Abhinavagupta 1

Abhinavagupta
Abhinavagupta
Date of Birth c. 950 AD

Place of birth Kashmir, India

Birth-Name Shankara

Date of death c. 1020 AD

Place of death Mangam, Kashmir, India

Guru/Teacher Śambhunātha, Lakṣmasṇagupta, Bhūtirāja, see masters section

Philosophy Kashmir Shaivism

Titles/Honors Most distinguished exponent of the monistic Shaivism of Kashmir

Abhinavagupta (Kashmiri: अभिनवगुप्त) (approx. 950 - 1020 AD[1] [2] ) was one of India's greatest philosophers,
mystics and aestheticians. He was also considered an important musician, poet, dramatist, exeget, theologian, and
logician[3] [4] - a polymathic personality who exercised strong influences on Indian culture.[5] [6]
He was born in the Valley of Kashmir[7] in a family of scholars and mystics and studied all the schools of philosophy
and art of his time under the guidance of as many as fifteen (or more) teachers and gurus.[8] In his long life he
completed over 35 works, the largest and most famous of which is Tantrāloka, an encyclopedic treatise on all the
philosophical and practical aspects of Trika and Kaula (known today as Kashmir Shaivism). Another one of his very
important contributions was in the field of philosophy of aesthetics with his famous Abhinavabhāratī commentary of
Nāṭyaśāstra of Bharata Muni.[9]

A genius of his time

It is reported that "Abhinavagupta" was not his real name, rather a title he earned from his master, carrying a
meaning of "competence and authoritativeness".[10] [11] In his analysis, Jayaratha (1150-1200 AD) [12] - who was
Abhinavagupta's most important commentator - also reveals three more meanings: "being ever vigilant", "being
present everywhere" and "protected by praises".[13] Raniero Gnoli, the only Sanskrit scholar who completed a
translation of Tantrāloka in a European language, mentions that "Abhinavagupta" also means "new",[14] as a
reference to the ever-new creative force of his mystical experience.
From Jayaratha, we learn that Abhinavagupta was in possession of all the six qualities required for the recipients of
the tremendous level of śaktipāta, as described in the sacred texts (Śrīpūrvaśāstra)[15] : an unflinching faith in God,
realization of mantras, control over objective principles (referring to the 36 tattvas), successful conclusion of all the
activities undertaken, poetic creativity and spontaneous knowledge of all disciplines. [16]
Abhinavagupta's creation is well equilibrated between the branches of the triad (Trika) will(icchā) -
knowledge(jñāna) - action(kriyā), respectively, devotional songs, academical/philosophical works[10] and works
describing ritual/yogic practices.[17]
As an author he is considered a systematizer of the philosophical thought. He reconstructed, rationalized and
orchestrated the philosophical knowledge into a more coherent form,[18] assessing all the available sources of his
time, not unlike a modern scientific researcher of Indology.
Various contemporary scholars have characterized Abhinavagupta as a "brilliant scholar and saint",[19] "the pinnacle
of the development of Kasmir Śaivism"[19] and "in possession of yogic realization".[10]
Abhinavagupta 2

Social background, family and disciples

"Magical" birth
The term by which Abhinavagupta himself defines his origin is "yoginībhū" - "born of a yoginī".[10] [20] In Kashmir
Shaivism and especially in Kaula it is considered that a progeny of parents "established in the divine essence of
Bhairava",[21] is endowed with exceptional spiritual and intellectual prowess. Such a child is supposed to be "the
depository of knowledge", who "even as a child in the womb, has the form of Shiva",[13] to enumerate but a few of
the classical attributes of his kind.

