccepted as standard
scriptureSacred religious writings
monksCloistered religious men

doctrine · teachings · religious texts · sacred · tradition · karma · liberation · asceticism · ethics

Buddhist

sutras

Aphoristic teaching verses

TheravadaBuddhism of the elders
discoursesFormal communications on subjects
sanghaBuddhist religious community

dharma · Buddha · teachings · transmission · recitation · anthology · scriptural · canonical · oral tradition

Hindu

tantra

Esoteric spiritual discipline

mantraRepeated focus phrase
temple worshipReligious observance at sacred sites
pujaHindu worship ritual

ritual · diksha · mandala · Shiva · Vishnu · Devi · consecration · devotion · liturgy

Categories

HinduismVishnu, Shiva, Krishna, Ganesh, Ganesha
Asian ScripturesVedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Guru Granth Sahib, Tao Te Ching
Indian ScripturesVedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata, Ramayana
sacred textsBible, Vedas, Quran, Upanishads, Torah
scripturesBible, Vedas, Quran, Torah, Torah scroll
Hindu ritualspuja, aarti, darshan, pradakshina, tilak

Opposites

sacred vs. secular knowledge

Agamasmaterialism

Prioritizing goods over spirit

empiricism · scientific method · rationalism · skepticism · atheism

scriptural authority

Agamasfolk traditions

Community customs across generations

Familiarity: Top 2,000,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Rated G