A primary and material-cause of the universe. The world is the ABHAŃGA manifestation ( Ābhāsa ) of the supreme Reality. It is neither 1. A traditional prosodic and mould, prevalent in the the ultimate reality nor an illusion. The world is the relative devotional literature and music of Maharashtra. truth. The theory of ābhāsa-vāda of Tantra, is different from AUTHOR: RANADE A. D. Source: On music and the Pariņāma- vāda of the Sā ṁkhya and Vivartavāda of the Musicians, New Delhi, 1984. Vedānta. Same Ābhāsa- vāda is the theory of creation of the 2. A Marathi devotional song, a popular Folk song of art-forms in Śaiva-tantra. Maharashtra since 13 th Cent. A.D. The composers of these AUTHOR: PADMA SUDHI.; Source: Aesthetic theories songs tried to propound the philosophy of the Bhagavadgītā of India, Vol. III, New Delhi, 1990. and the Bhāgavata Purāņa. It is composed in Obi, a popular metre. There is no limit of the length of the song, and can be ĀBHĀSA-VĀDA sung in any rāga . It is perennial Kīrtana of God, Abhańga 1. In the absolute, the entire variety that we find in the literal meaning is a Kīrtana without break. objective world, is in a state of perfect unity, exactly as the AUTHOR: PADMA SUDHI (thereafter P. S.) whole variety of colours that we find in a full-grown 3. Ābhańga: A term of Hindu Iconography. Ābhańga is that peacock is in a state of perfect identity in the yolk of form of standing attitude in which the centre line from the peacock’s egg. This analogy, which is very frequently crown of the head to a point midway between the heels employed in the Śaiva literature to explain the absolute unity passes slightly to the right of the navel. of all variety in the Ultimate, is technically called AUTHOR: PADMA SUDHI. Mayūrāņ ḍa- rasa-nyāya. All that emanates from or manifested by the absolute, is called Ābhāsa. As it is a ABHAYA- MUDRĀ manifestation it has limitation and some sort of Abhaya-Mudrā: Gesture of protection in the Iconography imperfection. Thus, even the highest category, Śiva or of India. In this Mudrā (Hand-pose) the right hand of the Universal being is an ābhāsa, because it has limitation, in as deity is shown with palm outward and turned toward the much as, it represents a disturbance in the absolute unity of worshipper with the fingers raised. This Mudrā has been the Absolute. ( IPV Vol. 1.1). But metaphysical implication used in the iconography of Hinduism, Buddhism and of the epistemic technique of Ābhāsavāda is that, everything Jainism. It is used for Buddha, Tīrthańkara and Vişņu, as the except the Ultimate, is ābhāsa. All ābhāsas are the protector of the Cosmic system and of Śiva-Natarāja in the manifestation of the Ultimate. Thus, the subject, object, the in the Ānanda-Tāņ ḍava dance. means of knowledge or knowledge it self is an Ābhāsa. The AUTHOR: PADMA SUDHI. Source: Symbols of Art, Ābhāsa is an isolated manifestation for which, in practical Religion and Philosophy, New Delhi, 1990. life, a single expression is used. ( IPV Vol. II. 70-1). An object of action is not an isolated Ābhāsa. It is configuration ĀBHĀSA of innumerable Ābhāsa. It is made up of as many Ābhāsas as 1. From Tāntric point of view, the entire creation is an may be the words used by different cognisers from different Ābhāsa. The universe of appearances is the unmanifest point of views. nature of the Absolute from which the process of involution The causal efficiency or the use of an object for practical emanates which is perceived by the subject as different from purposes, depends on the unification of some of the itself. constituent Ābhāsa of an object into a whole. This whole is To a tāntric, world is real and is the expression of the Cit- called by a word, standing for the most needed or desired Śakti or Free-will of the Lord and is really spiritual in Ābhāsa. essence like the Lord Himself.( Tripurā Rahasya ṃ, The constituents of an object are not always the same for Sarasvati-Granthalaya Vol. XV, Varanasi, 1965.) every person. They differ with the difference in individual 2. World is real in the same way as an image is real, but it (1) predilection ( ruci ), 2. Purposive attitude ( Arthitva ) and 3. has no existence apart from the medium in which it is the capacity to known ( Vyutpatti ) ( IPV Vol. II. 16-7). manifested. The primary activity beings with the movement of the light AUTHOR: PADMA SUDHI.; Source: Aesthetic theory of of the limited Self toward an isolated objective Ābhāsa. The India Vol. II, New Delhi, 1986. light receives the reflection. The Ābhāsa, as an object of 3. This visible universe ( dŗśya viśva ), is regarded as a real to primary cognitive, is as good as a universal the extent that we perceive its ultimate significance, (sāmānyayāmāne Pramāņa vyāpāra ḥ, ( IPV Vol. III. 10). But Paramārtha. It empirically expressed God as the creator object, the