Rajashekhara (Sanskrit poet)

Not to be confused with Rājaśekhara Sūri, the Jain Sanskrit author (fl. c. 1350).

Rajashekhara (IAST: Rājaśekhara; fl. 10th century^[1]) was a Maharashtri Prakrit and Sanskrit poet, dramatist and critic. He was the court poet of the Pratiharas of Kannauj.^[2]

Rajashekhara
Occupation(s)	Poet, dramatist and critic
Spouse	Avantisundari
Father	Durduka

Rajashekhara wrote the Kāvyamīmāṃsā between 880 and 920 CE. The work is essentially a practical guide for poets that explains the elements and composition of a good poem. He is most noted for the Kārpūramañjarī, a play written in Maharashtri Prakrit.^[3] Rajashekhara wrote the play to please his wife, Avantisundarī, a woman of taste and accomplishment. Rajashekhara is perhaps the only ancient Indian poet to acknowledge his wife for her contributions to his literary career.^[1]

Life

In his Bālarāmāyaṇa and Kāvyamimāṃsā, Rajashekhara referred himself by his family name Yāyāvara or Yāyāvarīya. In Bālarāmāyaṇa, he mentioned that his great grandfather Akalajalada belonged to Maharashtra. In the same work, he described his father Durduka as a Mahamantrin (minister) without providing any details. He mentioned in his works that his wife Avantisundari belonged to the Chahamana family. In his works, he described himself as the teacher of the Pratiharan emperor Mahendrapala I of Kannauj.^[4]

Works

Further information: List of Sanskrit plays in English translation

The works attributed to poet Rajshekhara include:

• Viddhaśālabhañjikā
• Bālabhārata^[5]
• Karpūramañjarī
• Bālarāmāyaṇa^[6]
• Kāvyamīmāṃsā^[7][8]