Question

[torella at axrma.uniroma1.it]

>Dear Folks,
>        There is a text called Kaa"sikaa by Nandike"svara with a
>commentary by Upamanyu.  This text interprets the Paninian Shivasuutras a
>la the Tantric doctrines of Kashmir Shaivism.  K.C. Pandey discusses this
>work in his Abhinavagupta book.  However, I have not seen any reference
>to this text or its commentary in a number of Kashmir Shaiva works I have
>consulted.  I cannot say I have checked into every one of these works.
>Has anyone come across a discussion or citation of these texts in any of
>the Kashmir Shaiva texts?  In the tradition of grammar, Naage"sabha.t.ta
>refers to it.  Would be nice to know of any older citations or references.
>        Thanks.
>                Madhav Deshpande


Dear Madhav,

I  don't remember to have seen any reference to the
Nandikezvara-kAzikA/kArikA  in any Kashmir Shaiva texts (even in those one
most might have expected to find it, like the ParAtriMzikAvivaraNa or
TantrAloka ch.III). In fact, the only reference to it I am aware of is that
by NAgeza. My impression is that this is not an old text (a forerunner of
the Kashmiri Shaiva doctrines, as Pandey thinks)  but a late one which
rather presupposes the doctrines of the so-called 'Kashmir Shaivism' at a
post-exegetical stage (e.g. the first verse of the SpandakArikA is
distinctly echoed by a verse of the NK.).  Anyhow, I might say something
more definite only after re-reading this text (which I don't have at hand
now).

Best regards,
Raffaele Torella

Raffaele Torella
Dipartimento di Studi Orientali
Universita' di Roma "La Sapienza"
(fax: 6-4451209)