configuration of ābhāsa, is related to time and (Nirmāņa-Kāraka ) of the world-picture, Jagaccitra, of space, when it is desired to be made an object of practical which the beauty, ramaņīyatā is the same as that which in utility. Hence, when there is no such desire, it is free from art is the source of disinterested pleasure. But world-picture the external time and space. is other than the empirical sense, in which god created, is The ābhāsavādī holds that ordinary object of cognition is a not lovely and unlovely parts, but as seen in contemplation collection or configuration of a certain number of ābhāsas, as an aesthetic experience. Unlike an artists, god is without each of which requires a separate mental process to cognize. motive and end to be attained. God’s art is without means or For them, human mind is so constituted that it beings its not really a making or becoming or transfiguring but rather a cognitive activity with apprehension of and reaction to self-illumined ( Svaprakāśa ), 1.reflected modality ( Ābhāsa ) isolated constituents of the presented. Each constituent, as it or Play ( Līlā ); 2. Objectivity ( Vişayagata ); 3. Counter image is apprehended separately, is an ābhāsa universal, which (Pratibimba ) ( Mait. Up VI . 7); 4. An image, god made man marks the farthest limit of cognitive activity. But the in his own image; 5 R. V. Sarūpa -Jyoti or Bhārūpa; 6. practical life is entirely dependent on the unification of Śilpa-Śāstras; Painting. AUTHOR: ACARYA P.K. Ābhāsa. The isolated ābhāsa has no practical utility. In Source: Dictionary of Hindu Architecture, 1968. order that it may be an object of action, as distinct from that 7. Phenomenological (Utpalācārya, Īśvarapratyabhijñā of mere primary cognition, it must be united with some Kārikā ). other ābhāsas, at least the external time and space. ( IPV 8. According to Tantra, the unity of Śiva and Śakti manifests Vol. II. 2). The ābhāsa does not change even when it is in creation. When Śakti gets manifested, Śiva undergoes united with others. It is generic form. From instance, the transformation. He becomes the Universe. Śiva is the ābhāsa, for which the world Jar is used does not imply any two-fold aspect of denotation, the primary ( mukhyavŗţţi ) and matter such as clay or silver of which it may be made. the secondary ( guņaŗţţi ), an approach which was not Therefore, even when it is united with other ābhāsas, that is, peculiar to Udbhaţţa alone, but represented the uniform red, earthen, high etc. and appears as distinct from the tradition in earlier thought on the subject. Ānanda is inclined generic form, because it is looked upon as the substantive of to include such views under the class of non-committal or the attributes red etc., it does not change its essential nature underestimation ( bhākta ). During the transitional period of generic form ( IPV Vol. III. 19). between Udbhaţa’s and Abhinavagupta, writers, including 2. Ābhāsavāda has suggested various meanings like commentators on Udbhaţa’s works who could not divest transference, the state of identification between subject and their minds of the implication of the novel entity dhvani, object which consist in the unification of self forgetfulness have tried to cover the field opened out either by regarding it between the two. When the Aha ṁ (subjectivity) and Ida ṁ as connected with the words themselves ( śabdavyāpāra ) or (objectivity) are lost in one selfhood in the empirical level, by relating them to figures of speech attendant on words and Abhinavagupta recognizes that experience to the level of on their senses. Īśvara in its mystic experience. The anesthetic experience To the former category belongs Bhaţţa Mukula with whom thus, at this is nothing but the universalized object by the the abhidhāvŗtti stood for the parental function rather akin to universalized subject. It is achieved in the fourth spiritual the vŗţţis in dramaturgy formulated by the sage Bharata and level of the ābhāsavāda or transference. described as nurse ( mātŗkā ) for varieties of drama. This was AUTHOR: PADMA SUDHI: Aesthetic Theories of India, modified in course of time to form the plank for the dhvani Vol. III, New Delhi, 1990. thought as by Mammaţa in his catechism, the Abbreviation: IPV, Īśvarapratyābhijñā Vimarśini Śabdavyāpāravicāra and in the second ullāsa of his Kāvyaprakāśa, of which the former is apparently an excerpt. ABHICĀRIKĀ WORSHIP Mukula 3 declares that the sense coming direct from words is This worship is performed for the purpose of inflicting its primary form and that which has to be modified and defeat and death on the enemies. These Abhicārikā-rituals arrived at therefrom by proper transformation of that are performed in the forests, mountains, marshy lands, meaning is its secondary one, though a correlated or cognate fortresses and other places.