Parents
Abhinagavupta was born into a brahmin family noted for their deep devotion towards God and an inclination for
intellectual pursuits.
His mother, Vimalā (Vimalakalā) died when Abhinavagupta was just two years old[22] [23] ; as a consequence of
losing his mother, of whom he was reportedly very attached[24] , he grew more distant from the world and all the
more focused only on the spiritual endeavor.
The father, Narasiṃhagupta, after his wife's death favored an ascetic lifestyle, while raising his three children. He
had a cultivated mind and a heart "outstandingly adorned with devotion to Mahesvara (Shiva)"[25] (in
Abhinavagupta's own words). He was Abhinavagupta's first teacher, instructing him in grammar, logic and
literature.[26]

Family
Abhinavagupta had a brother and a sister. The brother, Manoratha, was a well versed devotee of Shiva. [27] His
sister, Ambā (probable name, according to Navjivan Rastorgi), devoted herself to worship after the death of her
husband in late life.
His cousin Karṇa demonstrated even from his youth that he grasped the essence of Śaivism and was detached of the
world. His wife was presumably Abhinavagupta's older sister Ambā,[28] who looked with reverence upon her
illustrious brother. Ambā and Karṇa had a son, Yogeśvaridatta, who was precociously talented in yoga[29] (yogeśvar
implies the meaning of "lord of yoga").
Abhinavagupta also mentions his disciple Rāmadeva as faithfully devoted to scriptural study and serving his
master.[30] Another cousin was Kṣema, possibly the same as Abhinavagupta's illustrious disciple Kṣemarāja.
Mandra, a childhood friend of Karṇa, was their host in a suburban residence; he was not only rich and in possession
of a pleasing personality, but also equally learned.[31] And last but not least, Vatasikā, Mandra's aunt, got a special
mention from Abhinavagupta for caring for him with exceptional dedication and concern; to express his gratitude,
Abhinavagupta declared that Vatasikā deserved the credit for the successful completion of his work.[32]
The emerging picture here is that Abhinavagupta lived in a nurturing and protected environment, where his creative
energies got all the support they required. Everyone around him was filled with spiritual fervor and had taken
Abhinavagupta as their spiritual master. Such a supporting group of family and friends was equally necessary as his
personal qualities of genius, in order to complete a work of the magnitude of Tantrāloka.
Abhinavagupta 3

Ancestors
By Abhinavagupta's own account, his most remote known ancestor was called Atrigupta, born in Madhyadeśa
(probably modern Kannauj), in India and traveled to Kashmir at the request of the king Lalitāditya,[33] [34] around
year 740 CE .[35]

Masters
Abhinavagupta is famous for his voracious thirst of knowledge. In order to study he took many teachers (as many as
15, or even more!),[36] both mystical philosophers and scholars. He approached Vaiṣṇavas, Buddhists, Śiddhānta
Śaivists and the Trika scholars.
Amongst the most prominent of his teachers he enumerates four. Vāmanātha instructed him in dualistic Śaivism,[37]
Bhūtirāja in the dualist-cum-nondualistic school. Besides being the teacher of the famous Abhinavagupta, Bhūtirāja
was also the father of two eminent scholars.[38]
Lakṣmasṇagupta, a direct disciple of Somānanda, in the lineage of Trayambaka, was highly respected by
Abhinavagupta and taught him all the schools of monistic thought : Krama, Trika and Pratyabhijña (except
Kula).[39]
Śambhunātha taught him the fourth school (Ardha-trayambaka). This school is in fact Kaula, and it was emanated
from Trayambaka's daughter.
For Abhinavagupta, Śambhunātha was the most admired guru. Describing the greatness of his master, he compared
Śambhunātha with the Sun, in his power to dispel ignorance from the heart, and, in another place, with "the Moon
shining over the ocean of Trika knowledge".[40]
Abhinavagupta received Kaula initiation through Śambhunātha's wife (acting as a dūtī or conduit). This initiation is
transmitted by a special kind of sexual act where the whole energy is transmuted and sublimated into the heart and
finally into consciousness. Such a method is difficult but very rapid and is reserved for those who shed their mental
limitations and are pure.
It was Śambhunātha who requested of him to write Tantrāloka. As guru, he had a profound influence in the structure
of Tantrāloka[41] and in the life of its creator, Abhinavagupta.[42]
As many as twelve more of his principal teachers are enumerated by name but without details.[43] It is believed that
Abhinavagupta had more secondary teachers. Even more, during his life he had accumulated a large number of texts
from which he quoted in his magnum opus, in his desire to create a synthetic, all inclusive system, where the
differences of different scriptures be resolved by integration into a superior perspective.

