Kshemendra

Kshemendra was born into an old, cultured, and affluent family.[1] His father was Prakashendra, a descendant of Narendra who was the minister to Jayapida.[2] Both his education and literary output were broad and varied. He studied literature under "the foremost teacher of his time, the celebrated Shaiva philosopher and literary exponent Abhinavagupta".[1] Kshemendra was born a Shaiva, but later became a Vaishnava.[2] He studied and wrote about both Vaishnavism and Buddhism.[3] His son, Somendra, provides details about his father in his introduction to the Avadana Kalpalata and other works. Kshemendra refers to himself in his works as Vyasadasa (IAST: Vyāsadāsa; Slave of Vyasa), a title which was perhaps won or adopted after the completion of his Bhāratamañjari.[2]

Kshemendra was in great demand as a skilled abridger of long texts.[2] His literary career extended from at least 1037 (his earliest dated work, Brihatkathāmanjari, a verse summary of the lost "Northwestern" Bṛhatkathā; itself a recension of Gunadhya's lost Bṛhatkathā — "Great Story") to 1066 (his latest dated work, Daśavataracharita, "an account of the ten incarnations of the god Viṣnu").[4]

Around eighteen of Kshemendra's works are still extant while fourteen more are known only through references in other literature.[2] In addition to the genres listed below, he also composed plays, descriptive poems, a satirical novel, a history, and possibly a commentary on the Kāma Sūtra.[5]

• Kshemendra (2011). Three Satires: From Ancient Kashmir. Translated by Haksar, A. N. D. Penguin Books. ISBN 9780143063230.
• Warder, Anthony Kennedy (1992). Indian Kāvya Literature: The art of storytelling. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 9788120806153.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)