Abhinavagupta's aesthetics as a speculative paradigm *

An argument is made for the aesthetic grounding of the great Kashmiri philosopher's metaphysical theology—rather than the more usual reverse argument. A new translation of the Śānta-rasaprakaraṇa of Abhinava's Bhāratī is appended, which both improves Masson's and Patwardhan's version, and supports the above interpretation.