Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c16.176

c16.176

(c) **Āgama.** *Āgama* is what proceeds from the lips of a person considered as an *āpta* or unimpeachable authority by the person listening to it and accepting it with implicit faith without arguing or doubting it. "Such a person imparts to the other what he has himself seen or inferred by uttering words with the intention that such words may produce a like sense in him." Such verbal instruction is *Āgama*. The value of *āgama* as a source of knowledge depends on the character of the person imparting such knowledge. Such a person should be absolutely above board, ' free from foibles like unsound views, erroneous perception, deceit, defective organs of sense, and should be possessed of insight, charity, and soundness of perception.' That *Āgama*, however, cannot rank as *Pramāṇa* or a source of valid knowledge which is expounded by a person whose words cannot be taken for granted (*aśraddheyārtha*) and who has not even directly obtained the knowledge he expounds by his own perception or inference. The objection may be taken that Śāstras like Manu, Smṛiti, and the Purāṇas, which only recall and repeat the words of the Veda, should not count as *Āgama*. The reply is that the Veda is revealed by an unimpeachable authority, viz. Iśvara Himself Who is perfect, and so the Śāstras, like Manu, based on Veda, are *Āgama*. The texts of systems which do not believe in God cannot count as *Āgama* or *Pramāṇa*.