5. Pratyabhijñā: The Pinnacle of Kashmir Śaivism

Pratyabhijñā can be considered as the pinnacle not only of the Kashmir Śaivism, but also of the different sets of Śaiva philosophy. It is an all inclusive philosophy. No one is kept away due to his caste, creed and sex. It elevated the theory of sovereignty of Paramaśiva with the powers of knowledge, will and action. The ever conscious non-dual principle is dynamic in nature.

R.K.Kaw has given a graphic representation of Pratyabhijñā system which shows the unity of life in macrocosm and microcosm.^[1] In this representation Maheśvara the Supreme Being or the ultimate reality is compared to the nutritional fluid which transforms itself into the tree of cosmos and which runs as sap or essence through its every branch, leaf, flower, fruit etc. This is called Śivarasa or Cidrasa. It grows into this cosmos by the sovereignty of His Will, technically called Svātantrya Śakti.

1. Important Teachers and their Contributions

Beginning from Tryambakāditya the monistic Śaivism was developed, transmitted and survived through a strong teacher-student relationship. There were several Maṭhikās, the centres of traditional knowledge, and each scholar was attached to one or another Maṭhikā. There were several generations of traditional teachers between Tryambaka and Somānanda. Considering the Pratyabhijñā, there were Vasugupta, the originator, Somānanda, the founder, Utpaladeva, the systematizer and Abhinavagupta, the propagator, are the precursor of the system. Each of them has their own range of vision to establish the philosophical thoughts. Besides these Kṣemarāja is another thinker of this area and contributed a lot. B.N. Pandit has given a detail account of the prominent authors and their contributions.^[2]

1.1. Vasugupta

Vasugupta, flourished either in the last part of the 8^th CE or the first half of the 9^th century,^[3] disclosed Śivasūtras generally known as Śivopaniṣadsaṅgraha, a compendium containing the secret doctrine revealed by Śiva. He was a Maṭhikāguru^[4] in the line of Tryaṃbakāditya. Bhaṭṭa Kallaṭa in the Spandavṛtti says that Śiva taught the Śivasūtras to Vasugupta in his dream.^[5] Bhāskara says in his Śivasūtravārttika that the Sūtras were revealed to Vasugupta by the direction of a Siddha.^[6] Kṣemarāja’s says that by appearing in a dream, Śiva directed Vasugupta to collect the Śivasūtras by touching the huge stone, where these are written, and to show them to the deserving disciples. On the next day, as per the direction of Śiva, Vasugupta achieved that the secret knowledge.^[7] Vasugupta was a great personage, a Siddha and well versed person

even in other systems like Buddhist philosophy. The Śivasūtra are comprised with three chapters containing 22, 10 and 45 Sutras respectively. The Śāmbhavopāya was explained in the first chapter. Śāktopāya and Āṇavopāya were the subjects of the other two chapters. The available commentaries are the Vṛtti by an anonymous author, Vārttika by Bhāskara, Vimarśinī by Kṣemarāja, and Śivasūtravārttikā by Varadarāja alias Kṛṣṇadāsa.

1.2. Somānanda

Somānanda was the great exponent and the founder of Śaivādvaita philosophy of Kashmir. He was the disciple of Vasugupta, the author of Śivasūtra. He flourished between the end of the 9^th century and the beginning of the 10^th century.^[8] He was likely an elder contemporary of King Avantivarman, a generous patron of the learned, ruled Kashmir from 855 to 883 CE. The historical poem Rājataraṅgiṇī of Kalhaṇa also speaks some points on Somānanda and his age.^[9] From Somānanda’s autobiographical description given at the end of his work Śivadṛṣṭi it is known that he was born in a family that he traces through a generational line of several ‘ accomplished’(Siddhas) started from Tryambakāditya. He was the son and chief disciple of his father Ānanda proceeded by Aruṇāditya, Varṣāditya, Saṅgamāditya etc.^[10] Beginning from Tryamba-kāditya the school, in which Somānanda belonged, is known as Tryambaka and as Teramba in colloquial language.

The only work fully available of Somānanda is Śivadṛṣṭi, which has seven chapters known as Āhnikas with 307 Ślokas. Another work, gets only in fragments in the Abhinavagupta’s commentary on Parātriṃśikā, is the Vivṛtī on Parātriśikātantra (Parātriṃśikātantra). It is believed that there is an auto commentary of Śivadṛṣṭi which is not available at present. Another work attributed to Somānanda is Śāktavijñāna, but there is no explicit proof to prove the authorship.^[11]

Somānanda says that his text is a Prakaraṇa type with some Ślokas in Mālinī metre and some are in Anuṣṭubh metre.^[12] There is a commentary on Śivadṛṣṭi written by Utpaladeva.^[13] Abhinavagupta also wrote a commentary, Ālocana by name, which is not available now.^[14]

Beyond Kashmir, Śivadṛṣṭi was popular all over India.^[15] It is reflected from Śivadṛṣṭi that Somānanda got encouragement from other philosophical thoughts and he criticized some doctrines of them very strongly. He logically defends monistic Śaivism against a number of opposing forms of Hinduism like Śāktism, Vaiṣṇavism, Dualistic Śaivism, Yoga, Vedānta and philosophy of Bhartṛhari, and Buddhist schools. In Śaivism itself, he had his own modifications upon some notions. It can be evidently stated that Somānanda could establish the non-duality in Śaivism. Abhinavagupta says that it is Somānanda’s knowledge that turned into the basis of the Pratyabhijñāśāstra.^[16]

1.3. Utpaladeva

Utpaladeva belonged to the end of the 9^th century and the first half of the 10^th century. He was the systematizer and formulator of the Pratyabhijñā philosophy. His parents were Udayākara^[17] and Vagīśvarī, who originally belong to Lāṭa family of Gujarat and migrated later to Kashmir.^[18] He had a son Vibhramākara, who with his classmate Padmānanda entreated Utpala to write the treatise, Śivadṛṣṭivṛtti.^[19] In Tantrāloka of Abhinavagupta there is a reference that Utpala was the son of Somānanda.^[20] This is sometimes because of the studentship of Utpala, Somānanda considered him as a son more than a student. It is obviously known that Utpala was the disciple of Somānanda and was a contemporary of Rāmakaṇṭha I, who wrote the commentary on Spandakārikā of Bhaṭṭa Kallaṭa.

The magnum opus of Utpala is Īśvarapratyabhijñākārikā, a treatise on the philosophy of Pratyabhijñā. He himself wrote Vṛtti and Vivṛti for this text, but the latter is almost unavailable.^[21] Another Vṛtti written by him is the Vṛtti for Śivadṛṣti. Śivastotrāvalī is another work in which he praises Lord Śiva. The Siddhitrayī, a compilation of three theoretical works is another important work of Utpala. Among the Siddhis, Īśvarasiddhi identify Śiva as the highest subject, Ajaḍapramātṛsiddhi defines the concept of subjectivity and Sambandhasiddhi discusses a traditional philosophical problem of relation.

Īśvarapratyabhijñākārikā contains 190 Kārikās in four chapters known as Adhikāras: Jñāna, Kriyā, Āgama and Tattvasaṅgraha. In the first Adhikāra, Utpala refutes Buddhist doctrines and establishes Maheśvara as the ultimate and pure consciousness having power of knowledge and action. The theory of causation is discussed in the second Adhikāra. It affirms the existence of the absolute consciousness beyond all worldly experiences. The thirty six principles, which constitute the universe, are discussed in the third Adhikāra. The fourth Adhikāra illuminate the path of liberation.

Even though there is continuity in non-dual Śaivism, Utpala presents a compact and complete philosophy with a novelty and simplicity. He himself claimed it in his work.^[22] He emphasized the necessity of the recognition (Pratyabhijñā) and suggests this as a simple way to all kinds of prosperities, i.e. Māheśvarya, without any hardship of religious and ritualistic complexities. He restricts no one from attaining the same.^[23]

1.4. Abhinavagupta

Abhinavagupta, the great ever living epoch and propounder of Pratyabhijñā philosophy, belonged in the last decades of 10^th and first half of the 11^th century. He has contributed much to the philosophy, Indian aesthetics and dramaturgy.

Abhinavagupta’s parents were Narasimhagupta alias Cukhulaka and Vimalakalā. His mother was a Yoginī and thus he was known as Yoginībhūḥ. His grandfather Varāhagupta was a great scholar. Manoharagupta was the younger brother of Abhinavagupta. He had a line of great teachers, who were eminent scholars in Śaivism and other different Śāstras. Lakṣmaṇagupta was one among them.^[24]

It is obvious that Abhinavagupta was a steadfast savant in different subjects. He wrote several independent works like Tantrāloka, Tantrasāra and Paramārthasāra; commentaries like Īśvarapratyabhijñāvimarśinī known as Laghvī, Īśvarapratyabhijñāvivṛtivimarśinī known as Bṛhatī, Parātriṃśikāvivaraṇa, Śivadṛṣṭyālocana, and Mālinīvijayavārttika; Prakaraṇa type works like Bodhapañcaśikā, Paramārthacarcā and Anuttarā-ṣṭikā; and Stotras like Anubhavanivedanastotra, Bhairavastotra, Krama-stotra and Dehasthadevatāstotra. He was a great genius who systematized, interpreted, propounded and established the philosophical system of Pratyabhijñā. B.N. Pandit has listed the great potentialities of Abhinavagupta which have not ever seen in any other philosophers.^[25]

Abhinavagupta’s Abhinavabhāratī, a commentary on Bharata’s Nāṭyaśāstra, and Locana, a commentary on Ānandavardhana’s Dhvanyāloka, which are considered as the most significant works on Indian dramaturgy and aesthetics, were composed in the shadow of Pratyabhijñā philosophy.

Abhinavagupta made the Pratyabhijñā philosophy more stable, logically perfect, advanced, complex, incontrovertible and all inclusive. His versatile scholarship in Āgamas and allied subjects helped him to interpret the concepts and to make them more convincing. He could skillfully coalesce major principles of different systems into a non-dual tread of Pratyabhijñā. As Alexis Sanderson remarks, the third and final stage of development of Kashmir Śaivism took place in the period of Abhinavaguta. It was a period of grand synthesis of the different schools and streams (Pratyabhijñā, Krama, Kula, Spanda) representing the peak of non-dualistic Tāntric Śaivism of Kashmir.^[26]

Abhinavagupta’s place among the expounders of monistic Śaivism is the same as that of Śaṅkara in expounding the Advaita Vedānta. He became the last word not even in the matters of Śaiva thought and ritual, but in poetics and aesthetics.^[27]

Kṣemarāja, flourished 11^th century CE, became famous in Pratyabhijñā philosophy under the guidance of his illuminated and renowned teacher Abhinavagupta. Pratyabhijñāhṛdaya, which gave clarity in the fundamental principles of Pratyabhijñā system, is the master piece of Kṣemarāja. Spandasandoha is his brief work which clearly speaks the principles of Spanda in Kashmir Śaivism. His Parāpraveśikā is also a small text explicitly shows the principles of Śaivādvaita philosophy of Kashmir. His Spandanirṇaya, a commentary on Spandakārikā of Bhaṭṭa Kallaṭa, gives some new interpretations. Also he wrote commentaries on Spandakārikā of Kallaṭa, Śivasūtra of Vasugupta, Śivastotrāvalī of Utpala, Svaccanda Tantra and Netra Tantra.

Besides these teachers there are several others who had done their own contributions to the system. Bhaṭṭa Kallaṭa, Śaṃbhunātha, Bhaṭṭanārāyaṇa, Pradyumna Bhaṭṭa, Varadarāja, Ramakaṇṭha, Bhaṭṭa Divākara Vatsa, Bhaṭṭa Bhāskara, Vāmanadattācārya, Yogarāja, Jayaratha, Bhāskarakaṇṭha, etc. are some of them.

2. Main Tenets of Pratyabhijñā Philosophy

Pratyabhijñā philosophy accepts Maheśvara or Parameśvara, having the intrinsic powers of knowledge and action, as the Supreme non-dual reality. His essential nature is perfect freedom consisting in unbroken self-luminosity and blissful self consciousness.^[28] He is always in the united form of Prakāśa (Śiva) and Vimarśa (Śakti). Prakāśa is self-luminous shining of Śiva-consciousness. Vimarśa is the sportive lord’s transcendental power, which includes power of knowledge and power of action.^[29] His Jñātṛtva Śakti (cognitional power) includes three powers of knowledge, remembrance and exclusion (Jñāna, Smṛti and Apohana). This forms the universal consciousness of Maheśvara. He holds the whole form of this infinite universe within Himself.^[30] His Kartṛtva Śakti (power of action) turns into Nirmāṇa Śakti and this constituent power, associated by His Kāla Śakti, creates diversity, the thirty six categories of objective reality.

These evolved Tattvas comprise the whole universe consisting of innumerable subjects and objects sentient and insentient beings. This emanation of the Universal Being (Maheśvara) is impelled by His power of will. In fact this Icchāśakti or the Svātantryaśakti itself is the Nirmāṇaśakti.^[31] This is the vital power of Maheśvara (Aiśvarya) also called as Pratyavamarśa (reflective awareness).^[32]

According to Pratyabhijñā Philosophy, in every individual there always exist three potential powers, the powers of will, knowledge and action and actually he is one and the same Supreme Being. The diversified universe resides in Maheśvara in the form of Ahaṃ Vimarśa. He is able to transmute as sentient and insentient objects from their subtle form to gross form. The seed of a Nyagrodha tree and the egg of a peacock, before and after emanation, can be compared with the concepts of unified Supreme (microcosm) and diversified universe (macrocosm).

In his Prakāśa aspect Parameśvara is named as Śiva and in his Vimarśa aspect he is Śakti. With a will to be creative, he is in the form of Sadāśiva, in the form of knowledge he is Īsvara and he is imagined as Śuddhavidyā in the form of Active mood. These five among the 36 Tattvas (Śiva, Śakti, Sadāśiva, Īsvara and Śuddhavidyā) are the pure paths (Śuddha Adhvas) in which Ahaṃ Vimarśa illumined uninterruptedly without any concealment.

Māyā the sixth category limits Parameśvara and displays him like an imperfect one, who in the real sense is an omnipresent. Next five categories are the effects of Māyā known as five sheaths. Kalā curtails the independent authorship, Vidyā shortens the omniscient form, Rāga effects the perfection, Kāla works in eternity and the Niyati reduces the form of omnipresence. These five cause negatively and results in the oblivion of the Omni form.

Next 25 Tattvas were adopted from Sāṅkhya philosophy with slight difference. Puruṣa is the limited experiencer or knower, who is manifested form of Parameśvara caused by the Māyā and her five sheaths. There are similarities and differences in the concepts of Puruṣa and Prakṛti of both philosophies. Puruṣa is neither a cause nor an effect in Sāṅkhya, he is only an inactive knower (Jñaḥ). But Pratyabhijñā accepts Puruṣa as a self-contracted (Saṅkucita) and self-limited form of Parameśvara. He has no independent status at the time of manifestation and he is subject to the limitation in relation with time and space and causality. In fact he is also an active subjective principle. Sāṅkhya holds that the proximity of Puruṣa is the cause of the imbalance of three Guṇas (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas), the triad of Prakṛti’s constituent elements, and this is the reason for the evolution of insensible Prakṛti. Pratyabhijñā conceives three Guṇas as the three modes of activity of the divine Śakti, i.e. Iccha, Jñāna and Kriya, but in a contracted form. The will of the Supreme is the cause of the manifestation of the gross form of the world.^[33] Thus the Prakṛti is also a manifested form of Consciousness. According to Pratyabhijñā the Kartṛtva cannot exist devoid of Jñātṛtva.

The other 23 Tattvas evolved from Prakṛti. Buddhi (Intellect), Ahaṅkāra (Ego), mind, five senses for cognition, five senses for action, five subtle elements and five gross elements.^[34] Thus starting from earth to Maheśvara, there are thirty six Tattvas in Pratyabhijñā philosophy. The Maheśvara is considered as Viśvamaya and Viśvottīrṇa. The recognition of one’s own self as the Supreme Self is the aim of the system.

3. Popularity of the Philosophy

Generally philosophies are emerging from some complex social circumstances and when the empirical world is being affected adversely. Pratyabhijñā came forward in a situation when the notion of the falsity and unreality of the world was popular, and the commotion resulted from the diversified and contracted beliefs. Pratyabhijñā accepts the reality of all worldly experiences and nothing is denied as unreal. As the Vedic literature, Pratyabhijñā was not inapproachable to the women and the lower class people. So there was enough reason for the popularity and accessibility of the system. But it seems Pratyabhijñā philosophy created a mixed response among the people.

It appears that the Pratyabhijñā philosophy did not earn much consideration among the common folk. Even though Utpala says that it is open to all,^[35] it became limited among the intellectuals and the learned people, usually the upper class. The common people, as they are immersed in the worldly affairs and hard work for livelihood, they might not get enough time to enter in to the philosophical matters. The inaccessibility, incomprehensibility and the complexity of language and the philosophical doctrines, they could not follow the system more. Tāntric and Āgamic doctrines are considered as secret knowledge (Rahasyavidyā) and these are instructed strictly in traditional way only to the initiated disciple. It is considered that the supreme knowledge is accessible only to those, who have got Śaktipāta (Grace of the Śiva or Śiva-like Master). The ritual performances are also not disclosed to the public. So The Tāntric performances and doctrines were not easily accessible to the common people. To an extent this was applicable to the Pratyabhijñā system also. Though the women folk were not denied the entry in to the philosophy and religious practices, and they are considered as better in the performances,^[36] no many women are seen in the list of the teachers.

Pratyabhijñā philosophy influenced other thoughts and philosophies like Sufism. A women saint Lalleśvarī proved the meaningfulness of the words of Abhinavagupta.^[37] She united the Pratyabhijñā philosophy with the Islamic non-dual philosophy (Sufism) in a humanistic way. The oneness of Lallā aims at the social parity beyond rituals, caste, creed, narrow-minded passion etc. The universal brotherhood is obvious in the philosophy of Lallā.

The acceptance of unity in the ultimate reality and the all inclusiveness without any negation made a positive attitude towards Pratyabhijñā system. In the modern period this philosophy attracted the attention of several scholars and philosophers of India and abroad. The beauty of oneness without any differentiation enlightened the system. It strengthened the later secular non-dualistic thoughts in the society. K.C. Pandey remarks that the monistic system of thought that arose in Kashmir in the 9^th century CE is a synthesis of the idealistic, realistic, volantaristic, absolutistic and mystic tendencies of the thinkers of that land of beauty.^[38] This also was a reason for its universal propagation. Kaw has given a brief note on the role of Pratyabhijñā philosophy.^[39]

It is hopeful that the tradition has been there unbroken up to the recent period and it is sure that the new generation will uphold the positive elements of it. The real recognition of the philosophy will make it worldwide acceptable. That recognition will be more effective by comparing with the most parallel non-dual system, i.e. Advaita Vedānta.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Kaw, R.K., Doctrine of Recognition, p. 399. See appendix III for the same.

[2]:

Pandit, B.N., op.cit., pp. 116-155. Lakshman Joo, K.C. Pandey, Debabrat Sensharma, J.C. Chatterji, R.K. Kaw, Navjivan Rastogi, L.N. Sarma, etc. are some modern scholars of the Pratyabhijñā philosophy.

[3]:

Ibid., p. 19; Kaw, R.K., Doctrine of Recognition, p. 252; Tagare, G.V., Pratyabhijñā Philosophy, p. 2.

[4]:

Maṭhikāgurus were the teachers of the traditional learning centres (Maṭhikās). It is said that totally there were four and half Maṭhikās, in which one and half is non-dualistic and belonged to Tryambaka. Vide Bhāskarī, Part I, p. 9.

[5]:

Spandakārikāvṛtti of Bhaṭṭa Kallaṭa, Chatterji, J.C.(Ed.), Kashmir Sanskrit Texts and Studies , Srinagar, 1916, p. 40.

[6]:

Śivasūtravārtikā of Bhaṭṭa Bhāskara, Chatterji, J.C.(Ed.), Kashmir Sanskrit Texts and Studies , Vols. IV & V, Srinagar, 1916, 1.3.

[7]:

iha kaścit śaktipātavaśonmeṣanmāheśvarabhaktyatiśayāt anaṅgīkṛtādharadarśanasthanāgabodhyādi-siddhādeśataḥ śivārādhanaparaḥ pārameśvaranānāyoginīsiddhasatsaṃpradāyapavitritahṛdayaḥ śrīmahādevagirau mahāmāheśvaraḥ śrīmān vasuguptanāmā gururabhavat | kadācid asau ‘dvaitadarśanādhivāsitaprāye jīvaloke rahasyasaṃpradāyo mā vicchedi’ ityaśayataḥ anujighṛkṣāpareṇa paramaśivena svapne anugṛhya unmiṣitapratibhaḥ kṛtaḥ yathā ‘atra mahībhṛti mahati śilātale rahasyaṃ asti tad adhigamya anugrahayogyeṣu prakāśaya’ iti | prabuddhaśca asau anviṣyan tāṃ mahatīṃ 72 śilāṃ karasparśanamātraparivartanataḥ saṃvādīkṛtasvapnāṃ pratyakṣīkṛtya imāni śivopaniṣatsaṅgraharūpāṇi śivasūtrāṇi tataḥ samāsasāda | Śivasūtravimarśinī of Kśemarāja, Chatterji, J.C.(Ed.), Kashmir Sanskrit Texts and Studies, Vol. I, Srinagar, 1911, p. 2.

[8]:

John Nemec has given a note about the date of Somānanda in his Ph.D. Thesis Śaiva Arguments Against the Grammarians: Somānanda’s Śivadṛṣṭi, Chapters One and Two. University of Pennsylvania, 2005, p. 16.

[9]:

For details vide John Nemec, op.cit., p. 17f.

[10]:

Vide Śivadṛṣṭi of Somānanda, Aroma Publishing House, New Delhi, 1991, 7.106-122.

[11]:

For a discussion on this topic vide John Namec, op.cit, p. 19f.

[12]:

karomi sma prakaraṇaṃ śivadṛṣṭyabhidhānakam | Ibid,121.

[13]:

Published as Kashmir Series of Texts and Studies, No. 54.

[14]:

Ibid., p. 50.

[15]:

Prof. R.Gnoli remarks “ Outside Kashmir, the Śivadṛṣṭi must also have been studied in Southern India. An old manuscript in Telugu character, an erroneous title is to be found in the library of the Theosophical Society, Adyar. Another manuscript is preserved in the library of Madras.” Quoted by Kaw, R. K., The Doctrine of Recognition, p. 51.

[16]:

śrītraiyambakasadvaṃśamadhyamuktāmayasthiteḥ | śrīsomānandanāthasya vijñānapratibimbakam || anuttarānanyasākṣipumarthopāyamabhyadhāt | īśvarapratyabhijñākhyaṃ yaḥ śāstraṃ yatsunirmalam || Īśvarapratyabhijñā-vimarśini, 1.1.2-3.

[17]:

janasyāyatnasiddhyarthamudayākarasūnunā | īśvarapratyabhijñeyamutpalenopapāditā || Īśvarapratyabhijñā-kārikā, 4.18.

[18]:

Pandit B.N, History of Kashmir Śaivism, Utpal Pubblications, Rainawari, Srinagar, 1989, p. 36.

[19]:

vibhramākarasaṃjñena svaputreṇāsmi coditaḥ | padmānandābhidhānena tathā sabrahmacāriṇā || Utpalavṛtti on Śivadṛṣṭi of Somānanda, I.2.

[20]:

traiyambakaprasarasāgaraśāyisomānandātmajotpalajalakṣmaṇaguptanāthaḥ | Tantrāloka of Abhinavagupta, 37.61 (Vol. XII, Kashmir Sanskrit Texts and Studies No. 58, 1938).

[21]:

Vṛtti is available along with Siddhitrayī, Edited by Madhusudan Kaul Shastri, Kashmir Sanskrit Texts and Studies, No. xxxiv, Srinagar, 1921. Torella Rafeal has done a critical edition of of the same in the name Īśvarapratyabhijñākārikā, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, 1994.

[22]:

iti prakaṭito mayā sughaṭa eṣa mārgo navo … | Īśvarapratyabhijñā-kārikā, 4.16.

[23]:

kathañcidāsādya maheśvarasya dāsyaṃ janasyāpyupakāramicchan | samastasampatsamavāptihetuṃ tatpratyabhijñāmupapādayāmi || Īśvarapratyabhijñā-kārikā, 1.1.1. janasyāyatnasiddhyarthamudayākisūnunā īśvarapratyabhijñeyamutpalenopapāditā || Īśvarapratyabhijñā-kārikā, 4.18. 73

[24]:

For details vide Tantrāloka, Āhnika 1. (Vol. I, Kashmir Sanskrit Texts and Studies No. XXIII, 1918.). Many scholars have written books about Abhinavagupta. Rainario Gnoli’s Aesthetic experience according to Abhinvagupta, Kanti Candra Pandey’s Abhinavagupta -A Historical and Philosophical Study, G.T.Despandey’s Abhinavagupta, V.Raghavan’s Complete Works of Abhinavagupta, are some of them.

[25]:

Pandit B.N, History of Kashmir Śaivism, p. 52-53.

[26]:

Vide Supra, p.

[27]:

Desh Pandey, G.T., Abhinavagupta, Sahitya Academy, New Delhi, 1989, p. 158.

[28]:

anavacchinnaprakāśānandarūpasvātantryaparamārtho maheśvaraḥ | Īśvarapratyabhijñā-vimarśini, Bhāskarī, Part I, p. 29.

[29]:

vimarśa eva devasya śuddhe jñānakriye yataḥ | Īśvarapratyabhijñā-kārikā, 1.8.11.

[30]:

na cedantaḥkṛtānantaviśvarūpo maheśvaraḥ | syādekaścidvapurjñānasmṛtyapohanaśaktimān || Īśvarapratyabhijñā-kārikā, 1.3.7.

[31]:

paraseśvarasya apratihatasvātantryarūpā avicchinnasvātmaparāmarśamayī ananyonmukhatārūpā icchaiva kriyā || Īśvarapratyabhijñā-vimarśini, Bhāskarī, Part II, p. 24; tiṣṭhāsorevamicchaiva hetutā kartṛtā kriyā | Īśvarapratyabhijñā-kārikā, 2.4.21.

[32]:

citiḥ pratyavamarśātmā parāvāksvarasoditā | svātantryametanmukhyaṃ tadaiśvaryaṃ paramātmanaḥ || Īśvarapratyabhijñā-kārikā, 1.5.13.

[33]:

Cf. An Introduction to Advaita Śaiva Philosophy of Kashmir, p. 91ff.

[34]:

trayoviṃśatidhā meyaṃ yat kāryakaraṇātmakam | tasyāvibhāgarūpyekaṃ pradhānaṃ mūlakāraṇam || trayodaśavidhā yatra bāhyāntakaraṇāvalī | kāryavargaśca daśadhā sthūlasūkṣmatvabhedataḥ || Īśvarapratyabhijñā-kārikā, 3.1.10-11.

[35]:

janayasyāpyupakāramicchan | Īśvarapratyabhijñā-kārikā, 1.1.1; janasya iti, yaḥ kaścijjāyamānaḥ tasya, ityanena adhikāri-viṣayo nātra kaścinniyamaḥ iti darśayati | Īśvarapratyabhijñā-vimarśini, Bhāskarī, Part I, p. 29; janasya anavaratajanana- maraṇapīḍitasya | Īśvarapratyabhijñā-vimarśini, Bhāskarī, Part I, p. 32.

[36]:

yā uktā saṃvatsarāt siddhiriha puṃsāṃ bhayātmanāṃ sā siddhistatvaniṣṭhānāṃ strīṇāṃ dvādaśabhirdinaiḥ | Abhinavagupta’s words quoted by Sankunni Nair, M.P., Abhinavapratibhā, Vallathol Vidyapeetham, Sukapuram, 1989, p. 13.

[37]:

Ibid.

[38]:

Bhāskarī, Part I, p. iii.

[39]:

Kaw R.K., Doctrine of Recognition, p. 361.