Lifestyle
Abhinavagupta remained unmarried all his life,[44] yet we know him to be an adept of Kaula and as such, he was
presumably not sexually abstinent.
He studied assiduously at least until the age of 30 or 35,[45] and in order to do that he travelled, but mostly inside
Kashmir.[46]
By his own testimony, he had attained spiritual liberation through his Kaula practice, which is based on trantric
sexuality, under the guidance of his most admired master, Śambhunātha.[47]
He lived in his home (functioning as an ashram) with his family members and disciples[48] and he did not become a
wondering monk, nor did he take on the regular duties of the brahmin caste.
Thus, Abhinavagupta lived out his life as a writer and a teacher.[49] His personality was a living realization of his
vision.[3]
Abhinavagupta 4

In an epoch pen-painting he is depicted seated in Virasana, surrounded by devoted disciples and family, performing
a kind of trance inducing music at veena while dictating verses of Tantrāloka to one of his attendees - behind him
two dūtī (women yogi) waiting on him.
A legend about the moment of his death (placed somewhere between 1015 and 1025 depending on the source), says
that he took with him 1200 disciples and marched off to a cave (the Bhairava Cave, an actual place known to this
day), reciting his poem Bhairava-stava, a devotional work. They were never to be seen again, supposedly translating
together in the spiritual world.[50]

Works
Abhinavagupta's works fall into multiple sections: manuals of religious ritual, devotional songs, philosophical works
and philosophy of aesthetics. Here are enumerated most of his works.[9] Bold type faced titles represent the most
important ones.

Religious works

Tantraloka
His most important work was Tantrāloka, "Light on Tantra", a synthesis of all the Trika system[10] . Its only
complete translation in a European language - Italian - is credited to Raniero Gnoli, now at its second edition[51] .
The esoteric chapter 29 on the Kaula ritual was translated in English together with Jayaratha's commentary by John
R. Dupuche, Rev. Dr.[13] A complex study on the context, authors, contents and references of Tantrāloka was
published by Navjivan Rastogi, Prof. of the Lucknow University[52] .
Another important text was the commentary on Parātrīśikā, Parātrīśikāvivaraṇa, detailing the signification of the
phonematic energies and their two sequential ordering systems, Mātṛkā and Mālinī, was the last great translation
project of Jaideva Singh[53] .

Tantrasara
Tantrasāra - "Essence of Tantra" is a summarized version, in prose, of Tantrāloka, which was once more
summarized in Tantroccaya, and finally presented in a very short summary form under the name of
Tantravaṭadhānikā - the "Seed of Tantra".
Pūrvapañcikā was a commentary of Pūrvatantra, alias Mālinīvijaya Tantra, lost to this day. Mālinīvijayā-varttika -
"Commentary on Mālinīvijaya" is a versified commentary on Mālinīvijaya Tantra's first verse. Kramakeli - "Krama's
Play" was a commentary of Kramastotra, now lost. Bhagavadgītārtha-saṃgraha which translates "Commentary on
Bhagavad Gita" has now an English translation by Boris Marjanovic[54] .
Other religious works are: Parātrīśikā-laghuvṛtti - "A Short Commentary on Parātrīśikā", Paryantapañcāśīkā -
"Fifty Verses on the Ultimate Reality", Rahasyapañcadaśikā - "Fifteen Verses on the Mystical Doctrine", Laghvī
prakriyā - "Short Ceremony", Devīstotravivaraṇa - "Commentary on the Hymn to Devi" and Paramārthasāra -
"Essence of the Supreme Reality".
Abhinavagupta 5

