Shaunaka is familiar to common people as the interlocutor in Puranas. The hermitage at Nimisharanya where the Purana were told as part of 12 year long Satra or Yajana to ward off the evil of Kali yuga is believed to be the hermitage of Rishi Saunaka. He was the kulpati, the principal of the institute which taught ten thousand pupils. He performed a 12 year long sacrifice in his ashram which attracted a large concise of learned people, who carried on constant discussion about religion and philosophy. Sage Shaunaka supportd Sage Romaharsha and Sage Ugrasrava Sutha to spread the Puranas and Itihasa among masses. In fact the Saunaka and other sages who attended the conclave of Rishis at Nimisharanya have actually published Mahabharata and Puranas to the world.

Saunaka also wrote a Smriti. Katyayana who authored the Vidhanas for the Yajur Vedas was his student. Asvalaya was another popular student of him. He was son of Ruru and Pramadvara according to Mahabharatha (Adi Parva ch:5) and according to Bhagavata (skanda:9) he was grandson of Rishi Gritsamada and son of Sage Sunaka. Saunaka was popular figure in his time and was a member of Yudhisthira’s assembly. He was a student of Pathya who in turn was a student of Kabandu, a direct disciple of Sumantu, the exponent of Atherva Veda.