Agama Shastra

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Agama Shastra

What is Agama Shastra?
As discussed earlier, Pashupata school of Shaivism had a large number of texts known as Agama Shastra (Sanskrit: आगम शास्त्र, Bengali: আগম শাস্ত্র), preserved manuscripts of which are dated to 700 to 800 AD. Agama Shastra contain guidelines for worship and rituals, philosophy and spirituality and temple building.

Pashupata was the oldest form of Shaiva Tantra prevalent in Northern India during latter Mahabharata times and is also known as Agamanta Shaivism. As per the Mahabharata, the Pashupata Shaivism doctrine of Tantra was first proclaimed by Bhagavat Shrikanthanatha (Sanskrit: भगवत् श्रीकण्ठनाथ, Bengali: ভগবত্ শ্রীকণ্ঠনাথ )

As per P C Bagchi's research, there were 18 or 28 Agama Shastra texts.

Agama Shastra Texts
The 18 Agama Shastra texts are also known as Shiva Tantra. As per Nishvasa Agama or Nishvasa Tantra, these 18 Shiva Tantra texts are traditionally believed to be transmitted by Rudra and hence also known as Rudragama / रुद्रागम / রুদ্রাগম .

The 18 Agama Shastra texts as follows.

  1. Vijaya Agama / विजय आगम / বিজয় আগম
  2. Nishvasa Agama / निस्वास आगम / নিস্বাস আগম
  3. Svyambhuva Agama / स्व्याम्भूव आगम / স্ব্যাম্ভূব আগম
  4. Vatula Agama / वटुल आगम / বটুল আগম
  5. Virabhadra Agama / वीरभद्र आगम / বীরভদ্র আগম
  6. Raurava Agama / रौरव आगम / রৌরব আগম
  7. Makuta Agama / माकुट आगम / মাকুট আগম
  8. Viresha Agama / वीरेष आगम / বীরেষ আগম
  9. Chandrahasa Agama / चन्द्रहास आगम / চন্দ্রহাস আগম
  10. Jnana Agama / ज्ञान आगम / জ্ঞান আগম
  11. Mukhabimba Agama / मुखबिम्ब आगम / মুখবিম্ব আগম
  12. Prodgita Agama / प्रोद्गीत आगम / প্রোদ্গীত আগম
  13. Lalita Agama / ललित आगम / ললিত আগম
  14. Siddha Agama / सिद्ध आगम / সিদ্ধ আগম
  15. Santana Agama / सन्तान आगम / সন্তান আগম
  16. Sarvodgita Agama / सर्वोद्गीत आगम / সর্বোদ্গীত আগম
  17. Kirana Agama / किरण आगम /কিরণ আগম
  18. Paramaeshvara Agama / पारमेश्वर आगम / পারমেশ্বর আগম

You may also like:
Bhagavat Shrikanthanatha
An Introduction to Tantra 
The Hindu World View 
Introduction to Trika 
Kalivilasa Tantra

References
Studies on the Tantras, Ramkrishna Mission, Golpark, Chapter 2, evolution of the Tantras
What is Agama Shastra?

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Thank you for reading Agama Shatsra. If you have any thoughts please feel free to share them via your comments.

Subhodeep Mukhopadhyay | Mkerj  |  Hooray For Life  |   The Tiny Man

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