Abhinavagupta
Abhinavagupta (Devanāgarī अभिनवगुप्तः; c. 950 – 1016 CE: 27 ) was a philosopher, mystic and aesthetician from Kashmir. He was also considered an influential musician, poet, dramatist, exegete, theologian, and logician – a polymathic personality who exercised strong influences on Indian culture.
Abhinavagupta was born in a Kānyakubja Brāhmin family of scholars and mystics whose ancestors immigrated from Kannauj on invitation by the great king of Kashmir, Lalitaditya Muktapida. He studied all the schools of philosophy and art of his time under the guidance of as many as fifteen (or more) teachers and gurus.: 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 Kaula and Trika (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.
Abhinavagupta (c. 950–1016 CE) was a philosopher and mystic from Kashmir who greatly influenced the Trika Shaivism tradition. He is considered one of the greatest exponents of Kashmir Shaivism.
Trika Shaivism
- Also known as Kashmir Shaivism, Trika Shaivism is a non-dualist branch of Hinduism.
- It originated in Kashmir after 850 CE and spread to other states in India.
- Trika Shaivism is based on the three energies of Lord Shiva: Para, Parapara, and Apara.
- The tradition is characterized by its idealistic and monistic Pratyabhijna philosophical system.
Abhinavagupta’s contributions
- Abhinavagupta’s most famous work is Tantrāloka, an encyclopedia on the philosophical and practical aspects of Trika.
- He also wrote a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita called Gitartha samgaraha.
- Abhinavagupta’s teachings include the idea that the individual soul is a smaller version of the Supreme Soul, Shiva.
- He believed that the nature of the Supreme Being can be understood by looking within oneself