The Agamas  

The Agamas are ancient Shaivite scriptures, of a similar antiquity with the Puranas and Upanishads. They are also extensive, profound and worthy of study and reverence.

Tantra

Tantra is a well known but highly misunderstood Sanskrit term. Literally it means a fabric and refers to a whole set of teachings, both Hindu and Buddhist, given in ancient and medieval times, from perhaps a few centuries before Christ until after 1000 AD There are many teachings called Tantras with not always a lot in common.  

There are three basic levels of teachings in the Vedic dharma. The oldest layer is "Vedic", consisting of the Vedas themselves, along with the Upanishads and Brahmanas. These were prevalent in ancient times, and were out of vogue some centuries before the time of the Buddha. The second layer is the Puranik, consisting of the Puranas and Epics. These came into prominence at the time of the kings that followed Krishna, as the Vedic teaching declined, but are considered an extension and development of the Vedas. They continued in the forefront until about 500 AD, though they are still commonly used. The third is the Tantra. It is a development and extension of the Puranas and legends, and is not as clearly differentiated from them as they are from the Vedas.  

[ Back ] [ David Frawley ] [ Up ] [ Next ]