The Saiva Agamas: The Saivas recognise twenty-eight Agamas, of which the chief is Kamika. The Agamas are also the basis of Kashmir Saivism which is called the Pratyabhijna system. The latter works of Pratyabhijna system show a distinct leaning to Advaitism.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

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Saiva Agamas: (Sanskrit) The sectarian revealed scriptures of the Saivas. Strongly theistic, they identify Siva as the Supreme Lord, immanent and transcendent. They are in two main divisions: the 64 Kashmir Saiva Agamas and the 28 Saiva Siddhanta Agamas. The latter group are the fundamental sectarian scriptures of Saiva Siddhanta. Of these, ten are of the Sivabheda division and are considered dualistic: 1) Kamika, 2) Yogaja, 3) Chintya, 4) Karana, 5) Ajita, 6) Dipta, 7) Sukshma, 8) Sahasraka, 9) Amshumat and 10) Suprabheda.

There are 18 in the Rudrabheda group, classed as dual-nondual: 11) Vijaya, 12) Nihshvasa, 13) Svayambhuva, 14) Anala, 15) Vira (Bhadra), 16) Raurava, 17) Makuta, 18) Vimala, 19) Chandrajnana (or Chandrahasa), 20) Mukhabimba (or Bimba), 21) Prodgita (or Udgita), 22) Lalita, 23) Siddha, 24) Santana, 25) Sarvokta (Narasimha), 26) Parameshvara, 27) Kirana and 28) Vatula (or Parahita).

Rishi Tirumular, in his Tirumantiram, refers to 28 Agamas and mentions nine by name. Eight of these - Karana, Kamika, Vira, Chintya, Vatula, Vimala, Suprabheda and Makuta - are in the above list of 28 furnished by the French Institute of Indology, Pondicherry. The ninth, Kalottara, is presently regarded as an Upagama, or secondary text, of Vatula. The Kamika is the Agama most widely followed in Tamil Saiva temples, because of the availability of Aghorasiva's manual-commentary (paddhati) on it. Vira Saivites especially refer to the Vatula and Vira Agamas.

The Saiva Agama scriptures, above all else, are the connecting strand through all the schools of Saivism. The Agamas themselves express that they are entirely consistent with the teachings of the Veda, that they contain the essence of the Veda, and must be studied with the same high degree of devotion.

See: Agamas, Vedas.

(See also: Saiva Agamas, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Karuna Agama: (Sanskrit) One of the 28 Agamas of Saiva Siddhanta.

See: Saiva Agamas.

(See also: Karuna Agama, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

The Vaishnava Agamas are of four kinds: the Vaikhanasa, Pancharatra, Pratishthasara and Vijnanalalita. The Brahma, Saiva Kaumara, Vasishtha, Kapila, Gautamiya and the Naradiya are the seven groups of the Pancharatras. The Naradiya section of the Santi-Parva of the Mahabharata is the earliest source of information about the Pancharatras.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

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The Agamas : Another class of popular scriptures are the Agamas. The Agamas are theological treatises and practical manuals of divine worship. The Agamas include the Tantras, Mantras and Yantras. These are treatises explaining the external worship of God, in idols, temples, etc. All the Agamas treat of (i) Jnana or Knowledge, (ii) Yoga or Concentration, (iii) Kriya or Esoteric Ritual and (iv) Charya or Exoteric Worship.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

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Hinduism Lexicon on A

From aadheenam to axis.

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There are great truths behind the ancient mythology of Hinduism. You cannot ignore a thing simply because it has a garb of mythology. Do not argue. Shut up your mouth. Keep your intellect at a respectable distance when you study mythology. Intellect is a hindrance. It will delude you. Give up arrogance and vanity. Cultivate love for imagery. Sit like a child and open your heart freely. You will comprehend the great truths revealed by mythology. You will penetrate into the hearts of the Rishis and sages who wrote the mythology. You will really enjoy mythology now..

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

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Outward symbols are necessary and beneficial. When viewed from the right angle of vision, you will find that they play a very important part in your material as well as spiritual life. Though they may look very simple and unimportant, they are very scientific and effective.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

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There is no reference to worship of idols in the Vedas. The Puranas and the Agamas give descriptions of idol-worship both in the houses and in the temples. Idol-worship is not peculiar to Hinduism. Christians worship the Cross. They have the image of the Cross in their mind. The Mohammedans keep the image of the Kaba stone when they kneel and do prayers. The people of the whole world, save a few Yogis and Vedantins, are all worshippers of idols. They keep some image or the other in the mind.

The mental image also is a form of idol. The difference is not one of kind, but only one of degree. All worshippers, however intellectual they may be, generate a form in the mind and make the mind dwell on that image.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

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Saiva Siddhanta is the oldest, most vigorous and extensively practiced Shaivaite Hindu school active today, encompassing millions of devotees, thousands of active temples and dozens of living monastic/ascetic traditions. Despite its popularity, Siddhanta’s past as an all-India denomination is relatively unknown and it is primarily identified with its South Indian, Tamil form. The term Saiva Siddhanta means “the final or established conclusions of Saivism.” It is the formalized theology of the divine revelations contained in the ...

