88. SHAIVA BASIS OF ABHINAVA'S ÆSTHETICS 97

SHAIVA BASIS OF ABHINAVA'S ÆSTHETICS 97

nance of the "Vimarsa", the continuous realisation of univer- salised "consciousness", which is called "Rasana" "Carvanā" "Nirvrti" or "Pramatr visranti". "Camatkara", therefore, according to Abhinavagupta, is the realisation of "Conscious- ness" or Vimarsa" which is inseparable from "Self- luminosity" or "Prakāśa" in its universality and, therefore, of freedom from all limitations, not once for a moment but continuously and without any impediment. This "Camat- kara" is synonymous with "Rasa", "Ananda" and "Paramabhoga". मभरादिर सास्वाद

In conclusion, therefore, we may say that while in the त निषमस्वशन्यर

case of the experience of flavour, the impediment in the form तर (बिदयमरर) of object of experience is there ; in the case of the æsthetic cयवधानशूमबत

experience such an impediment is totally absent. Though the तरन्यनधान संस्कारन ववास्त residual trace of what is presented on the stage and occasions तत्रावि।

æsthetic experience is undeniable ; yet the person, possessed of fine æsthetic susceptibility, rises above such residual traces, does not let them remain in the fore-ground of consciousness and, therefore, is able to experience "Param- ānanda".

We know that the second category of the Saiva is characterised by predominance of "Vimarsa" and that Vimarsa is synonymous with "Ananda" and "Parama- bhoga". Now that the preceding discussion has shown that "Camatkara" and "Rasana" are identical with "Vimarsa" the view of Abhinavagupta that æsthetic ex- perience belongs to the level of the second category of the Saiva, the Sakti, is beyond doubt. That this was the philosophical background of his theory of æsthetics is made clear by himself in the course of his exposition of Camat- kāra, where he explicitly refers to the Abhinava Bharatī and his view on Rasa, presented in it, 13

98 20ITaHT25. CHAPTER II 21248 AVIAH SAIVA CONCEPTION OF BHOGA. The Saiva conception of "Bhoga" is discussed in the Tattva Sangrahādhikāra of (i) the Īśvara Pratyabhijnā Kārikā (ii) a commentary thereon, called Vivrti, by Utpalā- cārya and (iii) two commentaries on the above, called Vimarsinī and Vivrti Vimarsint, by Abhinavagupta. In this section, as the title indicates, a bird's eye view of the system is given. It begins with the presentation of the Absolute in relation to the conditions of "Bhoga", the experience of pleasure and pain, by individual subject. It discusses (i) the rise of individual subject (ii) the qualities (Gunas) which characterise it and (iii) the experiences, to which it is subjected as a consequence of the limitations, "Bhoga". We shall take up these points one by one.

THE ABSOLUTE IN THE CONTEXT OF "BHOGA". The Absolute in the context of "Bhoga" is technically called "Mahesvara", "Supreme Lord". He is one. He is the self-consciousness of all the sentients. As such He is not a totality of individual self-consciousnesses. On the contrary, He is the one unbroken Self-Consciousness that experiences all the forms of "this" as reflected on Himself and, therefore, as shining identical with Himself. He experiences all the variety and multiplicity as identical with Himself. His experience is "I am this" "Ahamidam". He experiences "This" not as something external to Himself but as His own manifestation. He is identity in difference, unity in multiplicity and Universal in individual. He is the manifester of the manifested in the field of knowledge and action. All the multiplicity is in Him exactly as are the ideas in the individual mind. The fact that He is the self-consciousness of all