Dear Himanshu, If my memory serves me, the late Steven Collins had some interesting remarks on loka in the early chapters of his book Selfless Persons, though not, as I recall, in relation to prakāśa.
Another work that I think addresses the early uses of loka is Liliane Silburn, Instant et Cause, https://archive.org/details/instantetcausele0000silb/page/n457/mode/2up a difficult but very rewarding work. good luck, Matthew Matthew T. Kapstein Professor emeritus Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL Research University, Paris Associate The University of Chicago Divinity School Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences https://ephe.academia.edu/MatthewKapstein https://vajrabookshop.com/product/the-life-and-work-of-auleshi/ https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501716218/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-i/#bookTabs=1 https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501771255/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-ii/#bookTabs=1 https://brill.com/edcollbook/title/60949 Sent with [Proton Mail](https://proton.me/mail/home) secure email. On Thursday, September 4th, 2025 at 4:50 AM, Himanshu via INDOLOGY <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear Lyne, > > Thank you very much for such a clear explanation. Indeed, this is what I read > in Jan Gonda's 1966 book, he warns against translating loka as "world" and > shows the wider horizon of meaning it carries. > > Could you please share references of these works on "Comparative grammar of > Indo-European Language" where these terms are analysed? More than the > classical usage of prakāśa or loka (in the systematic śāstra literature) I > want to read about how these terms were used in their original context > (perhaps in poetry or in the Vedas?). For example, a clearing - as you have > already explained - occuring at the moment of dawn or sandhyā, or as Gonda > cites phrases from a Veda where Indra having killed troublemakers "creates" > loka. > > Please also share the list of essays dealing with prakāś/vimarśa in nondual > Śaiva context. However, my immediate concern is to understand earliest usage > of these terms, so that I can understand what innovations Utpaladeva or > Abhinavagupta are bringing when they are using them in the 9-10th c. CE. > > Thanks and regards, > Himanshu > > On Thu, 4 Sep, 2025, 3:53 am Lyne Bansat-Boudon, > <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Dear Himanshu, >> >> Comparative grammar of Indo-European languages has established the existence >> of a Sanskrit verbal root, ruc, with the meaning “to shine,” “to be >> luminous" (present roc-a-te), which, in the guṇa degree of luk (its >> phonetic variant, according to the attested equivalence of -r and -l), gives >> lok > lok-a. >> Thus, the world “shines,” as a clearing shines (see the word “clairière” in >> French, an orderly and ‘clear’ space in the forest). loka is thus the >> bright, clear and shining open space gained from the dark chaos of the forest >> >> Note that from this root luk/lok, also derives the noun loc-ana, “that which >> illuminates", hence the “eye.” >> >> The same analogy is found in Latin, but with a different root: mundus is a >> noun adjective,meaning "clean, neat", hence “brilliant,” hence “universe,” >> (see, in French, the verbs ‘monder’ and “émonder.” >> >> Likewise, Greek has the term κοσμος, simply Latinized as “cosmos", meaning >> "order, good order, orderly arrangement”, hence the idea of a universe >> opposed to the original chaos. A related meaning is "ornament" which appear >> in such words as "cosmetics"). >> >> Enough of this very simplified survey! >> >> Now, as for prakāśa, it certainly derives from the Sanskrit root kāś "to >> shine, to resplend" from which derives Kāśī, "the "Bright" one, ancient >> name of Benares. But, as you point it out, the term has crucial ontological >> implications in the non-dualist Kashmir Śaivism. This is the >> prakāśa/vimarśa dichotomy, which, far from opposing them, articulates two >> complementary concepts, and, as such, lies at the heart of Śaiva reasoning. >> >> Numerous articles and books by specialists of the domain deal with this >> issue. If needed, I can send you a brief list of essays dealing with the >> topic. >> >> Hope this will be of some use, >> >> Best, >> >> Lyne Bansat-Boudon >> >> Lyne Bansat-Boudon >> >> Directeur d'études pour les Religions de l'Inde >> >> Ecole pratique des hautes études, section des sciences religieuses >> >> Membre senior honoraire de l'Institut universitaire de France >> >> --------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> De : INDOLOGY <[email protected]> de la part de Himanshu >> via INDOLOGY <[email protected]> >> Envoyé : mercredi 3 septembre 2025 17:34 >> À : [email protected] <[email protected]> >> Objet : [INDOLOGY] Sources on prakāśa, loka, and their relation >> >> Dear All, >> >> 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 >> Doctoral Candidate >> Department of Humanities and Social Sciences >> Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay >> Mumbai
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