Not much is known about the life of Amaru. Traditional accounts attribute the work to King Amaru of Kashmir. The collection in its present form may well represent the work of more than one author—the poems that form part of the collection differ quite significantly across its different regional recensions. There are also a number of legends associating the collection with the philosopher
Adi Shankara. One version occurs in his 14th century biography written by a follower, the
Shankara-digvijaya. According to this version, during
his debate with
Maṇḍana Miśra, he was asked philosophical questions phrased in metaphors of love by the latter's wife, Ubhaya Bharati. Being celibate and therefore ignorant of the
kama shastras, Shankara requested an adjournment. He then entered the recently dead body of Amaru and spent a hundred days mastering the art of erotic love, before returning to defeat his opponent. He wrote the Amarushataka to memorialise his learning. Other legends also state that Amaru was the 101st reincarnation of a soul that had previously occupied 100 women. ==English translations==