The Dashakumaracharita or Tales of Ten Princes’ was composed by

The 'Dashakumaracharita' (Tales of Ten Princes) was composed by Dandin, a renowned Sanskrit writer of prose romances and poetics who likely lived in the late 6th and early 7th centuries [2]. Dandin is associated with the Pallava court at Kanchipuram and is also the author of the influential rhetorical treatise 'Kavyadarsha' [3]. The 'Dashakumaracharita' is a 'katha' type of prose romance that narrates the adventures of ten young men—three princes and seven sons of ministers—in their pursuit of love and power [3]. Unlike the highly ornate and complex style of Banabhatta, Dandin's work is noted for its realistic portrayal of human conduct, including trickery and supernatural elements, and its elegant use of words known as 'pada-lalitya' [3]. The text is traditionally divided into three parts: Purvapithika, Dashakumaracharita proper, and Uttarapithika [2].

Sources

1. [2] https://ebooks.inflibnet.ac.in/icp04/chapter/types-of-literature-prose-and-campu-kavyas/
2. [3] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dandin