Viśvanātha Kavirāja, most widely known for his masterpiece in aesthetics, Sāhityadarpaṇa [hi],[1] was a prolific poet, scholar, and rhetorician who worked during the reigns of two successive Eastern Ganga rulers of Kalinga (modern Odisha) – King Narasimha Deva IV and King Nishanka Bhanudeva IV.
Both Viswanatha and his father held the titles of ministers of war and peace (Sandhivigrahika Mahapatra) in the courts of the kings of Kalinga.
Apart from studying and researching aesthetics, he created a number of literary works, in all the branches of literature – poetry, prose, criticism, and drama.
Many also particularly point to the lucid style of Sahityadarpana as one of the prime reasons for its popularity in large parts of India, from the Deccan to Kashmir.
Sahitya Akademi, Delhi (India) has published a book on the life and works of Vishvanatha Kaviraja, under its 'Makers of Indian Literature' series.
The 172-page book has been authored by Professor Ananta Charan Sukla, an eminent writer and philosopher of art, religion and language.
The book attempts at offering a comprehensive account of his treatment of poetry, presents the historical data in its theoretical perspectives, surveys the development of Sanskrit poetics from the earlier times till his entry, and discusses different topics he considered relevant for a complete examination and assessment of the subject matter he deals with such as the definition, structure and end of poetry.