I am looking for works on the ideas of prakāśa, loka, and how these concepts, if they do, relate to each other. Often, these two terms may (e.g., in nondual philosophies) appear in contradiction to each other. But I am particularly searching for any scholarship that produces something around a philological history or a history of these ideas (philosophical), or any analysis of literary usage before or after their usages in the post-sūtra age texts. 

To contextualise what prakāśa and loka might share: If I am not misquoting, Kśemarāja employs the word loka by deriving it from √lok+ghañ. And so does Candrakīrti (perhaps in his discussion on lokaprasiddhi, as I learned from Prof. Mattia Salvini). I am not very much confident about the prevalence and implications of this derivation, but it certainly indicates a possible relation that √lok (- loka darśane) might share with √kāś in prakāśa. 

 

As my doctoral research focuses on Abhinavagupta's concept of prasiddhi and its ontological relation with his concept of non-dual prakāśa, my interest lies in the ontological implications of the terms I mentioned above. I am aware of only one work that takes a somewhat similar direction: Jan Gonda's 1966 book, Loka - World and the Heaven in the Vedas. I would be grateful if you could provide any references discussing these concepts.

 

Thanks and regards,

Himanshu