Abhinavagupta

Infobox Hindu leader
name=Abhinavagupta


birth-date= c. 950 AD
birth-place=Kashmir, India
birth-name=Shankara
death-date= c. 1020 AD
death-place=Mangam, Kashmir, India
guru=Śambhunātha, Lakṣmasṇagupta, Bhūtirāja, see masters section
philosophy=Kashmir Shaivism
honors=Most distinguished exponent of the monistic Shaivism of Kashmir
quote=
footnotes=

Abhinavagupta (approx. 950 - 1020 AD [Triadic Heart of Shiva, Paul E. Muller-Ortega, page 12] [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 27] ) was one of India's greatest philosophers, mystics and aestheticians. He was also considered an important musician, poet, dramatist, exeget, theologian, and logician [Re-accessing Abhinavagupta, Navjivan Rastogi, page 4] [Key to the Vedas, Nathalia Mikhailova, page 169] - a polymathic personality who exercised strong influences in the Indian culture. [The Pratyabhijñā Philosophy, Ganesh Vasudeo Tagare, page 12] [Companion to Tantra, S.C. Banerji, page 89]

He was born in the Valley of Kashmir [Doctrine of Divine Recognition, K. C. Pandey, page V] 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. [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 35] 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. [Luce dei Tantra, Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta, Raniero Gnoli, page LXXVII]

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". [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 20] [The Krama Tantricism of Kashmir; Navjivan Rastogi, page 157] In his analysis, "Jayaratha" (1150-1200 AD) [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 92] - who was Abhinavagupta's most important commentator - also reveals three more meanings: "being ever vigilant", "being present everywhere" and "protected by praises". [The Kula Ritual, As Elaborated in Chapter 29 of the Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta; John R. Dupuche, page 4] Raniero Gnoli, the only Sanskrit scholar who completed a translation of Tantrāloka in a European language, mentions that "Abhinavagupta" also means "new", [Luce dei Tantra, Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta, Raniero Gnoli, 1999, page 3] 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) [Abhinavagupta, Ganesh Tryambak Deshpande, page 19] : 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. [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 21]

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 [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 20] and works describing ritual/yogic practices. [Re-accessing Abhinavagupta, Navjivan Rastogi, page 8]

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, [Re-accessing Abhinavagupta, Navjivan Rastogi, page 10] 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", [Īśvara Pratyabhijñā Kārikā of Utpaladeva, Verses on the Recognition of the Lord; B. N. Pandit, page XXXIII] "the pinnacle of the development of Kasmir Śaivism" [Īśvara Pratyabhijñā Kārikā of Utpaladeva, Verses on the Recognition of the Lord; B. N. Pandit, page XXXIII] and "in possession of yogic realization". [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 20]

ocial background, family and disciples

"Magical" birth

The term by which Abhinavagupta himself defines his origin is "yoginībhū" - "born of a yoginī". [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 20] [Luce dei Tantra, Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta, Raniero Gnoli, page 3] In Kashmir Shaivism and especially in Kaula it is considered that a progeny of parents "established in the divine essence of Bhairava", [Re-accessing Abhinavagupta, Navjivan Rastogi, page 2] 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", [The Kula Ritual, As Elaborated in Chapter 29 of the Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta; John R. Dupuche, page 4] 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 [Luce dei Tantra, Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta, Raniero Gnoli, page 4] [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 31] ; as a consequence of losing his mother, of whom he was reportedly very attached [Abhinavagupta, Ganesh Tryambak Deshpande, page 19] , 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)" [Luce dei Tantra, Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta, Raniero Gnoli, page 4] (in Abhinavagupta's own words). He was Abhinavagupta's first teacher, instructing him in grammar, logic and literature. [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 30]

Family

Abhinavagupta had a brother and a sister. The brother, "Manoratha", was a well versed devotee of Shiva. [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 22] 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", [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 24] who looked with reverence upon her illustrious brother. "Ambā" and "Karṇa" had a son, "Yogeśvaridatta", who was precociously talented in yoga [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 23] ("yogeśvar" implies the meaning of "lord of yoga").

