A Poet with His Philosopher’s Hat On. A Preliminary Study of the Philosophical Section in the Seventeenth Canto of Maṅkha's Śrīkaṇṭhacarita

The present article is a preliminary study of a section of the seventeenth canto of Maṅkha’s Śrīkaṇṭhacarita, a ‘court epic’ (mahākāvya) in Sanskrit composed during the twelfth century in Kashmir. In the section in question (ŚKC 17.18–33), the author elaborates a praise of the god in the guise of a philosophical discussion introducing the views of different doctrines, with the scope of establishing the superiority of the ‘non-dual’ (advaita) Śaivism from Kashmir. Maṅkha, however, does not criticize or diminish the previous traditions but borrows their concept to enhance his own credo, making the section a successful example of inclusivism. What stands out is Śiva’s pervasiveness and oneness, which seems to be built upon the model of the philosophical Tantric school of the Pratyabhijñā. While presenting the structure of the philosophical section, this study explores the influence of Utpaladeva (c.925–975 ce) and Abhinavagupta (c.975–1025 ce) on Maṅkha’s ideology.