Devotional hymns
Abhinavagupta has composed a number of devotional poems, most of which have been translated into French by
Lilian Silburn[55] :
• Bodhapañcadaśikā - "Fifteen Verses on Consciousness";
• Paramārthacarcā - "Discussion on the Supreme Reality";
• Anubhavanivedana - "Tribute of the Inner Experience";
• Anuttarāṣṭikā - "Eight Verses on Anuttara";
• Krama-stotra - an hymn, different from the fundamental text of the Krama school;
• Bhairava-stava - "Hymn to Bhairava";
• Dehasthadevatācakra-stotra - "Hymn to the Wheel of Divinities that Live in the Body";
• Paramārthadvādaśikā - "Twelve Verses on the Supreme Reality" and
• Mahopadeśa-viṃśatikā - "Twenty Verses on the Great Teaching".
• Another poem Śivaśaktyavinābhāva-stotra - "Hymn on the Inseparability of Shiva and Shakti" was lost.

Philosophical works
One of the most important works of Anhinavagupta is Īśvarapratyabhijñā-vimarśini - "Commentary to the Verses on
the Recognition of the Lord" and Īśvarapratyabhijñā-vivṛti-vimarśini - commentary on the explanation of
Īśvarapratyabhijñā. This treatise is fundamental in the transmission of the Pratyabhijña school (the branch of
Kashmir Shaivism based on direct recognition of the Lord) to our days. Another commentary on a Pratyabhijña
work - Śivadṛṣtyā-locana ("Light on Śivadṛṣṭi") is now lost. Another lost commentary is
Padārthapraveśa-nirṇaya-ṭīkā and Prakīrṇkavivaraṇa - "Comment on the Notebook" - referring to the third chapter
of Vākyapadīya of Bhartrihari. Two more philosophical texts of Abhinavagupta are Kathāmukha-tilaka - "Ornament
of the Face of Discourses" and Bhedavāda-vidāraṇa - "Confruntation of the Dualist Thesis".

Poetical and dramatic works

Abhinavagupta's most important work on the philosophy of art is Abhinavabhāratī - a long and complex
commentary on Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni. This work has been one of the most important factors contributing to
Abhinavagupta's fame up until present day. His most important contribution was that to the theory of rasa (aesthetic
savor).
Other poetical works include: Ghaṭa-karpara-kulaka-vivṛti, a commentary on "Ghaṭakarpara" of Kalidasa;
Kāvyakauṭukavivaraṇa, a "Commentary to the Wonder of Poetry" (a work of Bhaṭṭa Tauta), now lost; and
Dhvanyālokalocana, "Illustration of Dhvanyāloka", which is a famous work of Anandavardhana.

External links
• Muktabodha Online Library [56] - containing many of Abhinavagupta's works in Sanskrit including Tantrāloka
• GRETIL: a collection of Abhinavagupta's works in original [57], also containing other Kashmir Shaivism texts
• Four biographical articles on Abhinavagupta [58] by Swami Lakshman Joo, Prof. K. N. Dhar, R. K. Jalali and
Geetika Kaw Kher
• Another Bibliography of Abhinavagupta [59] by "The New Yoga"
• Aspects of Abhinavagupta's Theory of Scripture [60] by David Peter Lawrence
• Abhinavagupta and the Synthesis of Indian Culture [61] Essays, debates, multimedia illustrations in English,
French, Spanish, Italian, German
• Towards an integral appreciation of Abhinavagupta's aesthetics of Rasa [62] (PDF), by Sunthar Visuvalingam
Abhinavagupta 6

