238. 238 HISTORY OF SANSKRIT POETICS

238 HISTORY OF SANSKRIT POETICS

भभिनवगुप्त, it appears, remained celibate all his life, was extremely devoted to Siva and studied at the feet of several teachers in order to develop his intellect and knowledge.1 His works fall into several groups. One group concerns his work on the Tantras. The तन्त्रालोक is the most voluminous work of his that deals with Tantric Agamas enumerated in तन्त्रालोक I. 18 (Kashmir S. Series vol. XXII. p. 35) as दशाष्टादशवस्वष्टभिन्नं1 यच्छासनं विभोः। तत्सारं त्रिकशाखं हि तत्सारं मालिनीमतम् ।।'. To this group belong his मालिनीविजयवार्तिक (written by him in the eastern part of प्रवरपुर in Kashmir), परात्रिशिकाविवरण, तन्त्रा- लोकसार & C. The 2nd group consists of his स्तोत्रs such as भैरवस्तव and कमस्तोत्र and certain small tracts such as बोधपञ्चदशिका (Kashmir S. S. No. 14). A third group is constituted by his works on Poetics and Dramaturgy, which have been already mentioned above. His teacher in Poetics was Indurāja8 and in drama- turgy Tota." In these two branches his two works viz. लोचन

1. ईश्वरप्रत्यभिश्ञाविवृतिविमर्शिनी (Kashmir S.S. No 65,1943 A. D.) says at end (p. 405) 'तज्जन्मदेहपदभाक् पदवाक्यमानसंस्कारसंस्कृत- मतिः परमेशशक्तिः। सामर्थ्यतः शिवपदाम्बुजभक्तिभागी दारात्मजप्रभृतिबन्धु-

verses 2 and 3. 2. This means 10, 18 and 64 (these last divided into eight groups of eight each). The तम्त्रालोक says 'whoever always studies closely these 37 ahnikas would himself become Bhairava' I. 214-215). 3. At the end of the लोचन on the 4th उद्योत of ध्व. (publish- ed by Dr. De in J. of Letters, Cal. Un., vol. IX. p. 42) two teachers viz. सिद्धिचेल and इन्दुराज are mentioned (श्रीसिद्धिचेलचरणा- जपरागपूते भट्टेन्दुराजमतिसंस्कृतबुद्धिलेश: ।). The teacher सिद्धिचेल is not mentioned anywhere else in the लोचन or भ. भा. It is possible that we have to read 'परागपूत-भट्टेन्दुराज०, which would mean 'ESTI was purified by the pollen from the lotus of the feet of सिद्धिचेल' i. e. सिद्धिचेल was the guru of भट्टेन्दुराज. 4. Abhinavagupta bestowed great labour in consulting numerous mss. of the Natysastra and then found that there were two recensions on several sections such as the names and definition of laksana, the definitions of metres and the arrange- ment of the sections on gunas and dosas. Vide p. 13 above