What is agamas

• Agamas are the Jain canonical scriptures. They contain the teachings and discourses of Mahavira (the 24th Tirthankara) as remembered and organized by his close disciples.

• In general, there are two main traditions with different canons:

- Śvetāmbara tradition: They classify the Jain Agamas into a relatively large corpus (often described as 45–50 texts). These texts cover topics such as ethics, cosmology, philosophy, and the life of Mahavira, and they include various sutras and manuals that guide conduct and spiritual practice. - Digambara tradition: They hold a different collection of scriptures and emphasize that the original Agamas spoken by Mahavira were preserved in a form that is distinct from the Śvetāmbara collection. Over time, some texts were lost or survived in different recensions within the Digambara tradition.

• The core purpose of the Agamas is to teach right conduct (asanga), right belief, and right knowledge, leading to liberation (moksha). They present the Jain path through ethical vows, meditation, knowledge, and the means to purify the mind and remove karmic bondage.

• Differences between traditions:

- Content: The Śvetāmbara and Digambara canons differ in which texts are included and how they are organized. - Authorship and lineage: Both claim Mahavira as the teacher, but the methods of preservation and transmission differ, leading to variant collections. - Language and style: The texts are often in different scriptural languages and transmission styles, reflecting regional and sectarian practices.

If you’d like, I can provide a simple list of representative Śvetāmbara and Digambara Agama-s, or explain a particular Agama text in detail with its Jain interpretation.