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Foreword
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Preface
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Publisher’s Note
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Contents
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INTRODUCTORY
PAGES ill-v
V
-IX
XI-XII
XIII-XVI
CHAPTER I
1-42
Vedas as records of the various aspects of the Hindu way of life in ancient India-Purposes served by them (1), Religious aspect of life, nature of the deity, mantras, social and cultural aspects-supernaturalism, performance of the rituals (2-8); rise of the Agamas, which satisfied the yearnings of people to visualise the deity and offer worship (9-10), Agama and tantra, derivative significance, concept of God, as a supreme deity (11-16), Sankhya influence and concept of sakti and cosmology, liberation and the means for it (17-21), the four divisions of the Agama, Jnana, Yoga, Kriya and Carya, the purposes served by each finitized form of God, concept of idol and idol worship and construction of temples to house it (22-26); mantra, yantra, matrka, diksa, antaryaga, bahiryaga, bhuta- suddhi, mandala, nyasa, mudra-forming part of the kriya and carya divisions (27-35), exotic and endemic influences for the rise of the Agamas, home and date of the Agamas (36-42)
CHAPTER II
VALIDITY OF THE AGAMAS
43-56
Objections raised against validity of the Agamas-five are they in number as recorded in ancient texts like smrti and purana-they are answered-evidences from the same sources (43-52), evidences in favour of Agama authority (53–56).
CHAPTER III
CLASSIFICATION OF AGAMAS
57-78
Sakti’s role in the theory and practise of the Agamas (57), classification according to the position of Sakti and deity - the Sakta kind (58-59), Saiva [South India and Kashmir] (60–66); Vaisnava kind, their rise, temples, evidences from Sanskrit and Tamil sources (67-73), two subdivisions-Vaikhanasa and Pancaratra (74-78).
CHAPTER IV
VAIKHANASA AGAMA
79-116
The names Vaikhanas and Vaikhanasa explained, greatness of Vikhanas, validity of the Agama (79-87), antiquity of
XIV
Vaikhanasa,-popularity (88-91); nature of ultimate Reality- means of worship-Yoga and Japa (92-105); the texts of Atri, Bhrgu, Kasyapa and Maric-brief account of their contents (106-116).
CHAPTER V
THE PĀNCARĀTRA AGAMA
117-191
Five kinds of tantra according to Visnusmrti (117-118); the word Pancaratra explained-nine explanations are suggested -examination of them and the acceptable among these (119-124); evidence of Ahırbudhnyasamhita (125-126), Van Buitenen’s explanation of the name and the way of its rise examined and rejected (127-131), non-vedic and anti-vedic nature of this Agama, suggestion for reputation of them (132-134); authority of this Agama (135-137), Ten objectio’s against admitting validity, they are answered (138-148), proofs for the Vedic character (149-151); objection based on the evidence based on the Brahmasutra, it is answered (152-161), Validity vindicated (162-166); origin traced to ancient sources (167-172); evidences-explanation for a passage from the Paripadal, a Tamil classic (173-181), antiquity of Pancaratra, literary and inscrip- tional evidences (182-190), exotic origin denied (190-191)
CHAPTER VI
PĀNCARĀTRA AGAMA DOCTRINES
192-243
Siddhanta another name for Agama its divisions (192-193), ultimate Reality, tattvas, cosmology, sadgunya, its role in the Vyuha concept (194-206), Sub-vyuhas, Vibhava and sub- vibhavas–concent of vyuha (206-210); area, forms of God- divine descents Saku and Sri, Visakha Yupa concept (211-223), cication of misra and asuddha kınds (224-227); moksa state of self-means for- (228-230), Pancakala division, yoga, Nyasa (231-239), Dissolution, linguistic occultism-mantra-place for this in upasana (240-243).
