A History of Sanskrit Literature c19.s5.1

c19.s5.1

Somadeva, a Brahmin of Kashmir, son of Rāma, wrote the *Kathāsaritsāgara*¹ between 1063 and 1081 in order to divert the troubled mind of Sūryamatī, a princess of Jalandhara, wife of Ananta and mother of Kalaça, his work falling, therefore, a considerable period after that of Kṣemendra. In addition to the division into Lambhakas Somadeva has one of his own composition into Taraṅgas, 124 in all, the name, ‘billows’, being chosen obviously in relation to the title of the work, which is most naturally analysed as ‘Ocean of the Rivers of Stories’, rather than with Lacôte as ‘(Bṛhat-) Kathā, an Ocean of Rivers (of Stories)’. These divisions are not original; Kṣemendra, indeed, has subdivisions for some of the longer books which he calls Gucchas, ‘clusters’, in the older manner. Kalhaṇa apparently was influenced in his choice of title for his chronicle by Somadeva.