Scholar, Author
Navjivan Rastogi, a scholar known for his intellectual integrity, depth and commitment, hails in the illustrious lineage of K C Pandey, who during early twentieth-century ‘discovered’ Abhinavagupta as a great Kashmir Śaiva philosopher and master aesthetic thinker to the world academy. Some twentyfour years back he retired from Lucknow University as Professor and Chair of Sanskrit, and Honorary Director Abhinavaupta Institute of Aesthetics & Śaiva Philosophy. With the publication of his Krama Tantricism Volume-I, in 1979 Rastogi’s academic prowess came to be widely noticed. His other publications for which he is known are: Introduction to the Tantrāloka – A Study in Structure and Abhinavagupta kā Tantrāgamīya Darśana (“tantrāgamic philosophy of Abhinavagupta”). His Kāśmīra Śivādvyavāda meṁ Pramāṇa-cintana, published a decade back, may be reckoned as first systematic attempt toward unraveling the epistemological theorizing in Śaiva non-dualism of Kashmir. He has also edited Tantrāloka with Viveka of Jayaratha in eight volumes (jointly with R. C. Dwivedi) as well as Abhinavā : Perspectives on Abhinavagupta, Studies in Memory of K.C. Pandey (jointly with Meera Rastogi). Kālīkrama and Abhinavagupta :The Epistemological Ethos of a Tantric Tradition and Word-Index of the Tantraloka are his two latest publications. At the moment he is focused on re-editing Iśvarapratyabhijñāsutra-Vimarśinī-Vyākhyā, an hitherto unpublished commentary on Abhinavagupta’s Iśvarapratyabhijñā-Vimarśinī.!
He was honoured with prestigious Sharda Samman and was twice facilitated by his Alma Mater, once in 2006 and then in the centenary year 2020, for his contribution to the University’s lived knowledge tradition of light and learning. At the moment he has been nominated by the Indian Council For Philosophical Research as its National Fellow for the year 2020-21 working on Pratyabhijñā Pramāṇa-darśana (meta-epistemology of Pratyabhijñā school).
Courtesy: Indica Events
