Abhinavagupta, Abhinava-gupta: 7 definitions
Abhinavagupta means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
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General definition (in Hinduism)
Abhinavagupta (c. 950 – 1020 AD) was one of India's greatest philosophers, mystics and aestheticians. He was also considered an important musician, poet, dramatist, exegete, theologian, and logician — a polymathic personality who exercised strong influences on Indian culture. Abhinavagupta was strongly influenced by Buddhist logic.
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.
1) Tantrāloka; His most important work was Tantrāloka, "Lok or Look, here, transliterates into "To throw Light on Tantra", a synthesis of all the Trika system.
2) 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".
3) Devotional hymns; Abhinavagupta has composed a number of devotional poems:
- 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.
4) Philosophical works;
- Īśvarapratyabhijñā-vimarśini ("Commentary to the Verses on the Recognition of the Lord")
- and Īśvarapratyabhijñā-vivṛti-vimarśini ("Commentary on the explanation of Īśvarapratyabhijñā").
- Śivadṛṣtyā-locana ("Light on Śivadṛṣṭi") (Another commentary on a Pratyabhijña work — is now lost.)
- Padārthapraveśa-nirṇaya-ṭīkā and Prakīrṇkavivaraṇa ("Comment on the Notebook") referring to the third chapter of Vākyapadīya of Bhartrihari. (Another lost commentary)
- Kathāmukha-tilaka ("Ornament of the Face of Discourses")
- and Bhedavāda-vidāraṇa ("Confrontation of the Dualist Thesis").
Abhinavagupta (अभिनवगुप्त) was not a mere Nāṭyācārya (“teacher of theater”). True to his name, he was a fore-runner of all modern thoughts in performing arts, poetics and philosophy. He was able to do justice to all these faculties of knowledge and leave behind him the products of his phenomenal achievements. All the branches of his wisdom are seen clearly reflected in his commentary on the Nāṭya Śāstra .
It is said that the sage who gave the light of true knowledge to Abhinavagupta was Śambhunātha of Jalandhara (Punjab) belonging to the Tryambaka school of philosophy; his preceptor and grand-preceptor were Somanātha and Sumalinātha respectively.
Languages of India and abroad
Abhinavagupta (अभिनवगुप्त).—Name of a wellknown author.
Derivable forms: abhinavaguptaḥ (अभिनवगुप्तः).
Abhinavagupta is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms abhinava and gupta (गुप्त).Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum
1) Abhinavagupta (अभिनवगुप्त) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—from Kāśmīr, son of Cukhala, grandson of Varāhagupta, brother of Manorathagupta, disciple of Utpaladeva, Indurāja and Tauta, praśiṣya of Somānanda, guru of Kṣemarāja. In the Īśvarapratyabhijñāvimarśinī he quotes Bhaṭṭa Nārāyaṇa, the Vivekāñjana of Bhaṭṭa Divākaravatsa, Vidyāpati, the Śivadṛṣṭisāra of Somānanda, Saṃkṣepavimarśādhiroha. He wrote between 993-1015. He is quoted by Maṅkha Report. Lxiv, by Mammaṭa Oxf. 212^a, by Mādhavācārya Oxf. 246^b 255^b 258^b, by Śārṅgadeva Oxf. 199^b, Śp. p. 6, and others: Īśvarapratyabhijñāvimarśinī, bṛhatī vṛtti and laghuvṛtti Report. Xxx (composed in 1015). Oudh. Xvi, 124 (Īśvarapratyabhijñāhṛdayavimarśinī). Laghuvṛtti Bp. 78. 270. Ghaṭakarparakulakavṛtti. Report. Ix. Tantrasāra. Report. Xxix. Bp. 275. Tantrāloka. Report. Xxix. W. 1772. Dhvanyālokalocana or Kāvyālokaṭīkā. Io. 1008. K. 100. Report. Xvii. Burnell. 55^a. Lahore. 8. P. 20. Oppert. 2693. Paramārthasaṃgraha. Report. Xxx. Paramārthasāra or Ādhānakārikāḥ. Oxf. 238^a. Hall. p. 199. Bp. 269. 270. Paramārthasāraṭīkā. Oudh. Ix, 22. Parātriṃśikātattvavivaraṇa. Report. Xxx. Oudh. Ix, 22. Bimbapratibimbavāda. Report. Xxx. Bodhapañcadaśikā. Report. Xxx. Bhagavadgītārthasaṃgraha. Report. Xxvii. Cxlvii. Bp. 269. Bhedavādanadāraṇa. Quoted in Īśvarapratyabhijñāvimarśinī. Bhairavastava, composed in 993. Report. Xxxi. Śāktabhāṣya. Quoted by Mādhava. Oxf. 258^b. Spanda. Oudh. Xvi, 124.
