MerryGrubb79668 at 00:58, 14 April 2026

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{{Short description|16th-century Indian mathematician, astrologer and astronomer}}
'''Keshava''' ([[IAST]]: Keśava, fl. 1496–1507) was an [[astrology and astronomy|astrologer and astronomer]] (''[[jyotisha|jyotishi]]'' or ''daivajña'') from [[Nandigrama]] in present-day western India.

== Biography ==

Keshava flourished around 1496–1507.<ref name="CESS2">{{cite book |editor=David Pingree |editor-link=David Pingree |title=Census of the Exact Sciences in Sanskrit Series A |volume=2 |publisher=American Philosophical Society |year=1971 |url=https://archive.org/details/PingreeCESS/Pingree_CESS_A1_1970/ |pages=65–66 }}</ref> He lived at [[Nandigrama]] in western India. He was a son of Kamala-kara of [[Kaushika]] [[gotra]] (clan), and a pupil of Vaijanatha (or Vaidyanatha).<ref name="CESS2"/> His wife's name was Lakshmi.<ref>{{cite book |author=K. Ramakalyani |chapter=Gaṇeśa Daivajña's upapattis for some rules in the Līlāvatī |editor1=K. Ramasubramanian |editor2=[[Takao Hayashi]] |editor3=[[Clemency Montelle]] |title=Bhāskara-prabhā: Sources and Studies in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences |series=Sources and Studies in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences |publisher=Springer |year=2019 |isbn=9789811360343 |doi=10.1007/978-981-13-6034-3_5 |page=102 }}</ref>

He had three sons, who were famous jyotishis:<ref name="CESS2"/>

* Ananta (fl. 1534): wrote ''Kalanirnayavabodha'' and a commentary (1534 CE) on [[Varahamihira|Varaha-mihira]]'s ''Laghu-jataka''<ref>{{cite book |editor=David Pingree |editor-link=David Pingree |title=Census of the Exact Sciences in Sanskrit Series A |volume=1 |publisher=American Philosophical Society |year=1970 |url=https://archive.org/details/PingreeCESS/Pingree_CESS_A1_1970/ |page=40 }}</ref>
* [[Ganesha Daivajna|Ganesha]] (born 1507): wrote a number of works during 1522–1554; his great-grandson - also called Ganesha - wrote ''Shiromani-prakasha'' {{sfn|David Pingree|1981|p=126}}
* Rama (fl. 1525/1550): his son Nrsimha (born 1548) wrote ''Graha-kaumudi'', ''Kheta-muktavali'', ''Graha-dasha-phala'', ''Graha-dipika'', ''Varsha-phala-dipika'', ''Harsa-kaumudi'' (a commentary on Ganesha's Graha-laghava''), and ''Hillaja-dipika<ref>{{cite book |editor=David Pingree |editor-link=David Pingree |title=Census of the Exact Sciences in Sanskrit Series A |volume=3 |publisher=American Philosophical Society |year=1976 |url=https://archive.org/details/PingreeCESS/Pingree_CESS_A1_1970/ |page=202 }}</ref>

== Works and commentaries ==

''Muhurtadipika'' by his son Ganesha lists several works written by Keshava. Sometimes, Ganesha's works are also attributed to Keshava. Works written by Keshava include:<ref name="CESS2"/>

* ''Graha-kautuka'' (1496 CE)
* a commentary on ''Graha-kautuka''
* ''Graha-siddhi''
* ''Tithi-siddhi''
* ''Graha-chalana''
* ''Ganita-dipika''
* ''Jataka-paddhati'', also known as ''Keshava-paddhati''; ''Brhat-keshavi'' is an enlarged version of this text
** Apparently a condensed version of Shripati's JKP: it is an extremely concise text containing only 42 verses, and was very popular as a handbook on mathematical calculations essential for ''jataka''.{{sfn|David Pingree|1981|p=92}}
* A commentary on ''Jataka-paddhati''
* ''Tajika-paddhati'', also known as ''Varsha-phala-paddhati'' or ''Tajika-keshavi''
** A work on [[Tajika Jyotish|Tajika]] (Arabic-Persian astrology), it contains 26 verses{{sfn|David Pingree|1981|p=98}}
* ''Siddhanta-vasana''
* ''Kayasthachara-paddhati''
* ''Kundastaka-lakshana''

The following works of Keshava survive in form of manuscripts, several of which are incomplete:<ref name="CESS2"/>

* ''Graha-kautuka'' (over 10 manuscripts), and possibly the commentary on it; over 10 manuscripts survive
* ''Jataka-paddhati'' and ''Brhat-keshavi'' (over 200 manuscripts), and the commentary on it (over 25 manuscripts)
* ''Tajika-paddhati'' (around 50 manuscripts)
* ''Muhurtatattva'', containing two parts - ''[[Muhurta]]-khanda'' and ''Samhita-khanda'' (around 100 manuscripts)
* ''Sudhiranjani'' (2 manuscripts), a ''karana'' (concise exposition of astronomy) and apparently an appendix to ''Varsha-paddhati''

=== Commentaries ===

Besides Keshava himself, several later authors have written commentaries (''tika'') on his works:<ref name="CESS2"/>{{sfn|David Pingree|1981|p=93}}

* ''Jataka-paddhti''
** Keshava himself
** Vishva-natha (1618) at [[Varanasi|Kashi]]
** ''Praudha-manorama'' by Diva-kara (1626) at Kashi
** ''Vasana-bhashya'' by Dharmeshvara (c. 1600–1650) in [[Malwa|Malava]]
** ''Jataka-kaustubha'' by Narayana (1678) at Kashi
** Guru-dasa (1824) at [[Jalandhar]]a
** several modern editors
* ''Tajika-paddhati''
** Mallari (fl. 1612)
** Vishva-natha (fl. 1612/1630)
* ''Muhurta-tattva''
** ''Muhurta-dipika'' by Keshava's son Ganesha (born 1507)
** Vishva-natha (fl. 1612/1630)

Ganesha's ''Graha-laghava'' or ''Siddhanta-rahasya'' was apparently based on his father's ''Graha-kautuka''.{{sfn|David Pingree|1981|p=36}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |author=David Pingree |title=Jyotiḥśāstra: Astral and Mathematical Literature |series=A History of Indian Literature |year=1981 |publisher=Otto Harrassowitz |isbn=3-447-02165-9 |page=115 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L0UIAQAAIAAJ }}
{{refend}}

[[Category:15th-century Indian astronomers]]
[[Category:16th-century Indian astronomers]]
[[Category:Sanskrit writers]]

Keshava of Nandigrama - Revision history

MerryGrubb79668 at 00:58, 14 April 2026