242. 242 HISTORY OF SANSKRIT PORTIOS

242 HISTORY OF SANSKRIT PORTIOS

Bhairavastotra and was seen no more (vide J. R.A. S. for 1910 p. 1334 at p. 1336 n. 1). Dr. Grierson states there that the cave is shown at Biru, ancient Bahurupa, 13 miles to the south-west of Srinagar. The question of the date of Abhinavagupta does not present any difficulty. At the end of his ईशवरप्रत्यभिन्चाविवृतिविमर्शिनी (Kashmir S. S. No. 65) there occurs the following statement about the date of its composition (verse 15 on p. 407) 'rfa नवतितमेऽरस्मिन् वस्सरेन्स्ये युर्गारो तिथिशशिजलविस्थे मार्गशीर्षावसाने। जगति विहित- गोभामीश्वरप्रत्यभिक्ञां व्यव्णुत परिपूर्णा प्रेरितः शम्मुपादः॥'. This means that the commentary was completed in the year 4115 of the Kali age when the Laukika year1 (in Kashmir) was 90 at the end of Margasirsa i. e. in 1014 A. D. At the end of Bhairavastava he states the date as follows: वसुरसपौवे कृष्पादरा- ग्याममिनवगुप्त: स्तवमिमकरोठ। येन विभुर्भवमरुसन्तापं शमयति फटिति जनस्य y: I' (vide Buhler's Kashmir Report p. CLXII). The भेरवस्तव was composed in 68 of the लौकिक era (22 years before the composition of the ईश्वरप्रत्यमिश्ञाविवृतिविमशिनी) i. e. in 992-3 A. D. The Kramastota was composed in 66 of the Laukika era. i. e. exactly 24 years before his great commentary faTo (पटूपटिनामके वर्षे नवम्यामसितेऽहनि। मयाभिनवगुप्तेन मार्गशीर्षें स्तुतः शिवः॥ vide p. 412 in Dr. Pandey's 'Abhinavagupta'). These three dates range from 990-1 A. D. to 1014-15 A. D. The तन्त्रालोक a voluminous work (29 ahnikas of which out of 37 occupy eleven volumes in the Kashmir S. S.) was composed before the alad, which latter in its turn was followed by another voluminous work viz. the भभिनवभारती on भरत's नाव्यशाख. Besides these he composed other works.ª Therefore, it would not be

1. For the 'lokakala' or 'laukika vatsara', vide Buhler's Kashmir Report pp. 59-60 and Stein's Intro. to राजतरद्विणी. This era called also Saptarsi era began in 25 of the Kaliyuga era. It is even now current in Kashmir and generally the centuries are omited in referring to it i. e. the year 4090 (= 4115 of Kaliyuga era) is mentioned by भभिनवगुप्त himself as 90. Vide E. I. vol. XX No. 1441-1445 p. 197 for inscriptions dated in the Saptarsi or Laukika era. 2. Vide for the works of ufrrrca, Intro. p. 15 (for books on Saivism) to परात्रिशिकाविवरण (Kashmir S. S. No. 18). Dr. K. C. Pandey on 'Abhinavagupta' pp. 122-124, Dr. Raghavan in J. O. R., Madras, vol. 14 pp. 318-328, New Cat. Cat. vol. I. pp. 224-226.