Gurunatha-Paramarsa (of Madhuraja)
By Prof. M.L.Koul
Acharya Abhinavagupta, the great Kashmiri
Shaivite philosopher of Tenth Century A.D. was a
multi-faceted genius. He made extraordinary
contributions to the domain of philosophy and
aesthetics. His two commentaries on
Isvarpratyabijjna of Utpaldeva are vital to the
understanding of Kashmir Shaiva monism,
centering round Shiva as an absolute. The Acarya
perfected the theory and praxis of Trika as a
part of Kashmir Shaiva monism. Many a scholar
has nomenclatured Shaiva monism as Trika
Philosophy in recognition of his stature as an
expositor of Trika. Acarya's many works have
been lost as a result of intolerant Vandalism
and ravages of time. We still have his numerous
works, commentaries and devotional hymns, which
establish him as an incomparable Shaiva master.
Abhinavagupta's fame, in his own life time, had
spread beyond the purlieux of Kashmir. Many
outstanding students and practitioners of
Shaivism flocked to Kashmir to learn from him.
Madhuraja, the great practitioner of Khandana
(:smashing false wisdom) and mandana
(:establishing truth), in his 74th year came to
Kashmir to become Acaryas disciple. Madhuraja,
who belonged to Madhura (Modern Madurai, Tamil
Nadu), was a yogi of the Pasupata Sampradaya. In
his quest for knowledge, he moved from place to
place, carrying no personal belongings except a
staff (Dandah), a water vessel (Kamanduluh), an
earthen vessel (Karpar) and a patch-work blanket
(Kantha).
Madhuraja, author of a number of works, was
proficient in prose as well as verse. He was
deeply impressed by the Acarya's exposition of
Utpala's Sivadrsti, perhaps presented by him in
the (now lost) Siva drsti-locana. Two other
works of Abhinavagupta, lost to us now, are
mentioned by Madhuraja, namely: Pancasika and
Kathamukha Mahatilaka. Of these the latter is
referred to by Acarya himself in his
Paratrimsika, while the former is a new name.
Dr. V. Raghavan, to whom we owe the credit for
retrieving one of the manuscripts of Gurunatha
Parmarsa, identifies it with Paryanta-Pancasika.
Madhuraja looked upon Acarya Abhinavagupta as
Daksinamurthi reborn in Kashmir. He has paid a
poetic tribute to his guru, Abhinavagupta. His
panegyric, Gurunatha Paramarsa, was published by
the Research and Publications Department, J&K
Govt. in 1960, when late Prof. PN Pushp was its
director. Commenting on the forte of the
Paramarsa, Prof Pushp wrote, "The pen-portrait
of Abhinavaguptacarya in the arcadian milieu of
his asrama lit up by his spiritual radiance is
so vivid and superb, and gives a convincing peep
into the integrated personality of the great
Acarya".
The text of Gurunatha Paramarsa, as established
by the Research Department is based on two
manuscripts -- a) Swami Lakshmana Joo of Ishbar,
who copied out the manuscript in 1925 from a
Devanagari transcript belonging to a grahasti
mahatma of Madras (46 verses) b) Manuscript D.
No: 15323 of the Sanskrit College, Tripunittura,
Cochin, as utilised by Dr. V. Raghavan in his
edition of the work, published in the JOR,
Madras (47 verses).
In the two manuscripts, only twenty eight verses
are common. Out of the nineteen verses peculiar
to manuscript mentioned in (b), only 1-9 verses
refer to Abhinava-Bharati, Acarya's celebrated
commentary on Natyasastra of Bharata. May be the
other ten verses have been drawn from some other
works of Madhuraja. Prof. Mohan Lal Koul, who
holds deep insights into Kashmir Saivism and
cultural tradition of Kashmir has translated 'Gurunatha
Paramarsa' from original Sanskrit into English
for the readers of Kashmir Sentinel. Below is
the English translation -- (The Editor)
INCOMPLETE
Source: Kashmir
Sentinel
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