 | It has been suggested that this article be merged into Kathasaritsagara. (Discuss) Proposed since July 2024. |
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2024) |
| Somadeva Bhatta | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kashmir, India |
| Occupation | Poet, writer |
| Language | Sanskrit  |
| Period | 11th century CE |
| Notable works | Kathasaritasagara |
Somadeva, also known as Somadeva Bhatta, was an 11th century writer from Kashmir. He is best known for his work Kathasaritsagara.[1]
Somadeva is believed to have lived in Kashmir, a region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, during the 11th century CE. He was a Shaivite Brahmin scholar and a court poet, serving in the court of King Ananta of Kashmir.[1] Somadeva's most famous work, "Katha Sarit Sagara," is a vast compilation of stories and folktales drawn from various sources, including earlier Indian texts, oral traditions, and the literary heritage of Kashmir.[2] The work is divided into 18 books (or lambakas), each containing a series of interconnected stories within a larger narrative framework. Most of his work was composed by the help of patronage from Ananta and were composed for Queen Suryamati, a princess of Jalandhara and wife of King Ananta of Kashmir.
- ^ a b Tawney, Charles (1880). The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story. Baptist Mission Press.
- ^ "Unparalleled civilizational contributions from Kashmir". Daily Excelsior.