Santarasa and Abhinavagupta's philosophy of aesthetics

242 Pages·1969·8.59 MB·English

by  J. L. Manon

5ÄNTARASA & ABHINAVAGUPTA’S
PHILOSOPHY OF AESTHETICS
J. L MASSON AND M. V. PATWARDHAN
Abhinavagupta is generally considered to be the
greatest of the many Indian writers in the field of
poetics. The breadth and profundity of his intellect,
and the originality and brilliance of his critical
insight, entitle him to a distinguished place in the
ranks of philosophers of aesthetics of all lands
and all periods of history.
This tenth century Kashmiri scholar advanced
ideas in every way as interesting and sophisticated
as those propounded by Aristotle, yet his work is
virtually unknown in the West beyond a very
small circle of Sanskritists. It is to remedy this
situation by making some of the central insights
of Abhinavagupta available to literary critics and
the interested layman that the authors offer the
present volume. Most of the material they present
has never before been translated.
The introduction is meant primarily for students
of comparative literature and the general reader.
The body of the work is divided into two parts.
In the first, the authors examine the various in-
fluences'which went into the shaping of Abhinava-
gupta’s philosophy of aesthetic experience, a unique
synthesis of original insights into traditional Indfan
poetics with the éaiva philosophy of Kashmir. They
deal with[such problems as : the nature of obscenity,
the aesthetic enjoyment of tragic literature, the
nature of poetic imagination, Tantric rituals as
drama, and, above all, the relation between ima­
ginative experiences and transcendent mystical
experiences. In the second part of the work, the
authors reproduce and translate everything written
on the subject of sànîarasa ( “ the aesthetic ex­
perience of tranquillity ” ) prior to Abhinava­
gupta.
$ 6.— Rs. 25/—

SANTARASA
AND
ABHINAVAGUPTA’S PHILOSOPHY OF AESTHETICS
BHANDARKAR ORIENTAL SERIES No. 9
Säntarasa
AND
ABHINAVAGUPTA’S PHILOSOPHY OF AESTHETICS
BY
J. L. MASSON
M. V. PATWARDHAN
Peinte® and published by
DR* B. N. DANDEKAR,
HON. SECRETABY
BHANDARKAR ORIENTAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE,
poona-4.
For Jack and Diana
who made it possible
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“ Two birds, deepest of friends,
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One eats the sweet fruit.
The other, without eating, watches
CONTENTS
Pagi»
Foreword '
I
Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction .. i-xvn
Part I.: Abhinava’s Philosophy of Aesthetics.
A. Influences :
(l)-Literary Influences—
(a) Asvaghosa • . 3
(b) Anandavardhana • • 6
(c) Bhattatauta .. . . 15
(d) Bhattanàyaka.. • • 20
Philosophical Influences—
(a) Vedanta . • 24
(b) Vijnànabhairava • . 27
(c) Yogavàsistha ... • • 29
(d) Kashmir Saivism •• 33
Influence from speculation on smtarasa—
(a) Vismdharmottarapurana .. • • 36
(b) ~Anuyogadvàrasùtra • • 37
Tantric Influence—
Tantraloka .. 40
Abhinava’s Philosophy of Aesthetics.
(1) Translation of key passages from his philosophical
works and the Abhinavabhàrati • • • • 44
(2) Text and translation of the Locana on Dhvanyàloka,
Uddyota II .. 60
(3) Text and translation of the Locana on Dhvanyàloka,
Uddyota I • • ♦ • 7fl
2
Page
t
Part II : Säntarasa.
(A) Interpolated verses in the Nätyakästra 91
.. « -
(B) Rudrata 93
9 9
(C) Dhvanyäloka, Uddyota III 94
9 •
(D) Locana on same 96
• ♦
(E) Dhvanyäloka, Uddyota IV 103
• •
(F) Locana on same 109
. .
(G) Säntarasaprakarana from the Abhinavabhàrat'i 113
• *
(H) Dasaritpaka and Avaloka passages 143
9 •
Part III : Conclusion :
(A) Verse from the Dhvanyäloka, Uddyota III, on
devotion and poetry 153
• •
(B) Locana on same 153
.. • •
(C) Similarities between aesthetic experiences and
mystic experiences 161
• ■
(D) Differences 162
« t
Appendix—Later writers on häntarasa and rasäsväda 165
.. • •
( 1 ) Mammata 165
• •
(2) Vis'van&tha • 165
•
( 3 ) Rasagangädhara 168
.. • •
Bibliography 179
• •
Addendum 189
• •
Index 195
• •
Errata 205
.. 9 •