Translations from the Agamas

Translations from the Agamas

2.2.1. Atma Sakshatkara

2.2.2. Devikalottara

T he Agamas are traditional Hindu scriptures regarded as no less authoritative and authentic than the Vedas.



They are regarded as divinely revealed teachings and no human authorship is ascribed to them. Temple worship is mainly founded upon them.



There are twenty-eight Agamas that are accepted as authorities. From among them Sarva Jnanottara and Devikalottara are outstanding expressions of the standpoint of pure advaita or non-duality. Atma-Sakshatkara is the most essential part of Sarva Jnanottara.



The Maharshi spontaneously translated both of these Agamas into Tamil verse -- Devikalottara in the very early days when he was living in Virupaksha Cave and the Atma-Sakshatkara in 1933 when he was already in the Ashram at the foot of the hill. Both are instructions in the path of knowledge given by Lord Siva, the latter to his son Guha (another name for Lord Subrahmanya) and the former to his wife, Parvati.



Verses 70-72 in Devikalottara, which forbid the harming even of plant life, are not to be taken as applying to aspirants on the path. No extremes of discipline or behaviour are demanded of them. Indeed, as is generally indicated in these two Agamas, questions of discipline, ritual, and behaviour are far less important on this path than any other, since it is a path which works directly on the Heart, awakening spiritual knowledge.

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Referred Resources: Virupaksha Cave