Gitartha Samgraha (critical Study)
by Partha Sarathi Sil | 2020 | 34,788 words
This page relates 鈥楢bhinavagupta and his works鈥� of the study on Abhinavagupta鈥檚 Gitartha Samgraha commentary on the Bhagavad Gita: one of the core texts of Indian Philosophy. The Gitartha Sangraha is written in the light of Kashmir Shaivism and brings to Shaiva metaphysics and Yoga integrated in the Bhagavadgita. This study deals with Abhinava鈥檚 vision about the purpose of human existence and the accomplishment of salvation (i.e., self-realisation).
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1. Abhinavagupta and his works
Unlike the poets like 碍腻濒颈诲腻蝉补 and others, Mah膩mahe艣var膩c膩rya Abhinavagupta鈥檚 life and personal history can quell the quires of the readers. The information which Abhinavagupta himself has presented in the 罢补苍迟谤腻濒辞办补[1] and Par膩tri艣ik膩惫颈惫补谤补峁嘺, suffice to shed light on his personal life. He mentioned Atrigupta, belonging to the clan of Agastya as the first and foremost person of his lineage. It is known that Atrigupta got the favour of 驰补艣辞惫补谤尘补苍, the king Kanauja. He was not only a scholar of 艢补颈惫颈蝉尘, but expertise in other branches of learning. About 740 A.D. Kashmirian King Lalit膩ditya defeated 驰补艣辞惫补谤尘补苍 and being amazed of his qualities he requested Atrigupta to go to Kashmir. Since that time Abhinavagupta鈥檚 forefathers left 惭补诲丑测补诲别艣补 which is presently known as Uttar-Pradesh, to go to Kashmir in the middle of 8th Century.
Abhinavagupta鈥檚 grandfather Var膩hagupta was a staunch devotee of God 艢颈惫补 and a great Pandit. Naraharisi峁僪agupta, the son of the Var膩hagupta and the father of Mah膩mahe艣var膩c膩rya Abhinavagupta was a respectful devotee of 艢颈惫补 and expert in all the 艣腻蝉迟谤补蝉. It is learnt that Vimalakal膩 顿别惫墨 was Abhinavagupta鈥檚 mother. Both the parents were religious and devotees of Lord 艢颈惫补. The 艣补颈惫补蝉 believed that the only 驰辞驳颈苍墨bh奴 could give explanation on the 艢补颈惫补 non-dualism. That is why Abhinavagupta was an offspring of 驰辞驳颈苍墨 (驰辞驳颈苍墨bh奴)[2] in Kashmirian 艢补颈惫补 tradition. According to Jayaratha, the commentator of 罢补苍迟谤腻濒辞办补, the author Abhinavagupta himself has given hint in this regard in his composition. The name Abhinavagupta辫腻诲补 is significant. Here the word 鈥�辫腻诲补鈥� is indicative of his honour. 鈥楪upta辫腻诲补鈥� means 鈥�艣别峁苍腻驳补鈥�. So, the learned scholars think that Abhinavagupta had been so named for his having the incarnated form of 艢e峁n膩ga. On the other hand 笔补迟补帽箩补濒颈 is considered as the incarnation of 艢e峁n膩ga and as Abhinavagupta was a great grammarian, he had been so named as a recognition of his expertness in the field of grammar. Of course, Abhinavagupta appears to have explained the term 鈥�abhinava鈥� in the concluding 艣濒辞办补 of the 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻谤迟丑补蝉补峁単谤补丑补[3]. It is noteworthy that there the combined form of 艢颈惫补 and 艢补办迟颈 (the static and the dynamic) is really something new, abhinava, which is imperceptible by human eyes, and therefore, concealed, gupta. Jhalkik膩ra, however, has mentioned a different meaning. Abhinavagupta鈥檚 sharp intellect would create a tremendous fear as if a snake, among his classmates, and this sense has been mentioned while explaining his name. Considering all these explanations it appears reasonable to hold that the name Abhinavagupta was conferred on him as a title. Abhinavagupta himself has mentioned in the 罢补苍迟谤腻濒辞办补 that his teachers used to call him by this name. The time of Abhinavagupta is admitted as between 950 A.D. to 1015 A.D. In this context it may be stated that one Abhinavagupta was who was defeated in philosophical arguments of the 艣astric debate as mentioned by the M膩dhav膩carya in his 鈥樑毑贯箙k补谤补digvijaya鈥�, was a different person. Being a contemporary of 艢补峁卥补谤补, he is presumed as belonging to the 8th Century A.D.
Abhinavagupta鈥檚 uncle was 笔补峁囜笉颈迟补 V膩managupta who taught him K膩vya艣膩stra. In the commentary of 狈腻峁瓂补艣补蝉迟谤补 named 础产丑颈苍补惫补产丑腻谤补迟墨, Abhinavagupta quoted a 艣濒辞办补 of V膩managupta. It is known that the entire family of Abhinavagupta was devoted to God 艢颈惫补 and detracted from worldly happiness. As Abhinavagupta was connoisseur of poetic art, so also he was a crescent jewel among the philosophers. He could easily traverse all branches of learning unimpeded. For this he acquired various knowledge with great sincerity and enthusiasm from different preceptors. It is known that even from Buddha and Jaina preceptors he acquired learning. The preceptors whom he referred to frequently in his writings are noted below.
