परमार्थसार (महामाहेश्वर अभिनवगुप्त - त्रिक-दर्शन, अद्वैत शैव साधना एवं सान्वय सटीक)

Introduction 11
fact of his having written some more important work or works.
He was not only a philosopher but a poet of high merit as well.
His Śivastotrāvalī, containing religio-philosophic poetry of high
merit, is still sung popularly in the Valley. Rāmakaṇṭha, a disciple
of Utpaladeva and a younger brother of Muktākaṇa, the court
poet of King Avantivarman, wrote Spandavivṛtti, a detailed com-
mentary on the Kārikā of Bhaṭṭa Kallaṭa and a Śaivite commen-
tary on Bhagavadgītā, following the Kashmirian version of the
text. His other works are not available even by name. Bhaṭṭa
Nārāyaṇa, the author of Stavacintāmaṇi, a philosophic lyric in
praise of Śiva, also belonged to the same period.
Bhaṭṭa Bhāskara, the seventh teacher in the line of Vasugupta,
explained the teachings contained in Śivasūtra through his Vārtika
on them. His explanation of the Sūtras of Śiva is the most authen-
tic one, because firstly it expresses the knowledge received through
an unbroken direct line of disciples from Vasugupta, the preceptor
of Bhaṭṭa Kallaṭa. Most of the teachers in the line were them-
selves practical philosophers having direct realization of the prin-
ciples of Śaiva monism and its Trika system of practice. Secondly
he does not over burden his Vārtika with any discussions on any
controversial topics and quotations from other works on spiritual
philosophy, but explains the doctrines learnt through tradition and
expressed in the Sūtras. His Vārtika carries thus a greater weight
than the scholarly commentary written later by Kṣemarāja. He be-
longed to the period before that of Abhinavagupta. Probably he is
the same Bhāskara who has been mentioned by Abhinavagupta as
one of his teachers. He cannot be identified with Bhaṭṭa Divākara-
vatsa, though he mentions himself as Daivākari. To the same period
belongs Utpala Vaiṣṇava who, though a follower of the Pāñcarātra
system, composed a scholarly commentary on Spandakārikā. His
work named Spandapradīpikā is of great importance as it provides
many clues to some unknown important facts regarding the
history of Kashmir Śaivism. He quotes profusely from the Pāñcarā-
tra texts and tries to elevate that system to the same level of
importance as was enjoyed by Śaiva monism and its Trika system
of practice. Some works of Bhaṭṭa Kallaṭa are known through
quotations available only in his Spandapradīpikā. A couplet from
the pen of Siddhanātha is also found in it. Both he and Bhāskara
accept Bhaṭṭa Kallaṭa as the author of Spandakārikā. Abhinava-
gupta appeared on the scene in the middle of the tenth century.