Abhinavagupta
Kashmir's most influential philosopher.
Text placard
No freely licensed photograph of this exhibit was found, so it is shown as text.
Abhinavagupta wrote across philosophy, ritual and aesthetics. His Tantraloka is the great summary of Kashmir Shaivism, and his commentaries on the theory of rasa, the emotional flavour of art, still shape how Indian poetry, music and theatre are discussed.
Facts
- He wrote a major commentary on the Natyashastra, the classical Indian treatise on drama.
- Tradition says he walked into a cave near Srinagar with his disciples and was never seen again.