Including:

• Saiva Siddhanta - Gurus
• Saiva Siddhanta - Saints and Ascetics
• Saiva Siddhanta - Siddhas
• Saiva Siddhanta - Saiva Siddhanta Teachings
• Saiva Siddhanta - The Spread of Saiva Siddhanta
• Saiva Siddhanta - A New Siddhanta
• Saiva Siddhanta - A Dualistic Development
• Saiva Siddhanta - Saiva Siddhanta Today

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The Nayanars were the sincere and ardent devotees of Lord Siva. They were saints from Southern India, especially Tamil Nadu, and were mostly responsible for development of Shaivism in the Middle Ages. Nayanars - Simple but divinely intoxicated. Only a few had made a study of the Agamas.(see Hindu Agamas.)The rest were pure and simple Bhaktas only. They served the devotees of Lord Siva and made absolute self-surrender to the Lord. They were quite ignorant of philosophy. The Nayanars cleaned the temple premis ...

Including:

• Nayanars - Simple but divinely intoxicated
• Nayanars - Role model of Devotion
• Nayanars - Four Samayacharyas
• Nayanars - Bhakti Renaissance
• Nayanars - Related Links

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Harihara is a term used to denote the unity of Vishnu and Shiva as one and the same with Hari being the name of Vishnu and Hara that of Shiva. This is a popular concept, especially among those trying to bridge the gaps between Shaivism and Vaishnavism. Smartism holds this concept as a tenet. There is scriptural support for those assertions as both the Shri Rudram and Vishnu sahasranama indicate that Vishnu and Shiva are one. As Swami Sivananda discussed, in his book, All about Hinduism, " A bigoted Virasaivite ent ...

Including:

• Harihara - Geography

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Bhakti movements are Hindureligious movements in which the main spiritual practice is the fostering of loving devotion to God, called bhakti. They are monotheistic movements generally devoted to worship of Shiva or Vishnu or Shakti. Sikhism evoloved out of the Bhakti movement. Bhakti movement - Origins. The Bhakti Movement was essentially founded in South India and later spread to the North during the late medieval period. The notion of 'Bhakti' (loosely translated as devotional love to God) i ...

Including:

• Bhakti movement - Origins
• Bhakti movement - Rama bhakti
• Bhakti movement - Vaishnava bhakti
• Bhakti movement - Influences
• Bhakti movement - Bibliography

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Smartism is a denomination of the Hindu religion. This term is usually used to denote a certain category of Brahmins. Smartas consider the Vedas supreme. The majority of members of Smarta community are followers of Advaita. In practicality, Smarta and Advaita have become almost synonymous because of the prevalence of Advaita philosophy among Smarta Brahmins. But not all believers in Advaita are Smartas. In ancient times, all Brahmins who specialized in the Karma Kanda of the Vedas, and who followed the Vedas and Shastras (both Smriti ...

Including:

• Smartism - Definition
• Smartism - Why They Became Distinguished From Others
• Smartism - Main Beliefs
• Smartism - Smarta Contributions to Advaita
• Smartism - Smarta Contributions to other Philosophies
• Smartism - Smartas Who Split Away From Their Group
• Smartism - Important Religious Books Followed
• Smartism - Prominent Communities

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Shiva (Sanskrit: शिव or श्रीशिव (when used to distinguish lordly status), and written Śiva in the official IAST transliteration, pronounced as "shιvə") is a form of Ishvara or God in the later Vedic scriptures of Hinduism. Adi Sankara interprets the name Śiva to mean "One who purifies everyone by the utterance of His name" or the Pure One. That is, Śiva is unaffected by the three gunas (characteristics) of Prakrti (matter): Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. Śiva is "the destroyer", ...

Including:

• Shiva - Introduction
• Shiva - Consorts and the Burning of Kamadeva
• Shiva - Other Legends
• Shiva - The Sons of Shiva
• Shiva - Attributes of Lord Shiva
• Shiva - Other Forms and Legends
• Shiva - Schools and Views of Śivaism
• Shiva - Origin Theories
• Shiva - Names of Śiva

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Svayambhuva Agama: (Sanskrit) One of the 28 Saiva Siddhanta Agamas.

See: Saiva Agama.

(See also: Svayambhuva Agama, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Ajita Agama: (Sanskrit) Among the 28 Saiva Siddhanta Agamas, this scripture especially elucidates temple construction, worship and rules for installation of various Siva icons (murti). See: murti, Saiva Agamas.

(See also: Ajita Agama, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Ajita Agama: (Sanskrit) Among the 28 Saiva Siddhanta Agamas, this scripture especially elucidates temple construction, worship and rules for installation of various Siva icons (murti). See: murti, Saiva Agamas.

(See also: Ajita Agama, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Parakhya Agama: (Sanskrit) A subsidiary Saiva Agamic text (Upagama).

(See also: Parakhya Agama, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Karana Agama: (Sanskrit) One of the 28 Saiva Siddhanta Agamas widely available today. Its kriya pada forms the basis for temple rituals performed in nearly all South Indian Siva temples.

See: Saiva Agamas.

(See also: Karana Agama, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)