Abhinavagupta had three Gurus; Lakshmana Gupta, Bhatta Indurāja, and Bhatta Tota. Besides, he had imbibed the principles of Shaiva Shāsana from his famous father of whom very little is known. Lakshmana Gupta belonged to the line of Shaiva writers which begins with Somānanda, the founder of Pratyabhijña Shāstra or 'philosophy proper of the Trika'.
Like Utpala, Abhinavagupta carried on in greater detail the work of Somānanda. Nothing was so astonishing in him as his versatility of genius. He wrote many books on Shaivaism, of which the names of some are given below:-
1. Paramārthasāra. 2. Tantrāloka. 3. Tantrasāra. 4. Brhat-Ishvara-Pratyabhijñā Vịtti. 5. Ishvara-Pratyabhijñā Vimarshini, Laghvi Vrtti. 6. Kramastotra. 7. Parā-Trimshikā Vivarana. 8. Kāvya- Kautuka Vivaraña. 9. Anuttara-Shataka. 10. Dehastha-Devatā-Chakrastotra. 11. Ghatakharparakulaka-Vivrti. 12. Paramārtha-Dvādashikā, 13. Paramārtha-Charchā. 14. Bodha-Pañcha-Dashikā. 15. Prakaranastotra, 16. Commentary of Bhagavad-Gītā. 17. Mahopadesha-Vimshati. 18. Purva Pañchikā. 19. Dhvanyāloka-Lochana. 20. Nātya- Lochana. 21. Bharata-Nātya-Shāstra-Tikā. 22. Malinivijaya-Vārttika. 23. Bhairavastotram.