References
[1] Triadic Heart of Shiva, Paul E. Muller-Ortega, page 12
[2] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 27
[3] Re-accessing Abhinavagupta, Navjivan Rastogi, page 4
[4] Key to the Vedas, Nathalia Mikhailova, page 169
[5] The Pratyabhijñā Philosophy, Ganesh Vasudeo Tagare, page 12
[6] Companion to Tantra, S.C. Banerji, page 89
[7] Doctrine of Divine Recognition, K. C. Pandey, page V
[8] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 35
[9] Luce dei Tantra, Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta, Raniero Gnoli, page LXXVII
[10] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 20
[11] The Krama Tantricism of Kashmir; Navjivan Rastogi, page 157
[12] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 92
[13] The Kula Ritual, As Elaborated in Chapter 29 of the Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta; John R. Dupuche, page 4
[14] Luce dei Tantra, Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta, Raniero Gnoli, 1999, page 3
[15] Abhinavagupta, Ganesh Tryambak Deshpande, page 19
[16] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 21
[17] Re-accessing Abhinavagupta, Navjivan Rastogi, page 8
[18] Re-accessing Abhinavagupta, Navjivan Rastogi, page 10
[19] Īśvara Pratyabhijñā Kārikā of Utpaladeva, Verses on the Recognition of the Lord; B. N. Pandit, page XXXIII
[20] Luce dei Tantra, Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta, Raniero Gnoli, page 3
[21] Re-accessing Abhinavagupta, Navjivan Rastogi, page 2
[22] Luce dei Tantra, Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta, Raniero Gnoli, page 4
[23] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 31
[24] Abhinavagupta, Ganesh Tryambak Deshpande, page 19
[25] Luce dei Tantra, Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta, Raniero Gnoli, page 4
[26] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 30
[27] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 22
[28] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 24
[29] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 23
[30] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 24
[31] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 25
[32] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 26
[33] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 28
[34] The Kula Ritual, As Elaborated in Chapter 29 of the Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta; John R. Dupuche, page 3
[35] Triadic Mysticism, Paul E. Murphy, page 12
[36] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 33
[37] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 54
[38] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 34
[39] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 54
[40] The Kula Ritual, As Elaborated in Chapter 29 of the Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta; John R. Dupuche, page 7
[41] The Triadic Heart of Śiva, Kaula Tantricism of Abhinavagupta in the Non-Dual Shaivism of Kashmir; Paul Eduardo Muller-Ortega, page 1
[42] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 44-54
[43] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 35,54
[44] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 32
[45] Triadic Mysticism, Paul E. Murphy, page 12
[46] The Kula Ritual, As Elaborated in Chapter 29 of the Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta; John R. Dupuche, page 6
[47] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 44-54
[48] Īśvara Pratyabhijñā Kārikā of Utpaladeva, Verses on the Recognition of the Lord; B. N. Pandit, page XXXIV
[49] The Kula Ritual, As Elaborated in Chapter 29 of the Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta; John R. Dupuche, page 7
[50] Triadic Mysticism, Paul E. Murphy, page 13
[51] Luce dei Tantra, Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta, Raniero Gnoli, 1999
[52] Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi
[53] Para-trisika-Vivarana, Jaideva Singh
[54] Abhinavagupta's Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, Boris Marjanovic
[55] Hymnes de Abhinavagupta: Traduits et comments, Lilian Silburn
[56] http:/ / www. muktabodhalib. org/ digital_library. htm
[57] http:/ / www. sub. uni-goettingen. de/ ebene_1/ fiindolo/ gret_utf. htm
Abhinavagupta 7

[58] http:/ / www. ikashmir. net/ abhinavagupta/ index. html

[59] http:/ / www. thenewyoga. org/ guru_abhinavagupta. htm
[60] http:/ / them. polylog. org/ 4/ fld-en. htm
[61] http:/ / www. svabhinava. org/ abhinava
[62] http:/ / www. svabhinava. org/ abhinava/ Sunthar-integral/ index. php
Article Sources and Contributors 8

Article Sources and Contributors

Abhinavagupta  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=352723195  Contributors: Anupam, Arjun G. Menon, Bakasuprman, Bhadani, Bhairava11, Charles Matthews, ChauriCh,
Goethean, Good Olfactory, Gurubrahma, Hede2000, Hu12, Improbcat, Iridescent, Jagged 85, Jonathan Stokes, KathrynLybarger, Kevin, MaEr, Marosha, Mel Etitis, Redtigerxyz, Rjwilmsi,
SimonP, Stewartadcock, SvAbhinava, The Phoenix, TheRingess, Tkynerd, Townblight, Visarga, Wilberg, Шантира Шани, 15 anonymous edits

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