Book Review: Abhinava‑Bhārati Text Restored
Summary
In this review Satya Ranjan Banerjee evaluates ‘Abhinava‑bhārati Text: Restored,’ a volume edited by V. M. Kulkarni and published in 2003. The book, formally titled ‘Abhinavabhārati Text Restored and other Articles,’ collects fifteen articles on Sanskrit rhetoric and poetics, highlighting Kulkarni’s long career in literary criticism. Its centrepiece is a critical edition of the Abhinavabhārati, Abhinavagupta’s renowned commentary on the Nāṭya‑śāstra, the classical treatise on drama and aesthetics. Existing editions of the Abhinavabhārati, such as the 1927 Baroda edition by M. Ramakrishna Kavi, are known to contain corrupt passages. Kulkarni restores the text by collating quotations found in related works like Hemacandra’s Kāvyānuśāsana, Rāmacandra and Guṇacandra’s Nāṭyadarpaṇa and Ambāprasāda’s Kalpalatā‑viveka. Banerjee notes that Kulkarni’s edition is supplemented with three appendices and includes critiques of earlier scholars. Many of the accompanying articles, first published between 1963 and 2002, address broader themes in Sanskrit rhetoric and poetry, offering thoughtful analyses that complement the restored text. The reviewer emphasises that the Abhinavabhārati occupies a unique position in Sanskrit aesthetics because it elucidates the Nāṭya‑śāstra and informs later theories of rasa (aesthetic flavour). By reconstructing the commentary from disparate citations, Kulkarni provides a model for philologists seeking to rehabilitate corrupt manuscripts. The review highlights Kulkarni’s meticulous scholarship and suggests that the volume will become a valuable resource for students of Sanskrit poetics. By demonstrating how to restore a damaged text through close comparison with other sources, Kulkarni sets a new standard for textual criticism. Banerjee predicts that ‘Abhinava‑bhārati Text: Restored’ will guide future researchers and serve as an exemplar of how critical editions should be prepared. The collection not only clarifies complex points in classical aesthetics but also preserves important research articles that might otherwise be overlooked.
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Conclusion
Banerjee concludes that V. M. Kulkarni’s ‘Abhinava‑bhārati Text: Restored’ is an important contribution to Sanskrit literary criticism. The restored commentary on the Nāṭya‑śāstra and the accompanying articles exemplify rigorous philological work and provide scholars with reliable materials for studying classical Indian aesthetics. By showcasing methods for reconstructing corrupt texts and compiling insightful essays on rhetoric and poetry, the volume will serve as a torch‑bearer for future research. It underscores the enduring relevance of Abhinavagupta’s commentary and reinforces the value of careful textual scholarship.