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From: "Mani M. Manivannan"
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Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1999 19:22:17 -0700
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Subject: [agathiyar] Agamas and Tantras - Definition
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From: http://www.hindumythology.com

The Agamas are theological manuals of sectarian Hindus, namely Shaivas,
Shaktas and Vaishnavas. They present the philosophy behind and the practice
of adoring various deities, such as Vishnu, Shiva and Devi. They give less
importance to yagnas and more importance to idol worship, the construction
of temples and the performance of pujas. Hence, they are considered
avaidika, uninspired by the Vedas.

tantra is a loose term for scriptures associated with occult practices. It
is often difficult to differentiate a tantra from an agama. To add to the
confusion, the term 'tantra' is often used to simply mean 'manual'.

Just as vedas are considered divine revelations, the tantras are considered
conversations of Shiva and Parvati overheard by primal seers like
Matsyendranath. However, unlike the vedas which were written before
1000B.C., most tantras that have come down were written after 600 A.D.. Many
tantras are of Buddhist origin.

The tantras describe the nature of the cosmos and prescribe several occult
rituals to harness its power and wisdom to enlighten and empower the
practitioner. These include: concentration on ritual diagrams (mandalas,
yantras), chanting of sacred syllables (mantras), meditation (dhyana),
breath control (pranayama), eating forbidden food like meat and fish,
consuming alcohol, mixing with members of the lower castes, having forbidden
sex (maithuna) and worshipping female deities (stripuja) especially in their
fierce form (bhairava). A few texts do mention scatophilic, anthropophagic
and necrophilic practices.

Much of the tantras were written in hermetic form to confound the lay
reader, as the practitioners constantly feared its misuse. The texts
incorporate sublime concepts next to obscene ideas. This makes them
enigmatic and the subject of much speculation.