Keshava of Nandigrama

Keshava (IAST: Keśava, fl. 1496–1507) was an astrologer and astronomer (jyotishi or daivajña) from Nandigrama in present-day western India.

Biography

Keshava flourished around 1496–1507.^[1] 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).^[1] His wife's name was Lakshmi.^[2]

He had three sons, who were famous jyotishis:^[1]

• Ananta (fl. 1534): wrote Kalanirnayavabodha and a commentary (1534 CE) on Varaha-mihira's Laghu-jataka^[3]
• Ganesha (born 1507): wrote a number of works during 1522–1554; his great-grandson - also called Ganesha - wrote Shiromani-prakasha ^[4]
• 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^[5]

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:^[1]

• 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.^[6]
• A commentary on Jataka-paddhati
• Tajika-paddhati, also known as Varsha-phala-paddhati or Tajika-keshavi
  • A work on Tajika (Arabic-Persian astrology), it contains 26 verses^[7]
• Siddhanta-vasana
• Kayasthachara-paddhati
• Kundastaka-lakshana

The following works of Keshava survive in form of manuscripts, several of which are incomplete:^[1]

• 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:^[1][8]

• Jataka-paddhti
  • Keshava himself
  • Vishva-natha (1618) at Kashi
  • Praudha-manorama by Diva-kara (1626) at Kashi
  • Vasana-bhashya by Dharmeshvara (c. 1600–1650) in Malava
  • Jataka-kaustubha by Narayana (1678) at Kashi
  • Guru-dasa (1824) at Jalandhara
  • 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.^[9]