Banabhatta was a poet and a scholar who was born in the seventh century. He was a court poet in the King Harshavardhana`s court. Banabhatta has preserved some account of himself by giving up the first two and a half chapters to an account of himself and his family. He was a Vatsayana Brahmin. His father was Chitrabhanu and his mother was Rajadevi. He was born on the banks of the Hiranyavahu. His mother died young and he was brought up by his father brought. His father died when Bana had attained the age of fourteen.

Banabhatta wrote Harsha Charita late in Harsha`s reign that ended in 647 A.D. Bana is also credited with Kadambari, Chandikasataka and Parvatiparinaya. He died before completing the novel. It was completed by his son Bhusanabhatta. However, Chandikasataka and Parvatiparinaya possess feeble construction and style. He was a poet who received rich rewards from his royal patron.

He exhibits his knowledge of grammar and adheres to the due use of the perfect. He is not tired of using the figures of speech. He is produces prose that is rather rhythmical. The long compounds are clearly built up and intermingled with shorter words. His skilful use of sound effects and figures of speech has been imitated by many writers. He is not capable of epigrammatic brevity. The description of the doorkeeper in the Kadambari reveals his normal style. He did realize the humorous side of exaggerations.

His fondness for figures of speech, metaphors, similes, seeming incongruity and exemplification is revealed clearly. Less number of verses is used. He does not observe the rule that has been laid down by Bhamaha that the Akhyayika contained at the beginning of each Ucchvasa Vaktra and Apara-vaktra verses-announces the subject of the chapter. The first Ucchvasa of the Harsha Charita has an introduction on poetry. The Kadambari after its verse prelude is in prose.