CHAPTER VII
PĀNCARĀTRA TEXTS
244-290
The primary preachers of the Pancaratra doctrines (244), Number of the texts, their date, nature of their contents (245-248), Pauskara, Sattvata, Jayakhya, Ahirbudhnya and Lakshmitantra represent the early tradition (249-267); Isvara, Parama, Sanatkumara and Paramesvara belong to a slightly later stage (268-278), Padma, Visnutilaka and others come next(279-288). Srinrasna is the latest among the texts (289–290).
X.V
CHAPTER VIII
AGAMAS IN VAISNAVA LITERATURE
291-343
Vaisnavism developed through the influence of the Agamas, Pancaratra to a greater extent and the Nalayıra divyaprabhan- dham. The Visnupurana played a very notable part. The doctrines of the Pancaratra are recorded in the Narayaniya section of the Santiparvam of the Mahabharata. Place of Jitante stotra (291-306); Yamuna’s contribution through the Agamapramanya, his rejoinder to the opponents’ exposition of Ütpatyasambhavadhikarana (307-308); Ramanuja’s contribution (309-310). The works of Srivatsankamısra and Parasarabhatta (311-317); Pillai Locacarya’s works (318-323); works of Vedantadesika-special value of the Pancaratraraksa and Saccaritraraksa (323-333); Manavalamamuni’s contri- bution (333-335); works of later writers (335-343).
the
CHAPTER IX
AGAMAS AND TEMPLES
344-406
Building of temples, installation of idols and consecratory rites are done under the influence of the Agamas of both kinds (344-346); number of idols, qualifications for those who perform the consecratory rites and daily worship in the temples, difference in this respect between the two Vaisnava Agamas (346-354); act of initiation, kinds of initiation (355-357), Pancasamskara (357), Mantras and their kinds (358-360), Temple construction (361–364); installation ceremonies-main deity, Vibhava deities and secondary deities (355-369), daily worship (369-377); Sudarsana and bhaktaberas (377-378); flower and food offerings (379-380); specific occasions for worship (380), Festivals-definition of utsava-Kinds of festivals, recitation of Alvars compositions in front of the deity during processions avabrtha, festivals for the devotees of God (381-398), snapana (398-400); rites of expiation for the shortcomings occurring during the conduct of the festivals- Pavitrotsava (399-403), conduct of people in temples (403-406)
CHAPTER X
AGAMAS AND THE WAY OF LIFE
407-438
Influence of the epics, Puranas and Dharmasastras on the behaviour of people (407-409) Ramanuja’s Nitya (410), Pancasamskara and its significance, the Vaikhanasa do not have
it (410-422): extent of the Pancaratra influence on the practices of the Vaisnavas of Ramaruja’s school, nerformance of Samdhya, Japa, worship of the deity in the form of idol or salagrama (422-432); daily practices of domestic kind (432-436); observance of Srijayanti (437-438).
CONCLUSION
of
CHAPTER XI
439-515
The Pancaratra system alone has exerted its influence on schools
Vaisnavism-Ramanuj (439–444); Madhva (444-449); Nimbarka (450-455); Vallabhacarva (455-459); “and (450-460); Cailanya (460-466); Vijnanabhiksu 4671; t’er Visna a sects (467-470); spread of Vaisnavism through the regions of India, exerting a sort of influence of the Pancaratra in some areas-Tamil Nadu (470-476); Karnataka (476-480); Andhra (480-483); Kerala (483-487); Maha- rastra (487-4891: Gujarat (489-490); Madhyanradesh (490-492). Rajasthan (492-493); East Punjab (494); ae’ mir (495-196). Itara Pradesh (496-497); Bihar **.108:
Bengal (498-499); Assam (500-501); Orissa
誓
im met when the near and far East Asia (502-504); Vaisnavism and Music-Languages used for the purpose Tamil,
Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Sanskrit. Maharastri, Gujarati, Hindi, Bengali, Assamese and Oriya (505-513); Significance of the we of idols for worship (513-515).
Bibliography
List of Abbreviations
Index-List of Works Cited
List of Writers
Glossary
Errata
517-522
503 504
$25-537
538 543
544-351
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Agamas and South Indian Vaisnavism