84. 92 CHAPTER II

92 CHAPTER II

Bhuñjanasya-adbhutabhogātmakaSpandāvișțasya" (1) Camatkāra (2) Bhoga and (3) Spanda are very important technical terms in Abhinavagupta's philosophy. 1. He deals with the conception of "Camatkara" in the proper contexts in his commentary on the Vivrti of Utpala- cārya on the Īśvara Pratyabhijnā Kārika at three places, in the course of his exposition of (1) "Svabhāvama- vabhāsasya" (I, 5, 11). (2) "Citiņ pratyavamarśātmā parā vāk" (1, 5, 13). (3) Prthagdīpaprakāśānām (II, 3, 8). 2. On the conception of "Bhoga" he writes in the course of his exposition of "Svasvarupāparijnanamayo" (LII. 1, 30). But he draws distinction between ordinary "Bhoga" and wonderful "Bhoga." The latter he calls the highest Bhoga (Paramabhoga) also. He deals with it in his Brhatī Vimarśinī on 1, 5, 11 and 1, 5, 12. 3. And the philosophical implication of "Spanda" is fully brought out in a branch of the Monistic Saiva system, called by the same name "Spanda". The works on this subject are (i) Spanda Kārikā (ii) Spanda Sandoha etc. We shall take them up one by one in the order, in which they have been mentioned here.

THE CONTEXT OF THE PROBLEM OF CAMATKĀRA The problem of Camatkara is discussed in the context of the metaphysical theory of the Saiva. We know that the Saiva voluntarist holds that the entire limited world emanates from the Absolute exactly as the creation of a great Yogin is manifested by him from within ; that it is perfectly independent of any material cause such as atoms, admitted by the Nyaya and the Vaisesika; that all that is manifested is potentially within the Absolute exactly as

SAIVA BASIS OF ABHINAVA'S ÆSTHETICS 93 the ideas, which figure in dream, are within the limited individual dreaming subject and that it is the Will, which is responsible for external manifestation of what lies within the Absolute. Further, the voluntarist maintains that the manifestable variety is within the Absolute, exactly as the jar that is intended to be produced by a potter is within him in the form of an idea. For, it is this idea which is responsible for directing his physical activity towards the production of the jar, to the exclusion of everything else. The only point, that has to be remembered in this connec- tion, is that before the rise of the Will it is in a state of identity with the Absolute in the former and with the limited subject in the latter case. Thus the voluntarist holds that the objective world is a manifestation of the Absolute-will. This Will, however, is nothing but the "Vimarsa" or "Amarsa" as we have discussed in the preceding pages. The question, therefore, arises that if the Will has objective reference and as such is presentable in linguistic terms, is not this position incon- sistent with the admission of the Absolute as free from all determination ? The verse 1, 5, 11, in which the conception of Camatkara is discussed, is a reply to the above question, which may be stated as follows :-- The Absolute is not only self-shining or self-luminous but also conscious of its luminosity. It is the consciousness that constitutes its essential nature and distinguishes it from such things as quartz (Sphatika) and other self- shining gems. This "Vimarsa" is characterised by "freedom" (Svā- tantrya) And the Will, that the voluntarist admits, is nothing but this very Svatantrya, the perfect independence