The Paramarthasara, "The Essence of the Supreme Truth" is a metrical composition of 105 verses. The author of the original Sanskrit, the great tenth century Kashmiri scholar and sage Abhinavagupta, blended the schools of philosophical and religious thought current in Kashmir at that time and reformulated them in a masterful and beautiful way from the point of view of monistic Shaivism. The extended commentary that accompanies the text here is by his eleventh century disciple, Yogaraja, Abhinavagupta composed this work for spiritual seekers as an introduction to the teachings of the nondual Shaivism of Kashmir. Teaching from within that religious and philosophical stance, he poetically expounds on the universal nature of Shiva as the supreme Lord, and describes key experiences, such as that of spiritual liberation.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Deba Brata SenSharma
Dr. D.B. SenSharma is a Senior Research Fellow with the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture in Kolkata. During his distinguished career at Kurukshetra University, Dr. SenSharma was Professor and Chairman of the Department of Sanskrit and Director of the Institute of Sanskrit and Indological Studies; later he was a Senior Research Fellow at the Asiatic Society in Kolkata. Dr SenSharma was a long-time student of Gopinath kaviraj, who was one of the leading experts of his time on the Shaiva and Shakta traditions. Dr. SenSharma is himself a renowned scholar of Kashimr Shaivism and of Tantra Shastra. Among his dozens of academic works, he has published The Philosophy of Sadhana, (State University of New York Press), which examines Tantric sadhana (spiritual practice) in the light of shaktipata, or the descent of divine grace, and Aspects of Tantra Yoga (Natraj Publications House). In 2006 he was chosen to receive the Certificate of Honour by the President of India for his contributions to the field of Sanskrit.
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