The Agamika tradition’s instilling of a culture of reverence and appreciation; whether it be of animals in ritual contexts or the importance given to non-arcaka groups such as sculptors & architects.
The greatest gift of rituals is the reverence it instills in us; not just for the deity but for all beings, all communities. The Agamika tradition involved a number of rites where different individuals (even animals) were honored.
Let us see some verses from the kAmikAgama.
The kAmikAgama does not simply concern itself with rituals at temple. After all, the prerequisite for temple worship is, well, a temple which has been built. The Agama spoke on the construction of, not just temples but also, residential dwellings and planning of entire towns. Before a structure is built, land has to be selected. So, the kAmikAgama gives lengthy instructions on that process, where the shivAcArya steps out of the temple and visits the proposed place with an architect and examines the land for the patron. And yes, the patron was not just from his own class (shivabrAhmaNas) but all varNas. What if someone proposed a viSNu temple in a shaiva town? No problem, this shaiva text also gives prescriptions for the location of viSNu temples!
So, the land has been examined. Architect is happy. Patron is happy. A house/shrine as per prescribed lengths can be built here. The AcArya would then offer food, etc to the bhUtas, pishAchAs, etc there (they too need sustenance) and ask them to leave the land the patron desires.
So, having given the instructions for bhUparigraha (taking possession of the earth/plot of land), shrIkaNTha rudra then gives instructions for the ploughing to be done on the land. He begins the chapter by specifying the bulls and how they are to be honoured:
The Agama then goes onto describe the material, length/breadth/thickness specifications of the plough, the rods and beams, the rope binding the bulls to the plough, etc…And all those having been arranged, now the AcArya honors the bulls, the plough and, yes, the ploughman:
Do read the above verses. The AcArya meditates upon the ploughman as being a form of himself! This is what the Agama asks him to do. He too must be given new clothes and made happy.
It is not just a 20 minute honoring of the bovine kind. Though only two bulls are required for ploughing, the AcArya ensures that an entire herd is made to stay on the land and purifies it by their presence. The calves are given the very first fruits of the ploughing, the shoots.
The next important rite was the burial of the “foundation deposit”, a casket which would be designed by the sthapati, the architect. The Agama asks the rich patron to do the appropriate honours to the AcArya, sthapati, daivaj~na (goldsmith) and mUrtipa (assisting priest):
Respect for the shilpi, the sculptor; the Agama painstakingly lays down payment ratios. One could note how the fee for the sculptor is benchmarked directly against that of the AcArya, who held the most prestigious office. This indicates the high stature sculptors had.
The rich patron, who has commissioned for the building of temples, should honour both the AcArya and the shilpi when the images have been sculpted:
