Banabhatta was a 7th-century Sanskrit prose writer and poet from India. He wrote Harshacharita, Kadambari, Caṇḍikāśataka, and Pārvatīpariṇaya. He was the court poet of King Harshavardhana, who reigned from c. 606 to 647 CE in northern India. Banabhatta provides an autobiographical account of himself in the early chapters of the Harshacharita.
Banabhatta was born in the 7th century in the village of Pritikuta, located in the Pushyabhuti Empire (present-day Bihar, India). He hailed from a Kanyakubja Brahmin family, with his father, Chitrabhanu, and his mother, Rajadevi. His mother passed away when he was young, leaving him in the care of his father. His father remarried and had two more sons. After his father's death when he was 14, Banabhatta led a colourful and wandering life with his half-brothers for a period but later returned to his native village. One summer day, upon receiving a letter from Krishna, a cousin of Emperor Harsha, he met the emperor while he was camping near the town of Manitara. After greeting Banabhatta with mock signs of anger, the emperor showed him much favour.
Banabhatta’s principal works include a biography of Harshavardhan, Harshacharita (The Life of Harsha), and one of the world's earliest novels, Kadambari. The story revolves around the love between Kadambari and Chandrapeeda. Banabhatta died before finishing the novel, and it was completed by his son Bhushanabhatta. Both of these works are noted texts of Sanskrit literature.
Banabhatta is credited with other compositions, including the Caṇḍikāśataka, a collection of verses in praise of the goddess Chandi, and the drama Pārvatīpariṇaya, which narrates the marriage of Parvati and Shiva. These works further exemplify his versatility and command over the Sanskrit language.
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