Abhinavagupta (c. middle of 10th century
to middle of 11th century) Kashmiri Shaivite
philosopher
Abhinavagupta, who lived his entire life in the
northern Indian region of Kashmir, is one of the
giants of Indian philosophical and intellectual his-
tory. His work represents the pinnacle of the tantric
(see TANTRISM) school of KASHMIRI SHAIVISM, which
sees the world as both real and divine. He is also
recognized as one of India’s foremost theorists in
the field of aesthetics, or the appreciation of art.
Abhinavagupta interwove the diverse threads
of the earlier schools of Kashmiri Shaivism into a
coherent and cogent philosophy and practice. He
wrote numerous books and commentaries, all in
Sanskrit. Most well known is the magnum opus,
the massive Tantraloka; it deals with the philoso-
phy, religion, and yogic practice of the Kashmir
Shaiva tradition.
Abhinavagupta’s exceptional work on the the-
ory of art derives its interest from his belief in
the divinity of the senses and sense experience.
His most well known book in this area is his
commentary on the Dhvanyaloka, an important
text on aesthetics, which has become a source
book for much of later Indian aesthetic theory.
Abhinavagupta’s influence is most evident in the
traditions of Swami MUKTANANDA and his disciple
Swami CHIDVILASANANDA, two of the most promi-
nent modern teachers in the Kashmiri Shaivite
tradition.
See also SHAIVISM.
Further reading: Raniero Gnoli, The Aesthetic Experience
According to Abhinavagupta (Varanasi: Chowkhamba
Sanskrit Series Office, 1968); Paul Eduardo Muller-
Ortega, The Triadic Heart of Siva: Kaula Tantricism of
Abhinavagupa in the Non-Dual Shaivism of Kashmir
(Albany: State University of New York Press, 1989);
K. C. Pandey, Abhinavagupta: An Historical and Philo-
sophical Study (Varanasi: Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series
Office, 1963); R. Raghavan, Abhinavagupta and His
Works (Varanasi: Chokambha Orientalia, 1981); Y. S.
Walimbe, Abhinavagupta and Indian Aesthetics (Delhi:
Ajanta, 1980).
Abhishiktananda, Swami (1910–1973)
pioneer in Hindu-Christian monasticism
Born Henri Le Saux, Abhishiktananda was a pio-
neer in the field of spiritual and theological dia-
logue between Christianity and Hinduism.
He was born on August 30, 1910, at Saint
Briac in Brittany, France. At an early age he felt
a call to the vocation of a Roman Catholic priest,
and in 1929 he entered the Benedictine Monastery
of Saint Anne de Kergonan in Plouharnel. Dur-
ing his 19 years there he worked as librarian and
master of ceremonies. He served in the French
army during World War II and experienced a
miraculous escape after being captured by Ger-
man troops in 1940.
Seeking a more radical path for living a spiri-
tual life, Le Saux was attracted to India as early
as 1934. In Tamil Nadu state he met Father Jules
Monchanin, a Roman Catholic priest serving in a
Tamil village in southern India, who was formu-
lating a path for living a contemplative life that
combined Indian asceticism (see SANNYASI) and
Christian practice. Le Saux joined Fr. Monchanin
in 1948 at Kulitalai; the two began a small ashram
near the CAUVERY RIVER at the village of Tan-
nirpalli in Tiruchirappalli District, South India.
In 1950, they settled in Shantivanam (Forest of
Peace) and named their new foundation Saccidan-
anda Ashram after the Hindu trinity.
In 1950 Le Saux adopted the dress of a Hindu
ascetic and changed his name to Swami Abhishik-
tananda (the Bliss of the Anointed One). He began
studying Tamil and Sanskrit and immersed him-
self in Indian traditions and practices. A meeting
in 1949 with RAMANA MAHARSHI (1879–1950) at
Ramana’s ashram in Tiruvannamalai had a strong
influence on his developing spirituality, and
between 1950 and 1955 he spent many months
in deep meditation in the caves near Ramana’s
ashram at the holy mountain Arunachala. After
Ramana’s death in 1950, he became a disciple of
Gnanananda Giri of Tirukoylur.
When the ailing Fr. Monchanin returned to
France and died in 1957, Abhishiktananda felt
a growing attraction to the north of India andAbhishiktananda, Swami 3 J