Kshemaraja

Rajanaka Kṣemarāja (क्षेमराज) (late 10th to early 11th century) was a philosopher disciple of Abhinavagupta, who was considered a master of tantra, yoga, poetics, and dramaturgy. Not much is known of Kṣemarāja's life or parentage. His chief disciple was a sage known as Yogāraja.

Kṣemarāja's magnum opus was the Pratyabhijñāhṛdayam ('The Heart of Self-Recognition'). In this text, Kṣemarāja explains the main tenets of the Pratyabhijñā philosophy in a succinct set of sutras for students. The work occupies the same place in Kashmir Shaivite or Trika literature as Sadananda's Vedantasara does in Advaita Vedanta.

Works

• Pratyabhijñāhṛdayam
• Spandasandoha
• Spandaniraya
• Svacchandoddyota
• Netroddyota
• Vijnanabhairavoddyota, a commentary on the Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra
• ShivasÅ«travimarśinÄ«, a commentary on the Shiva Sutras of Vasugupta
• Stavacintamanitika
• Parapraveshika
• Tattvasandoha.

Pratyabhijñāhṛdayam

The text elucidates the main tenets of the pratyabhijñā system in a succinct set of sutras, expounding the core of the philosophy and explaining how self-recognition arises within, culminating in the consciousness of Shivoham (I am Shiva). Pratyabhijñāhṛdayam consists of 20 aphorisms plus a commentary by Kṣemarāja himself. Translations are given by:

Chapter 18 is also commented on by .

See also

• Abhinavagupta
• Vasugupta
• Somananda
• Utpalacarya
• Kundalini
• Yoga

References

Sources

Further reading

External links

• mahayana.org, Sanskrit text of the Pratyabhijñāhṛdayam with English translation
• Gabriel Pradipika, Sanskrit text of the Pratyabhijñāhṛdayam with translation