Virtual Seminar on “Acharya Abhinavgupta: Legacy and Significance” Concludes
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Shimla, June 21: Indian Institute of Advanced Study Shimla organised a two-day International Virtual Seminar on “Acharya Abhinavgupta: Legacy and Significance” from 21st June to 22nd June 2021.
On the first day of this International Symposium very eminent scholars gathered online to discuss various dimensions of Acharya Abhinavagupta. The welcome address and the brief outline of the content were done by the Director of the Institute, Professor Makarand R. Paranjape and Dr. Alka Tyagi, convener of the Seminar.
Then the programme was started with Krama Stotra on Abhinavpupta sung by Shalini Mathur, followed by Manglacharan by Sanya Tyagi. Professor Motilal Pandit brought into light important Abhinavagupta’s life and works. He talked about Yoginibhu birth of Abhinavagupta and his whole family being a very enlightened group of human beings. Dr. Sacchidanada Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA, spoke about the need to recuperate refer in his works. He emphasized upon bringing about a critic edition of Natyasashtra.
One of the participants Sh. Sushil Pandit said that Abhinavpupta was renowned philosopher, mystic and aesthetician from Kashmir but was less known in India as compared to rest of the world. Prof. Mark Dyczkawskh in his keynote address in a profound talked about the Ritual, Art, Consciousness and Yoga in Acharya’s theory of non-dual consciousness.
Prof. Bharat Gupta talked comprehension on the Rasasutra & Aesthetic experience according to Abhinavagupta.
Prof. Ramakant Pandey highlighted about “Trika Darshan”(Today known as Kashmir Shaivisn) of Abhinavgupta.
Session of the day one was ended with special lecture by Shri Rakesh K Kaul on Chamatkar, Sahitya and Neeti in the light of Abhinavgupta’s literature.
Session of the day two was started with the introductory remarks by the Director, of the IIAS Prof. Makarand R. Paranjape and chaired by Prof. Madhav Hada. They welcomed all the co-participants connected through Cisco Webex.
Then the session of the day two was started with the lecture of Dr. Nihar Purohit and he talked about Atma Veda and explained how all the four Vedas are abiding in this Atma Veda which was followed by Prof. Pankaj Basotia lecture he spoked about Abhinavgupta that it is believed that he preferred to live in secluded and did not intermingle socially due to that there is no mention of Abhinavgupta in Kalhan’s Rajatarangini.
In addition that, Padamashree Prof. Bettina Baumer, Prof. K D Tripathi, Dr. Balram Shukla, Dr. Advaitavadini Kaul, Dr. Swastik Banerjee, Prof. S.R. Bhatt, Prof. Wagish Shukla also shared their views on life of Abinavgupta.
