About the author
Not much is known about Somadeva, the author of Kathasaritsagara. He composed it in the eleventh century supposedly for the entertainment of queen Suryamati, a princess of Jalandhara and wife of King Ananta of Kashmir. Though he was a Shaivaite Brahmin, he was respectful of Buddhism and some of the tales in the Kathasaritsagara show Buddhist influences.
