Gitartha Samgraha (critical Study)
by Partha Sarathi Sil | 2020 | 34,788 words
This page relates 鈥楾he Tradition of Commentaries on Bhagavadgita in Kashmir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).
Go directly to: Footnotes.
3. The Tradition of Commentaries on 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻 in Kashmir
In general most of the commentaries on 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻 follow the tradition of 膧di 艢a峁卥ara and 搁腻尘腻苍耻箩补. Whereas commentaries written by Kashmiri authors generally follow the tradition of 艢补颈惫补 philosophy. 艢补颈惫补 scholars of Kashmir speak of 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻 as an Agama (divine exposition) and regard it as the one among the Agama class of texts. Abhinavagupta clearly mentions that the sole purpose of writing a commentary on 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻 is to bring into light the hidden meanings of the text which are more esoteric than Vedanta. According to 贬补谤颈惫补峁兣沘 P奴r膩峁嘺, we came to know that 碍峁涐梗峁嘺 was taught the sixty four monistic 艢补颈惫腻驳补尘补蝉 by sage 顿耻谤惫腻蝉补蝉. In the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补鈥檚 惭辞办峁 pravan, it is stated that 碍峁涐梗峁嘺 got knowledge of the Dvaita and Advita 艢补颈惫腻驳补尘补蝉 from Upamanyu. As a result, it can be said that 碍峁涐梗峁嘺 was thought by the 艢补颈惫补s to have been himself a follower of the Trika. That鈥檚 why the 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻 is classed with the 膧驳补尘补蝉[1].
In ancient times, several elucidatory commentaries on the 骋墨迟腻 were available in Kashmir but at present the Valley treasures 11 commentaries written by scholars of the soil. These are: R膩j膩nak 搁腻尘补ka峁囜弓h鈥檚 "Sarvatobhadra" (850 AD), 叠丑补峁弓补 叠丑腻蝉办补谤补鈥檚 "叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻峁玨膩 " (900 AD), Abhinavagupta鈥檚 "骋墨迟腻rthasa峁僩raha" (950鈥�1050AD), 膧nandavardhan鈥檚 "膧nandvardhin墨" or "膧nand墨峁璱k膩" (11th century), 碍别艣补惫补产丑补峁弓补 Ka艣m墨r墨鈥檚 "Tattvapraka艣ik膩" (16th century), R膩j膩nak 尝补办峁墨 R膩m alias lassa Kak鈥檚 "尝补办峁墨峁玨膩" (17th century), Sahib Koul鈥檚 "骋墨迟腻s膩ra鈥� (17th century), Sahib R膩m鈥檚 "骋墨迟腻vyakhy膩s膩hib墨" (19th century), Pandit 顿补测腻 R膩m鈥檚 "叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻峁玨膩" (19th century), Jagadi艣var Vedapa峁環墨鈥檚 "Ranavirsamithabodhini" (19th century), Rajanak Lakshman Joo鈥檚 commentary with extra verses of Bhagavad Gita (20th century). Rajanak Ramkanth鈥檚 Sarvatobhadra (circa 850 AD) is the oldest commentary on Bhagavad 骋墨迟补. It lays equal emphasis on 闯帽腻苍补 (knowledge), Karma (action) and Bhakti (devotion). Lyne Bansat Boudon and Judit T枚rzs枚k have nicely pointed out some salient features of the Kashmirian Gita tradition and discussed elaboratedly in their paper titled 鈥淎bhinavagupta on the Kashmirian 骋墨迟腻鈥�[2]. In the paper they have indicated the influence of 叠丑腻蝉办补谤补 and Ramaka峁囜弓ha鈥檚 work on Abhinavagupta鈥檚 work. They have also furnished the information in respect of manuscripts available relating to the 骋墨迟腻rthasa峁単raha of Abhinavagupta.
A list of the name of commentaries on 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻 has been included in the thesis.
| Commentator | Commentary | Time |
| 搁腻箩腻苍补办补 搁腻尘补办补峁囜弓丑补 | Sarvatobhadra | 850 A.D |
| 叠丑补峁弓补bh膩skara | 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻峁玨膩 | 900 A.D |
| Abhinavagupta | 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻rthasa峁単raha | 950-1050 A.D |
| 膧苍补苍诲补惫补谤诲丑补苍补 | 膧苍补苍诲补惫补谤诲丑颈苍墨 | 11th Century |
| 碍别艣补惫补产丑补峁弓补 K膩艣mir墨 | 罢补迟迟惫补辫谤补办腻艣颈办腻 | 16th Century |
| 搁腻箩腻苍补办补 尝补办峁墨r膩ma Aliyas | 尝补办蝉墨迟墨办腻 | 17th Century |
| S膩heva Koula | 骋墨迟腻s膩ra | 17th Century |
| 厂腻丑颈惫补 搁腻尘补 | 骋墨迟腻vy膩khy膩 S膩hivi | 19th Century |
| 笔补峁囜笉颈迟补 顿补测腻r膩ma | 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻峁玨膩 | 19th Century |
| 闯补驳补诲墨艣惫补谤补 痴别诲补辫腻峁环墨 | 搁补峁嘺惫墨谤补蝉补尘颈迟丑补产辞诲丑颈苍墨 | 19th Century |
| 搁腻箩腻苍补办补 尝补办峁补峁嘺 Ju | 叠丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻 Commentary | 20th Century |
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
K.C. Pandey, Abhinavagupta, P-63.
[2]:
Abhinavagupta on the Kashmirian 骋墨迟腻, Published online, 2nd Nov, 2017, Springer.