Katta Varadaraju was a prince and poet who wrote three works in Telugu in the 17 th century CE – Parama Bhagavata Charita, Sri Ranga Mahatmyam and the Ramayana. All three are in dvipada (couplet) meter and are regarded as knowledge texts in the Vaishnavite tradition. Varadaraju claims to be a descendant of the solar race. He traces his surname Katta to the famous Karikala Chola who built a dam across the Kaveri River. Father of Varadaraju, Haridasa Raju, donated liberally to temples, and this is supported by epigraphic evidence. Varadaraju called himself Sahiti Bhoja (the reference is to the well known King Bhoja, who was a patron of arts), which meant that he was both a scholar poet and also a patron of poets. His Parama Bhagavata Carita is only partly available. Varadaraju must have written the stories of all the fourteen Parama Bhagavata-s, or supreme devotees of Bhagavan Vishnu (Prahlada, Narada, Parasara, Pundalika, Vyasa, Ambarisha, Suka, Saunaka, Bhishma, Dalbhya, Rukmangad