Agama in Hinduism is knowledge texts. The word agama has been used to denote a traditional doctrine or precept, a collection of such doctrines, Brahmana texts and Smritis, a Tantra text or sacrifice texts of Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, Buddhism and Jainism.
Agamapramanya of Yamunacharya, which discusses the position
of Vaishnavite system of Pancharatra, tries to prove that the system is as
valid as Vedas, since both are derived from the divine person, Narayana. Some
of the more important Pancaratra texts are Sattvata-samhita, Paushkara Samhita,
Jayakhya Samhita, which together form the three gems of the Vaishnavagama.
Shaivagamas or Saiva Siddantas were originally pronounced by
Maheshwara, Shaivaite agamas, twenty-eight in number, are found mostly in South
India. These agamas generally contain a separate section called Vidya-pada, in
which the general philosophical view underlying the sect is enunciated.
Shaivagamas discuss the main problem of the production, maintenance,
destruction, and veiling of the truth and liberation. Among these agamas is
Mrigendragama, which is said to be a subsidiary of Kamikagama which discusses how
the old Vedic forms of worship were superseded by the Shaiva tradition as formulated
in Diptagama, Rauravagama, and Matanga-parameshvaragama. Besides these there
are a large number of texts entitled Upagamas, Kalpas, etc.