2) Abhinavagupta (अभिनवगुप्त):—read Kṣemendra instead of Maṅkha. Bhedavādanadāraṇa. read Bhedavādavidāraṇa.
3) Abhinavagupta (अभिनवगुप्त):—son of Cukhala: Kāvyakautukavivaraṇa. Dehasthadevatācakrastotra. Beside the works mentioned in the first part, he wrote Kramakeli Kramastotraṭīkā, Padārthapraveśanirṇayaṭīkā, Pūrvapañcikā, Śivadṛṣṭyālocana. Quoted in Paratriṃśikātattvavivaraṇa, Catal. Io., p. 840.
4) Abhinavagupta (अभिनवगुप्त):—Devīmāhātmyaṭīkā Guptavatī.Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary
Abhinavagupta (अभिनवगुप्त):—[=abhi-nava-gupta] [from abhi-nava] m. Name of a well-known author.
[Sanskrit to German]
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Gupta, Abhinava.
Full-text (+362): Shaktabhashya, Spanda, Kshemaraja, Kavyalokalocana, Gudajihvika, Tantraloka, Bharatatika, Tauta, Bhairavastava, Paratrimshika, Paramarthasamgraha, Bodhapancadashika, Dehasthadevatacakrastotra, Samkshepavimarshadhiroha, Tantralokasara, Guhyayoginitantra, Mukutasamhita, Cukhala, Dharmottama, Triratnakula.
Search found 28 books and stories containing Abhinavagupta, Abhinava-gupta; (plurals include: Abhinavaguptas, guptas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Bhagavatpadabhyudaya by Lakshmana Suri (study) (by Lathika M. P.)
Śaṅkara affected by the disease Bhagandara < [Chapter 4 - Similarities and Dissimilarities]
The Concept of Sahrdaya < [January – March, 2008]
The Concept of Dhvani in Sanskrit < [January – March, 1994]
Traditional Values in Art and Literature < [Jul–Sept 1971]
Dasarupaka (critical study) (by Anuru Ranjan Mishra)
Introduction to the Nāṭaka type of Drama < [Chapter 1 - Nāṭaka (critical study)]
Introduction to the Ḍima type of Drama < [Chapter 4 - Ḍima (critical study)]
Introduction to the Prahasana type of Drama < [Chapter 3 - Prahasana (critical study)]
Gati in Theory and Practice (by Dr. Sujatha Mohan)
Analysis of technical terms: Tāṇḍava and Lāsya < [Chapter 1 - Nāṭya]
Literary and dramatic elements in Nāṭyaśāstra < [Chapter 1 - Nāṭya]
Introduction to the Nāṭyaśāstra < [Chapter 1 - Nāṭya]
The Sarva-Darsana-Samgraha (by E. B. Cowell)
Kavyamimamsa of Rajasekhara (Study) (by Debabrata Barai)
Part 9 - Abhinavabhāratī of Abhinavagupta < [Chapter 2 - A General Outlines of Sanskrit Poetics]
Part 3.5 - Classification of Sahṛdaya (critic or reader) < [Chapter 5 - Analyasis and Interpretations of the Kāvyamīmāṃsā]
Part 3.4 - Distinguish between Kavi (poet) and Bhāvaka (critic) < [Chapter 5 - Analyasis and Interpretations of the Kāvyamīmāṃsā]