The Agamas do not derive their authority from the Vedas but are not antagonistic to them. They are all non-Vedic in spirit and character.+

The Agamas do not derive their authority from the Vedas but are not antagonistic to them. They are all non-Vedic in spirit and character. They are regarded as sacred by the priest-craft, who indulge in non-Vedic worship and practices.

Vedic religion or Santana Dharma has nothing to do with the Puranas, Mahabharata, and Ramayana too. There are myths in Hinduism, but those myths are contained in the Agamas.

The Agamas have their own myths about the gods and do not rely on the Puranic myths at all. Agamic myths are different from Puranic myths in the same stories.

For instance the birth of Lord Ganesha, where it is stated that Lord Shiva and Uma took the form of elephants and created Ganesha out of love, which is entirely different from the Puranic and Mahabharata versions.

Most people in the West also in India find it hard to digest the historical truth, but rather keep parroting that the Vedas and Upanishads are the source and pinnacle of Hinduism because they are unaware of the fact that, Hinduism has nothing to do with the Vedic religion and Santana Dharma.

The erroneous, but prevalent popular notion is that the Agamas ultimately derived from the Vedas or are an amplification of it. This is usually said to find comfort. But the fact is the Agamas preceded the Vedas. It does not derive from the Vedas, nor does it amplify anything from the Vedas. The Agamas have their own philosophy.

Hinduism, consisting of Saivism, Vaishnavism, and Saktism, comprising practically 98% of the Hindu believers, whether they know it or not, abide by the philosophy of the Agamas, and not that of the Upanishads.

Where does that leave the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Mahabharata, Bhagavad-gītā, and Ramayana? At best as unrelated supplemental readings. These supplementary texts have nothing to do with the temples, festivals, sacraments, or philosophy, which is the core of the religious and spiritual life of the Hindu. Along with it, all of its teachings and philosophy, including Varna. For there is no varna in the Agamas!

It is better to hold the view that the Agamas, and the Vedas with their related texts the Upanishads, Puranas, Itihasas, and commentaries, were two parallel and independent streams with much conformity and similarity, except that the Veda stream was eventually replaced completely by the Agama stream. What exists today is the Agama tradition, with the Veda tradition only in name.

That is why Astavakra says: ~ My child, you may speak upon various scriptures or hear the sermons on the scriptures. But you cannot establish the ‘Self’ unless you forget all. 16-1 – p49. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar