Around Abhinavagupta

Aspects of the Intellectual History of Kashmir from the Ninth to the Eleventh Century Abhinavagupta is undoubtedly the most famous Kashmirian medieval intellectual: his decisive contributions to Indian aesthetics, 'Saiva theology and metaphysics, and to the philosophy of the subtle and original Pratyabhijña system are well known. Yet so far his works have often been studied without fully taking into account the specific context in which they are embedded - an intellectual background that is not less exceptional than Abhinavagupta himself. While providing fresh interpretations of some of the great 'Saiva polymath's works, the nineteen essays gathered here attempt to map out for the first time the extraordinary cultural effervescence that took place in the little kingdom of Kashmir around Abhinavagupta's time. Eli Franco is Professor of Indology at Leipzig University and an Ordinary Fellow of the Saxon Academy of Sciences. Isabelle Rati'e is Professor of Sanskrit at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University, Paris.