A History of Indian Literature v3.c35.s8.123

v3.c35.s8.123

About the time of Amaru we know nothing except that Ānandavardhana (about 850 A.D.) refers to him first of all by his name, whilst Vāmana (Circa 800) cites a verse from Amaruśataka¹ without naming its author. Almost nothing is known about the biography of Amaru. A tale narrated by some of the commentators and by the author of the so-called biography of Śaṅkara (Śaṅkaradigvijaya) goes to say that the real writer of the Amaruśataka is nobody other than the famous Vedānta philosopher Śaṅkara. It is said there that with the help of magic he entered into the body of the Kashmiri king Amaru and had intercourse with the latter’s hundred wives for the purpose of gaining first-hand knowledge of modes of love. As a proof of his knowledge of the science of erotics, he composed the śataka². In the opinion of W. this tale is historical to the extent that it suggests that Amaru was a resident of Kashmir (as meant by Simon), as a king of the name of Amaru is wholly unknown there.