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Hemant
19 August 2008, 08:41 AM
Namaste,

Can anyone tell me where I can find a copy (digital or otherwise) of the Agamas? They apparently give full instruction on bhakti and general worship like how to perform different pujas for different Gods.

Hemant

yajvan
19 August 2008, 11:45 AM
Hari Oṁ
~~~~~~

Namaste,

Can anyone tell me where I can find a copy (digital or otherwise) of the Agamas? They apparently give full instruction on bhakti and general worship like how to perform different pujas for different Gods.
Hemant

Namaste

The āgama-s are a broad set of śāstra-s that I have found do not reside in one place… If someone has this information it would really help many who are studying this most insightful wisdom.


My studies suggest the āgama-s are made up of the following ( which I am always in pursuit of):


Bhairava śāstra-s - 64 in number; these are considered non-dual some call monistic; parā

Rūdra śāstra-s - 18 in number; these are considered dual-non-dual or mono-dualistic ; parāpara
Śiva śāstra-s - 10 in number; these are considered dualistic; aparāYou can see they total 92 śāstra-s that make up the āgama-s , yet some say there are 96.

I myself spend time within trika system ( three-fold). This Trika Śaivism is made of 4 schools:
Pratyabhijnā
Kula
Krama
Spanda

Lots to read, plenty to keep one busy.

pranams

Hemant
19 August 2008, 12:52 PM
Namaste Yajvan,

I can tell you are far more experienced with these things than I.

Are the three Sastras you mention in a book of the same name or are they part of a different book?

Please forgive my ignorance, I believe that you only learn if you ask.

Om Namah Sivaya

Hemant

yajvan
19 August 2008, 01:56 PM
Hari Oṁ
~~~~~~



Namaste Yajvan,

I can tell you are far more experienced with these things than I. Are the three Sastras you mention in a book of the same name or are they part of a different book? Please forgive my ignorance, I believe that you only learn if you ask. Om Namah Sivaya Hemant

Namste Hemant,
No worries - ask questions. There are many on HDF that follow, study and adore Śivabhaṭṭāraka¹.


The śāstra-s I mention: there is no one-stop-shop. The best one can do is to begin their studies and practice. Knowledge without experience leaves one guessing on the knowledge.

We can talk about a banana all day, yet if it not acompanied by the taste, the banana remains elusive. As the studies continue, it brings you from book to book, like that the unfoldment and study occurs.

I have a handful of favorite books that I study, if you are interested I will list them out. My studies have taken me as of late to Kaśmir Śaivism and this would be the orientation of the trika system I mentioned and the books I would recommend, all part of the āgama-s suggested in the last post.

For me this compliments my Vedanta background and personal experiences. Others on HDF may recommend different venues.

Here are some HDF posts that will give you a feel for the tantra-s and some ideas on reading.

Some books: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2303 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2303)
Some ideas and practices: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=3150 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=3150)
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2323 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2323)
Siva Sutra conversations:
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2078 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2078)
Understanding Bhairava a bit better:
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=17892&postcount=52 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=17892&postcount=52)

pranams

1. Śivabhaṭṭāraka : Śiva + bhaṭṭāra Bhaṭṭāra - the great Lord , venerable or worshipful; bhaṭ भट् - nourish , maintain

