File:Back Cover Kathapitha.PNG

Back Cover Kathapitha
Somadeva, a Sanskrit scholar of Kashmir of the 11th century after his invocation to Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha and Goddess Saraswathi, he composed this collection of approximately 22,000 Shloka in Sanskrit. Each Shloka consisting of two half-verses of 16 syllables each. He titled this work as Kathasaritsagara that was consisting of 18 books of 124 chapters, contains the pith of the Gunadhya's Brihatkatha.

Somadeva stated in his epilogue that he composed the Kathasaritsagara for the queen Suryavati, wife of King Anantadeva of Kashmir.

As per Kalhana’s Rajatarangim (1148 CE), a historical chronicle of the kings of Kashmir, King Anantadeva of Kashmir hoped that the collection of stories in the Kathasaritsagara ‘would, even for a brief while, divert the queen’s mind from the political turbulence and strife in the kingdom, as he and his son Kalasa battling each other for the throne. The King Anantadeva ensured that Somadeva told her his collection of stories to his queen Suryavati.

The queen Suryavati loved Kathasaritsagara's all the stories in the vast, rambling and thoroughly captivating treasure trove of tales. The queen had spent her time in the worship of Lord Shiva....Read and Share now...Sivkishen Ji, Author