The six shastras of the Indian tradition are mainly referred to as the Agamas because they cover a wide expanse of the Indian tradition. However, they also have historical significance which goes beyond Indian philosophy. These are a set of texts that are considered authoritative in Indian religious life and practice. In this article, we will take a look at the philosophical implications of the six shastras.
The first of the six shastras is referred to as Dharma shastra. It was believed by the Hindus that there were six cosmic orders or forms of worship. The first order, Agama Shastra, covers the worship of nature through seasonal, solar and sometimes animal sacrifices in the early periods. The Agama Shastra prescribes a set of rites which are the essence of the ritual. These rites were believed to have specific significance in the agriculturaland other prosperity of the land and the people living there.
The second of the six shastras is known as Brahma sutras. It is mostly concerned with performing Brahma-mandala (goddess worship) and offering obeisance to Lord Brahma. This type of worship was considered a part of the ritual performed for the construction of the Universe. The
Bruhat Vaidya, written by the sage Visvedevichay, describes this in detail. According to this text, the first head of the Universe was Brahma (Lord). There were then other ten heads, including the Sun, the Moon, the Air, Earth, the underground waters, rivers and the lightning bolt.
Another ancient Indian text describes the relationship between the six shastras and the yoga sutras. The Charaka Samhita, found in Upanishads, mentions that the Hindu Sanskrit mantras and tantra verses have an important place in the practice of yoga. It is said that mantras and Sanskrit verses are used in a meditative process to reach inner reality.
In the course of his philosophical works, Patanjali describes six distinct kinds of yoga: Sattva, Tamas, Raja, Karma, Jnana and samadhi. He then explains that these three different philosophies should not be confused with the Agamas of the Hindus because they differ in various aspects, especially in their view of the nature of God. According to the Agamas, God is omnipresent and almighty; in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, however, he is identified as Siva, the father of the Vedas. Siva is the founder of the Hindu religion and its most renowned practitioner in some views. Similarly, Patanjali avoids mentioning the Agama’s connection with the Buddhism as he clearly shows that the philosophy of the two schools is different.
The primary difference between the Agamashastra and the Sansthana shastra lies in the word ‘sanskrit’. In the shastra of the Agama, the philosophy of creation is related to the world-principle and the aim is to make this world a useful vehicle for the progression of the soul. However, the philosophy of Sanskrita, on the other hand, deals with the soul and its liberation from the cycles of life and death, and the aim is to liberate it from material bonds.
The Agama is followed by the Sansthana philosophy, which is widely followed in the Indian society. The shastras of this school are famous for describing the stages of life and describe the changes that take place at each stage. The sutras often describe various virtues such as patience, self-control, concentration and tolerance. In contrast, the philosophy of the Sansthana shastras describes vices like greed, jealousy, hatred, enmity, slothfulness and heedlessness which an individual should overcome. This latter philosophy describes the mind of the followers of the Agama very differently from the saasathrutras.
The Agama, Sansthana and Sankrit shastras are the three major texts that form the foundation of the Hindu law system. However, there are many other shastras which have also been used by the Hindus. Vedic texts, including the Upanishads, are the oldest of these. The Agama and the Sansthana are the most popular ones followed in the Hindu religion.