Abhinavagupta: An Historical and Philosophical Study by Kanti Chandra Pandey

Review by: J. C. Wright

Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 27, No. 2
(1964), pp. 500-501
Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of School of Oriental and African Studies
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500 SHORTNOTICES
In the second part of the book, the concept
of mukti in Veddntic schools is discussed at
great length. Here the author follows the
lead given by 8aflkara, and supplements his
conclusions with the views of several Advaitic
commentators, comparing them with the views
held by the leaders of the Vi'i and
the Dvaita schools of the Veddnta.t.dvaita
Despite his
limitations and biased approach the author
shows great erudition in the VedAnta and
much that he has to say on this school is
unexceptionable.
P. S. JAINI
K. NARAIN: An outline of Mddhva
philosophy. viii, 231 pp. Allahabad:
Udayana Publications, 1962. Rs. 30.
It is generally believed, by both Western
and Indian Indologists that Idealism, especially
of the Advaita type as propounded by 8aflkara,
is the leading philosophy of India, commanding
universal acceptance of the Hindus. This is as
much a result of exaggeration of 8aflkara's
reputation as a great thinker and debater as of
failure to appreciate the influence of realistic
systems of Indian philosophy. The latter
group includes a wide variety of schools, some
Vedic, some Veddntic, some non-Vedic, and a
large number of undocumented theistic trends
of thought which form the basis of the Hindu
religion. The Mddhva school, which led a great
rebellion against the mayivada of 8afnkara and
its jiiina-marga, can be considered as repre-
sentative of this group. It is Vedic, Veddntic,
and theistic. And yet it is uncompromisingly
realistic and includes in its doctrines of
' differences' and of the ' individual self'
several features which are characteristic of
non-Vedic schools, notably of the Jains.
In this short but excellent work Dr. Narain
has made a successful attempt to give an out-
line of the Mddhva school, particularly the
philosophy of' difference ' and the doctrine of
grace (bhakti-marga).Upholding those passages
of the Upanisads which speak of the attributes
of the Ultimate Reality (I9vara), and which
were subordinated by Sanlkarato those which
spoke of its nature as indeterminate (Brahman),
Madhva gives a series of things that are real
(God is real, soul is real, creation is real,
bondage is real, and salvation too is real) and
supports his realism with his radical theory of
difference which sought to establish ultimately
real and eternal differences between God and
soul, soul and matter, matter and matter,
matter and God, and between soul and soul.
The author has devoted a large part of this
work to demonstrating the defects in the
systems of Saftkara and Ramhnuja. His
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presentation of the main tenets of the Midhva
school is systematic and lucid and is well
supported by the comments of eminent
Madhvaites like Jayatirtha, Vyasatirtha, and
VIdiraja, whose works have hitherto received
very little attention.
P. S. JAINI
KANTI CHANDRA PANDEY: Abhinava-
gupta : an historical and philosophical
study. Second edition, revised and
enlarged. (The Chowkhamba Sanskrit
Studies, Vol. I.) lii, 1014 pp., plate.
Varanasi : Chowkhamba Sanskrit
Series Office, 1963. Rs. 40.
The publication of this revised and enlarged
edition of Professor Pandey's pioneering and
fundamental study of the works of Abhinava-
gupta, the leading figure in Kashmir Saiva
literature, may serve to remind scholars how
little has been done, in the 27 years since the
first edition appeared, to pursue the study of
Agamic literature and to integrate the ideas
which it embodies with those of the better-
known darsana literature. The second edition,
however, coincides with the belated appearance
of a growing interest in the early Hindu
religious literature. Recent publications
include Lilian Silburn's translations of Kashmir
Saiva works and Jaideva Singh's version of the
Pratyabhijdiihrdaya (Delhi, Motilal Banarsi-
dass, 1963) ; N. R. Bhatt's editions of &gama
texts on the basis of South Indian manuscripts ;
Chintaharan Chakravarti, Tantras (Calcutta,
Punthi Pustak, 1963-a preliminary survey of
Agamic literature preserved in Bengal); and
Sudhakar Chattopadhyaya, The evolution of
theistic sects in ancient India up to the time of
a~amkaricirya (Calcutta, Progressive Pub-
lishers, 1962-a concise compendium of the
evidence afforded by archaeology, sculpture,
coinage, and Indian, Greek, and Chinese
literary sources).
