Somadeva

Somadeva, also known as Somadeva Bhatta, was an 11th century writer from Kashmir. He is best known for his work Kathasaritsagara.^[1]

Somadeva Bhatta
Born	Kashmir, India
Occupation	Poet, writer
Language	Sanskrit
Period	11th century CE
Notable works	Kathasaritasagara

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.