Please see the following article on PancharAtra: http://www2.be.com/~mani/bhakti/archives/jan98/0196.html Herein, the author clearly distinguishes between Agamas, including the pancharAtra and the vaikhAnasa, and the Vedas. So there is no doubt that the vaikhAnasa is an Agama not a nigama (Veda). Anand