Abhinanda

Abhinanda (9th century AD) Sanskrit scholar and poet, writer of Ramacharita, son of Shatananda, also a sanskrit poet. Abhinanda was a resident of Gaur and court poet of Haravarsa, of the Pala dynasty. Ramacharita, in forty cantos, narrates the story of ramachandra. The first 36 cantos were composed by Abhinanda, and the remaining four by a person called Veer. Abhinanda was well versed in nyaya philosophy.

There was another Abhinanda, writer of Kadambarikathasara, and son of Jayantabhatta, court poet of Shankaravarma, king of Kashmir. At the behest of Shankaravarma, Jayantabhatta composed Nyayamanjari (880 AD). In his book of verse, Abhinanda introduced himself as a Bengali and his ancestors as residents of Gaur. Sharngadhar in Kosakavya also mentions this Abhinanda in connection with Gaur. [Nikhil Ranjan Biswas]