The Bhagavadgītā of Śaivism. A 10th-century Kashmirian commentary and its religio-philosophical agenda

This paper explores the cross-philosophical and inter-religious dimensions of Rāmakaṇṭha’s Sarvatobhadra, a tenth-century Kashmiri commentary on the Bhagavadgītā. Traditionally regarded as a foundational Vaiṣṇava scripture centered on devotion to Kṛṣṇa, the Gītā has nevertheless been interpreted across multiple philosophical and religious traditions. Rāmakaṇṭha, a Śaiva thinker and disciple of Utpaladeva associated with the Pratyabhijñā tradition, approaches the text from the perspective of Śaiva non-dualism. His commentary stands alongside that of Abhinavagupta (11th century), whose Gītārthasaṃgraha offers another influential Śaiva interpretation of the Kashmiri recension of the Gītā. How does a Śaiva philosopher engage with a scripture devoted to Viṣṇu? Through selected passages from the Sarvatobhadra, this paper examines how Rāmakaṇṭha reinterprets the Gītā’s theology within a Śaiva metaphysical framework, highlighting the fluid intellectual boundaries and shared hermeneutical practices of medieval Kashmiri thought.