Agama
(आगम)Literal Meaning
That which has come down
Etymology & Sanskrit Root
'A' (thoroughly) plus 'gam' (to come, go); a class of scriptures — Shaiva, Shakta, and Vaishnava Agamas (also called Pancharatra/Samhita) — believed to be directly spoken by Shiva or Vishnu, governing temple construction, image consecration, and tantric ritual practice.
Spiritual Insight & Context
While Vedic authority flows from the impersonal shruti, Agamic authority flows from a personal divine speaker — this is why most South Indian temple worship today follows Agama, not Vedic, ritual procedure.