yajvan
20 August 2008, 04:19 PM
Hari Oṁ
~~~~~~



...time within trika system ( three-fold). This Trika Śaivism is made of 4 schools:
Pratyabhijnā
Kula
Krama
Spanda



Namaste

Let me offer just a word or two on these systems/schools mentioned above.

Pratyabhijnā system or ~ school. This is the knowledge of the re-recognition of ones SELF.
Kula system or ~ school. Kula is defined as a group, a heard, we even us this as a race , family , community , tribe , caste; even as a group under a guru i.e. guru-kulam; Yet in Trika Śaivism of Kaśmir Śaivism this means 'totality'. No break in ones awareness or natureof the whole (samasta) with one's own being. Take one particle of anything and see the 'totality' of the universe in it.
This is the notion of the principle sarvaṃ sarvātmakaṃ¹. There is a post on this if you care to read more listed below.
Krama system or ~ school. Krama means uninterrupted or regular progress, order, series, regular arrangement or step-by-step progress. That is one's progress to the SELF is in a progressed 'step-by-step' manner.
Spanda system or ~ school; Spanda means throb, vibration, a slight movment. This is a beautiful undersrtanding that the Absolute has thisslight movement, this throb. It is from this that all creation manifest. In Vedanta, the Absolute is absolute stillness, no motion, no spanda. This is where there are some slight differences in views.thought the above may help …
pranams

references

HDF Post on sarvaṃ sarvātmakaṃ : http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?p=24223#post24223 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?p=24223)

Srikantha
21 August 2008, 12:39 AM
Most of these works are in Sanskrit:

Shaiva Agamas [all principle Siddhanta Agamas] are compiled on this site:
http://www.muktabodhalib.org/SECURE/digital_library_index.htm

Pancharatra/Vaishanava sources here:
http://www.granthamandira.com/

As Yajvan has mentioned, the Agamas are discussed in some length here as well as other forums. But the best method is to review the primary source yourself and when in doubt, consult people who belong to appropriate traditions associated with those texts; that sometimes, can be helpful.

It is generally required to make study of Agama after upadesha from one's Guru.

yajvan
21 August 2008, 10:58 AM
Hari Oṁ
~~~~~


Most of these works are in Sanskrit:

Shaiva Agamas [all principle Siddhanta Agamas] are compiled on this site:
http://www.muktabodhalib.org/SECURE/digital_library_index.htm

Pancharatra/Vaishanava sources here:
http://www.granthamandira.com/

As Yajvan has mentioned, the Agamas are discussed in some length here as well as other forums. But the best method is to review the primary source yourself and when in doubt, consult people who belong to appropriate traditions associated with those texts; that sometimes, can be helpful.

It is generally required to make study of Agama after upadesha from one's Guru.


Namaste Srikantha,
Thank you for this reference site. I have been fortunate to find this site in the past, yet now the site is using a new viewer ( that is, like a PDF viewer) and its called DjVu. So if one wishes to view the scanned books, this viewer plug-in needs to be installed. The site does not easily get you to this plug-in, so I have listed the location of DjVu below¹.

Also note the books are in sanskrit and are not translated or have any commentarties on most if not all of the Library's contents, yet it is still a good source to have.

As I have mentioned, I am just a novice at best with sanskrit. Even saying novice is above my level of ability. So for those that are new to sanskrit, getting books that have the sanskrit text + the translation + a commentary is a good thing.
How so? I am presently studying Parā-trīśikā Vivaraṇa. This is the work of Abhinavagupta. I am reviewing the rules of kulapuruṣa (vowels) and kulaśakti (consonants) that are offered to understand some of the śloka-s.

So, Abhinavagupta states that some of these rules do not apply to mantra-s. Now I am thinking how could this be ? How could vowels and consonants not apply to say bīja mantra- s as they are made up of these sounds. Without the wisdom of the commentator ( Svāmi Laksamanjoo and Jaideva Singḥ) I would have not known that in this śloka, mantra-s in this case meant mantramaheśvara-s or the divinities (devatā-s) that abide in certain tattva.
My teacher has also told me that the devatā-s also 'hide' or can be found in chandas ( the meter or gate ) that we find in riks and samā verses of the Veda. This is also called out in the Upaniṣads. Yet I did not connect the dots and took the word 'mantra' at face value.


Like that, reading translations from the wise, and those established in in the Divine gives the reader/sādhu more insight then a purely academic translation - the words are dull, limp, and miss the conscious-liveliness of the muni that reads the translation as an extension of his own personal experience.



pranams

1. here is the site for the DjVu plug in : http://www.celartem.com/en/download/djvu.asp
If this does not work do a 'google' search on celartem DjVu plug-in

Srikantha
22 August 2008, 12:43 AM
Some works have been translated or summarized in the Muktabodha site. Uddamaheshawara has nice summary and Vatulanatha is fully translated. You can always pick up Sanskrit like I have, maybe not now but in a few years time one can learn to enjoy those texts!