The Agamas present a vision of spiritual life that is both rigorous and deeply compassionate, centering on the purification of the soul from karmic bondage. At their heart stand the Three Jewels—Right Faith, Right Knowledge, and Right Conduct—which together form the path by which the soul moves toward liberation. These texts teach that every living being possesses an eternal, individual soul (jīva), potentially omniscient and capable of complete freedom, yet bound by subtle karmic matter generated through actions, passions, and ignorance. Liberation (moksha) is described as the final release from this cycle of rebirth, attained when karmic influx is stopped and accumulated karma is exhausted through disciplined practice.

Ethically, the Agamas elevate ahimsa, non-violence in thought, word, and deed, as the supreme principle from which other virtues naturally flow. This commitment to non-harm extends to all living beings and informs detailed prescriptions regarding conduct, livelihood, diet, and social behavior. Alongside ahimsa, the texts emphasize truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy, and non-possessiveness, which appear as the Five Great Vows (mahavratas) for ascetics and in moderated form as limited vows (anuvratas) for householders. Aparigraha, or non-attachment, is especially significant, encouraging a deliberate limitation of possessions and a loosening of the grip of desire and accumulation.

The Agamas also articulate a subtle philosophical outlook through doctrines such as anekantavada, the principle that reality is many-sided and cannot be fully captured from a single perspective. Closely related is the insistence on the relativity and conditionality of judgments, which fosters intellectual humility and guards against dogmatism. This many-sidedness does not dilute ethical rigor; rather, it frames moral and spiritual effort within an awareness of the complexity of existence and the limitations of any one standpoint. In this way, the texts invite a form of discernment that is both exacting and open-minded.

On the practical side, the Agamas give great importance to asceticism and tapas, the disciplined austerities that purify the soul and weaken the hold of passions. External practices such as fasting, limiting possessions, and embracing bodily hardship are paired with internal disciplines like repentance, humility, study, meditation, and the gradual elimination of karmic matter. The universe is portrayed as eternal and uncreated, governed not by a creator deity but by the intrinsic laws of karma and the cyclical rhythms of time, within which souls rise or fall according to their own conduct. Taken together, these teachings form a coherent path of radical responsibility, where ethical refinement, philosophical clarity, and disciplined practice converge in the ideal of the liberated being, free in perfect knowledge and bliss.