Abhinavagupta also mentions his disciple "Rāmadeva" as faithfully devoted to scriptural study and serving his master. [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 24] 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. [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 25] 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. [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 26]

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.

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, [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 28] [The Kula Ritual, As Elaborated in Chapter 29 of the Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta; John R. Dupuche, page 3] around year 740 CE . [Triadic Mysticism, Paul E. Murphy, page 12]

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!), [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 33] 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", [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 54] "Bhūtirāja" in the dualist-cum-nondualistic school. Besides being the teacher of the famous Abhinavagupta, "Bhūtirāja" was also the father of two eminent scholars. [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 34]

"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). [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 54]

"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". [The Kula Ritual, As Elaborated in Chapter 29 of the Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta; John R. Dupuche, page 7]

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 [The Triadic Heart of Śiva, Kaula Tantricism of Abhinavagupta in the Non-Dual Shaivism of Kashmir; Paul Eduardo Muller-Ortega, page 1] and in the life of its creator, Abhinavagupta. [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 44-54]

As many as twelve more of his principal teachers are enumerated by name but without details. [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 35,54] 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, [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 32] 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, [Triadic Mysticism, Paul E. Murphy, page 12] and in order to do that he travelled, but mostly inside Kashmir. [The Kula Ritual, As Elaborated in Chapter 29 of the Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta; John R. Dupuche, page 6]

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". [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 44-54]

He lived in his home (functioning as an ashram) with his family members and disciples [Īśvara Pratyabhijñā Kārikā of Utpaladeva, Verses on the Recognition of the Lord; B. N. Pandit, page XXXIV] 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. [The Kula Ritual, As Elaborated in Chapter 29 of the Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta; John R. Dupuche, page 7] His personality was a living realization of his vision. [Re-accessing Abhinavagupta, Navjivan Rastogi, page 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. [Triadic Mysticism, Paul E. Murphy, page 13]

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. [Luce dei Tantra, Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta, Raniero Gnoli, page LXXVII] 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 [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi, page 20] . Its only complete translation in a European language - Italian - is credited to Raniero Gnoli, now at its second edition [Luce dei Tantra, Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta, Raniero Gnoli, 1999] . The esoteric chapter 29 on the Kaula ritual was translated in English together with "Jayaratha"'s commentary by John R. Dupuche, Rev. Dr. [The Kula Ritual, As Elaborated in Chapter 29 of the Tantrāloka, Abhinavagupta; John R. Dupuche, page 4] A complex study on the context, authors, contents and references of "Tantrāloka" was published by Navjivan Rastogi, Prof. of the Lucknow University [Introduction to the Tantrāloka, Navjivan Rastogi] .

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 [Para-trisika-Vivarana, Jaideva Singh] .

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 [Abhinavagupta's Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, Boris Marjanovic] .

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".

Devotional hymns

Abhinavagupta has composed a number of devotional poems, most of which have been translated into French by Lilian Silburn [Hymnes de Abhinavagupta: Traduits et comments, Lilian Silburn] : "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.

References

External links

* [http://www.muktabodhalib.org/digital_library.htm Muktabodha Online Library] - containing many of Abhinavagupta's works in Sanskrit including Tantrāloka
* [http://www.sub.uni-goettingen.de/ebene_1/fiindolo/gret_utf.htm GRETIL: a collection of Abhinavagupta's works in original] , also containing other Kashmir Shaivism texts
* [http://www.ikashmir.net/abhinavagupta/index.html Four biographical articles on Abhinavagupta] by Swami Lakshman Joo, Prof. K. N. Dhar, R. K. Jalali and Geetika Kaw Kher
* [http://www.thenewyoga.org/guru_abhinavagupta.htm Another Bibliography of Abhinavagupta] by "The New Yoga"
* [http://them.polylog.org/4/fld-en.htm Aspects of Abhinavagupta's Theory of Scripture] by David Peter Lawrence
* [http://www.svabhinava.org/abhinava Abhinavagupta and the Synthesis of Indian Culture] Essays, debates, multimedia illustrations in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German
* [http://www.svabhinava.org/abhinava/Sunthar-integral/index.php Towards an integral appreciation of Abhinavagupta's aesthetics of Rasa] (PDF), by Sunthar Visuvalingam