The names of all the preceptors of Abhinavagupta including their teachings and other matters as stated by G.T Deshpande, have been mentioned in the thesis.
| Guru / Master | 艢膩stras / Domain |
| 狈补谤补蝉颈峁僪补驳耻辫迟补 | Grammar |
| 痴腻尘补苍腻迟丑补 | Dvaita 痴颈诲测腻 |
| 叠丑奴迟颈谤腻箩补 | 叠谤补丑尘补惫颈诲测腻 |
| 叠丑奴迟颈谤腻箩补tanaya | 顿惫补颈迟腻诲惫补颈迟补 艢补颈惫腻驳补尘补 |
| 尝补办峁补峁嘺驳耻辫迟补 | Krama and Trika Dar艣ana |
| 叠丑补峁弓补迟辞耻迟补 | Dramaturgy |
| 艢补尘产丑耻苍腻迟丑补 (from Jalandhara) | 碍补耻濒腻驳补尘补 |
Moreover, Prof. Kanti Chandra Pandey has mentioned a list of the books written by Abhinavagupta in the investigative book named 鈥淎bhinavagupta鈥�. Considering the subject matter, the compositions made by Abhinavagupta can be classified as 5 books on Al峁僰膩ra and Sa峁僺k峁泃 办腻惫测补, 11 stotras and the rest are Advaita 艢补颈惫补 texts and texts on spiritual discipline (艢膩dhan膩). It is to be mentioned here that in preparing the list of Abhinavagupta鈥檚 texts, the list of K.C Pandey was followed.
Books Written by Abhinavagupta:
- 叠辞诲丑补辫补帽肠补诲补艣颈办补
- 惭腻濒颈苍墨惫颈箩补测补产腻谤迟颈办补
- 笔补谤腻迟谤颈峁兣沬办腻-惫峁泃迟颈
- 罢补苍迟谤腻濒辞办补
- 罢补苍迟谤补蝉腻谤补
- 罢补苍迟谤补惫补峁璦诲丑腻苍颈办腻
- 顿丑惫补苍测腻濒辞办补-locana
- 础产丑颈苍补产补产丑腻谤补迟墨
- 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻谤迟丑补蝉补峁単谤补丑补
- 笔补谤补尘腻谤迟丑补蝉腻谤补
- 莫艣varapratyabhij帽膩惫峁泃迟颈vimar艣in墨
- 莫艣产补谤补辫谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻产颈尘补谤艣颈苍墨
- 笔补谤测补苍迟补辫补帽肠腻艣颈办腻
- 骋丑补峁璦办补谤辫补谤补办耻濒补办补惫颈惫峁泃颈
- Kramastotra
- 顿别丑补蝉迟丑补诲别惫补迟腻肠补办谤补蝉迟辞迟谤补
- Bhairabastotra
- 笔补谤补尘腻谤迟丑补诲惫腻诲补艣颈办腻
- 惭补丑辞辫补诲别艣补惫颈峁兣沘迟颈办补
- 础苍耻迟迟补谤腻峁ａ弓补办补
- Anubhavanivedana
- 搁补丑补蝉测补辫补帽肠补诲补艣颈办腻
- Tantroccaya
- 笔耻谤奴谤补产辞-惫颈肠腻谤补
- Kramakeli
- 艢颈惫补d峁涐梗峁瓂膩locana
- 笔补诲腻谤迟丑补-辫谤补惫别艣补-苍颈谤峁嘺测补峁玨腻
- 笔谤补办墨谤峁嘺-惫颈惫补谤补峁嘺 笔谤补办补谤补峁嘺-惫颈惫补谤补峁嘺
- K膩vyakautuka惫颈惫补谤补峁嘺
- 碍补迟丑腻尘耻办丑补迟颈濒补办补
- 尝补驳丑惫墨辫谤补办谤颈测腻
- 叠丑别诲补惫腻诲补惫颈诲腻谤补峁嘺
- 顿别惫墨stotra惫颈惫补谤补峁嘺
- 罢补迟迟惫腻诲丑惫补辫谤补办腻艣颈办腻
- 艢颈惫补艣aktyavin膩bh膩vastotra
- 痴颈尘产补辫谤补迟颈惫颈尘产补惫腻诲补
- 笔补谤补尘腻谤迟丑补蝉补峁僩谤补丑补
- Anuttaratattvavimar艣in墨惫峁泃迟颈
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
艣颈惫补艣补办迟测腻迟尘补办补峁� 谤奴辫补峁� bh膩vayecca parasparam
na kury膩nm膩nav墨峁� 产耻诲诲丑颈峁� 谤腻驳补尘辞丑腻诲颈蝉补峁儁耻迟腻峁�
箩帽腻苍补产丑腻惫补苍补测腻 蝉补谤惫补峁� 办补谤迟补惫测补峁� s膩dhakottamai岣� |
别惫补峁僾颈诲丑补蝉颈诲诲丑补测辞驳颈苍墨辫谤腻测补辫颈迟峁沵别濒补办补蝉补尘耻迟迟丑补测腻
t膩d峁涐箙melakakalik膩kalitatanuryo bhavedgarbhe |
耻办迟补岣� sa yogin墨bh奴岣� svayameva j帽膩nabh膩jana峁� 产丑补办迟补岣� ||
ityaktan墨tya sv膩tmani niruttarapad膩dvayaj帽膩nap膩tramabhidadhat膩 granthak峁泃膩 nikhila峁岣峚rddha艣腻蝉迟谤补蝉膩rasa峁僩rahabh奴te granthakara峁噀'pi 补诲丑颈办腻谤补岣� ka峁乲峁Ｄ玨峁泃a岣� | 罢补苍迟谤腻濒辞办补, Viveka, 1.1
[3]:
abhinav膩r奴p膩 艣aktistadgupto yo mahe艣varo 诲别惫补岣� |
迟补诲耻产丑补测补测腻尘补濒补谤奴辫补尘补产丑颈苍补惫补驳耻辫迟补峁� 艣颈惫补峁� vande || 骋墨迟腻谤迟丑补蝉补峁単谤补丑补, Concluding Verse, 4.