Professor Pandey's work now comprises a
survey of the life of Abhinavagupta and of the
works attributed to him, with detailed analysis
of the ParyantapaiKcdaikcand Ghatakarpara-
kulakavivrti; in connexion with the Ghatakar-
para he supplies important information on the
neglected subject of gqtakivya. He then
examines the literature known to and cited by
Abhinavagupta and that which was directly
influenced by his work. After analysing the
psychological and metaphysical theories of the
Trika philosophy on the basis of the fIvara-
pratyabhijiKvimar8ini and Tantraloka, the
author seeks to isolate two religio-philosophical
systems which are to some extent synthesized
with Trika, namely a ' akta ' Krama system
 SHORT NOTICES
(described from the Tantrdlokaand Mahe'vard-
nanda's Mahdrthamaijarf) and a ' 8&mbhava'
Kula system (Tantrdloka and
vivrti). Further study of the points of contact
Pardtrim.Bikd-
and divergence in the three systems promises
to be of capital importance for the understand-
ing of the development of Indian religion and
philosophy. The author contends (pp. 469 f.)
that divaproktaand devfproktadgamas belonged
originally to separate systems postulating a
male and a female first principle respectively,
and observes that Krama as attested is equally
synthetic, recognizing both types of dgama.
The Kulamata is similarly described as an
amalgamation of a 8ivamdrgaand a 8aktimdrga.
The existence of distinct Saiva, S&kta, and
Ydmalavddin systems would then belong to a
period earlier than that of the attested &gamic
literature. Since, however, the extant Rudra-
ydmala is deviprokta, and the VijriAnabhairava
which associates itself with the Rudraydmala
is a duologue of Saiva persuasion and refers at
the outset to the Rudraydmala as being
8ivaprokta, it seems probable that the original
dgamas were 8ivaprokta; devfprokta &gamas
were subsequently composed in imitation of
the genre, and duologue &gamas followed to
complete the trinity corresponding to giva,
Sakti, and Yamala; the genre remained,
however, markedly Saiva. We should thus
postulate two systems, one 'S&kta' (the
Kilinaya) with no early independent Sanskrit
literary tradition, and the other gaiva-
Ydmalavddin (a ' Rudraydmalanaya ' i.e.
Saivism) with metaphysical aspects, Trika and
Krama, to be linked with orthodox darhana
philosophies, and a religious aspect, Kula.
The biography now includes an attractive
and skilfully executed portrait of Abhinava-
gupta painted, on the basis of a contemporary
description, under Professor Pandey's
guidance.
J. C. WRIGHT
GOTTFRIED-KARL KINDERMANN (ed.):
Konfuzianismus, Sunyatsenismus und
chinesischer Kommunismus : Doku-
mente zur Begriindung und Selbstdar-
stellung des chinesischen Nationalismus.
(Freiburger Studien zu Politik und
Soziologie.) 284 pp. Freiburg im
Breisgau: Verlag Rombach, 1963.
DM. 35.
The object of this book is to demonstrate
the relationship of the political ideas of
Nationalist Chinese politicians and theorists
to those of Sun Yat-sen and the degree of their
dependence on Confucianism, as seen in the
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501
writings of Nationalist theorists. For this
purpose the editor has made extracts from the
writings of Sun Yat-sen, Chiang Kai-shek, Hu
Shih, Tai Chi-t'ao, Carsun Chang, Chang Chi-
yiin, Yeh Kung-chao, Huang Chi-lu, and Chen
Cheng. Although most of the material has
already been published in English translations,
it will now be available to a wider German
public. The editor has provided a long and
interesting introduction which will help the
reader to place the material of the book in
perspective. There is a table of political events
in China having relation to the subject under
discussion from the first opium war to 1962 and
a bibliography of works in Western languages
on Confucianism, Sun Yat-sen and his
movement, and Chinese Communism.
G. W.
ROBERT J. SMITH and RICHARD K.
BEARDSLEY (ed): Japanese culture :
its development and characteristics.
(Viking Fund Publications in Anthro-
pology, No. 34.) x, 193 pp. London:
Methuen & Co. Ltd., 1963. 50s.
JOSEPH ROGGENDORF (ed.) : Studies in
Japanese culture. [ii], v, 276 pp.
Tokyo: Sophia University, 1963.
Y2,600, $8.
These two collections of essays and papers
demonstrate two different attitudes to the
study of Japan. The first, which comprises
papers presented at the tenth Pacific Science
Congressheld in Honolulu in 1961, concentrates
on Japanese customs and society, as the titles
of the sections viz.
show, I, 'Origins', ii,
' Social structure ',
III, 'Village organization ',
and Iv, ' Culture and personality '. The second
is a volume compiled to commemorate the
establishment, 50 years ago, of Sophia
University, in Tokyo, by a group of Jesuits.
Its 12 articles, all but one of which were written
by members of Sophia's faculty, the exception
being Edward Seidensticker, a former member,
show the traditional approach, with more
interest shown in religion and drama. All the
articles in both volumes are highly commend-
able. In the Honolulu book the last section has
interesting psychological studies on the new
Japan. In the Sophia set, Dr. Benito Ortolani's
paper on ' Shingeki, the maturing drama of
Japan ' presents much material new in English.
But the prize for novelty must surely go to
Father Thomas Immoos's fascinating study
'Japanese themes in Swiss Baroque drama'.
C. J. D.