237. ABHINAVAGVPTA 237

ABHINAVAGVPTA 237

'The father's name was really नृसिंहगुप्त, but चुखल was his well- known name. On the first verse of the तन्त्रालोक (बिमलकला- अयाभिनवसष्टिमहा भरिततनुक्ष जननी पञ्चमुखगुप्तरुचिजंनकः ।), जयरथ ex- plains the double meanings of the words in thick type, states that the father was called नरसिंहगप्त and the mother of अभिनवगप्त was called विमला or विमलकला, that अमिनवगप्त was what is designated as योगिनीभू:, since he was born of such spiritually high personages as his parents and was therefore peculiarly qualified to compose a work containing a summary of all the Agama workson त्रिकशास्त्र (pp. 14-15 of जयरथ's विवेक on तन्त्रालोक I. 1). भमिनवगप्त further states that he composed his commentary on परात्रिंशिका for the benefit of his younger brother मनोरथगुप्त, a ब्राह्मण named कर्सा who was son of वल्लभ minister of king यशस्कर1 of Kashmir and one रामदेव who was proficient in grammar, Tarka and Mimansa. Similarly, his मालिनीविजयवार्तिक was composed at the frequent requests of his good pupils कर्र and मन्द्र. In the अभिनवभारती (vol. I p. 297) he quotes a verse of his uncle वामनगुप्त on हास्याभास (G. O. S. ed. chap. 6-45) p.297 of the Nātyasastra. Abhinavagupta mentions that his father's maternal grand-father was a famous man named Yasorāga 'rfa षोडशमध्यायं अ्रन्थनिर्ग्रन्थिकं व्यधात्। यशोराशेर्यशोरागनाम्नो दौहित्रदेहज: ।।'. The fact that Abhinava feels pride in naming him and also states that he was famous would indicate that that relative must have attained eminence in some branch of learning or must have held some high position. But at present we know nothing about यशोराग.

mistakes due to not deciphering the script properly. At the beginning of मालिनीविजयवार्तिक (Kashmir S. S. No. 31) भभिनवगुप्त says: गुरुभ्योपि गरीयांसं युक्तं श्रीचुखलाभिषम्। बन्दे यत्कृतसंस्कार: स्थितोस्मि गलितग्रहः ॥ verse 5; नृसिंहगुप्तायतिनेत्थमत्र वृत्तिस्वरूपं प्रकटं व्यधायि । यन्त- स्त्रियोत्रेय हृदन्तरात्मस्वरूपमेव प्रकट व्यधायि॥। verse at the of the भ. भा. chap. 20 on वृत्तिs (p. 107 of vol. III of भ. भा. in G. O. S.). On p.14 of तन्त्रालोक I. 1 (No. 23) जयरथ states 'अस्य हि अ्रन्थकृतः श्रीनरसिंह- गुप्तविमलाख्यौ पितरौ इति गुरबः'. Vide also Dr. Raghavan on 'writers quoted in Abhinavabhārati' J. O. R., Madras, vol. VI. at p. 153 for नरसिंहगुप्त and विमला as अभिनवगुप्त's parents and for अभिनव being an भवतार of परमशिव. 1. From राजत. VI. 2-99 it appears that यशस्कर ruled for nine years from 939-948 A. D.