7. Kṣemendra is identified with Kṣemarāja

Some scholars identify Kṣemendra with Kṣemarāja. The only reason for identifying the one with the other is probably a scribal mistake which gives the name of Kṣemendra instead of that of Kṣemarāja in the colophons of the Spandasandoha and Spandanirṇaya. These works have now been published and their colophons have the name of the latter (Kṣemarāja) and not that of the former.^[1] It was Peterson who first of all proposed identification of Kṣemarāja with Kṣemendra Vyāsadāsa, the Kashmirian polymath. But, later on Peterson admits that he was wrong. Kṣemendra in his Bṛhatkathāmañjarī states that he studied sāhitya from Abhinavagupta, a well-known rhetorician.^[2] Kṣemerāja also mentions himself at the end of Svacchandoddyota, a commentary on Svacchandatantra as a śiṣya of Abhinavagupta.^[3] It seems that like Kṣemarāja, Kṣemendra was not much close to Abhinavagupta. Because, Kṣemendra has mentioned the name of Abhinavagupta only once in the Bṛhatkathāmañjarī^[4] Kṣemendra in most of his works gives an account of his forefathers. Kṣemendra lets us know that the name of his father was Prakāśendra and the name of his grandfather was Sindhu. But Kṣemarāja is silent in this regard. He keeps the readers in dark. Kṣemarāja is mentioned as one of the cousins (pitṛvyatanaya) of Abhinavagupta. The name of Abhinavagupta’s grandfather was Varāhagupta. Therefore, if Kṣemarāja is Abhinavagupta’s cousin, then it is probable that Varāhagupta was also the grandfather of Kṣemarāja.^[5]

Kṣemendra’s date may be fixed not earlier than 990 A.D.^[6] During that period Kṣemarāja must be sufficiently educated who requested Abhinavagupta to compose the Tantrāloka, which was written at that time.^[7] Kṣemarāja probably lived in the Vijayeśvara, which he mentions as the place of composition of his commentary on the Stavacintāmaṇi (Stava Cintāmaṇi),^[8] while Kṣemendra mentions the name of Tripureśaśaila as his place of residence.^[9]

Kṣemarāja is a Saivite throughout his life but Kṣemendra in his early life was a follower of Saivism but in the later time he converted to Vaiṣṇava cult. Kṣemarāja composed several works mostly on Saiva philosophy. On the other hand, Kṣemendra composed lots of books not only on single topic but on different topics. Moreover, Kṣemendra in most of his works mentions about his other name as Vyāsadāsa. But in the works of Kṣemarāja, he has not mentioned any such name. Dr. C Kunhan Raja in his New Catalogorum describes Abhinavagupta as ‘guru of Kṣemarāja and Kṣemendra.’This reveals the learned scholar’s supposition that Kṣemerāja and Kṣemendra were two different personalities.^[10]