Saivagama, Shaivagama, Śivaśāstra
sk शैवागम saiva-agama, lit. 'accrued knowledge from Shiva'.
Śaivāgama represents the wisdom coming down from god Śiva [Shiva], received by Pārvatī and accepted by Viṣṇu [Vishnu], and comprised in the āgamas, the canonical texts of Śaivism.
For the Śiddhānta school of Śaivism, widespread in South India, notably in Tamil Nadu, the āgama texts constitute the philosophical base of religious practices.
It is believed that Shiva's wisdom was traditionally transmitted from Shiva to Devi (often Parvati as shakti), from Devi to Nandhi, from Nandhi to Brahma, from Brahma to Rishi and from Rishi to humankind.
Each of the 28 Saiva Agamas is divided into four pāda [paths] - Vidyāpāda, Yogapāda, Kriyāpāda and Caryāpāda. They also contain manuals on temple building and worship organization still applied in modern times. The triṃśat (त्रिंशत्) are the “experts on the Śaivāgamas)”.