11
Translations from the Agamas
| 2.2.1. Atma Sakshatkara |
| 2.2.2. Devikalottara |
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.
Page 159