Kṣemarāja lived in Tenth Century Shrinagar. He was the brilliant student of the great Abhinavagupta who was a peerless master of tantra, yoga, philosophy, and poetics. In addition to Pratyabhijñāhrdayam, Kṣemarāja wrote Spandasandoha, Spandanirnaya, Svacchandodyota, Netrodyota, Vijñānabhairavodyota, Śivasūtravimarśinī, Stavacintamanitika, Parapraveshika, and Tattvasandoha.