Keshavdas Biography
Poet Keshavdas ji was the principal poet and era promoter of Reetikal. He is also well known from the point of view of poetry as well as the teacher.
The poet Keshavdas ji, who made his mark in the Hindi poetry world, was born in 1555 AD in Orchha Madhya Pradesh, Bundelkhand state of India. Keshavdas was a very affable and passionate person. Keshavdas ji was the son of Sanadhya Brahmin Pt. Kashinath. It is said that he had a very close friendship with Maharaja Akbar, Birbal and Todarmal.
| Points | Information |
| Name | Keshavdas |
| जन्म (Date of Birth) | 1555 |
| Age | 62 years |
| Birth Place | Bundelkhand, Madhya Pradesh |
| Father’s Name | Pt. Kashinath |
| Mother Name | not known |
| Wife Name | not known |
| Occupation | Writer, poet |
| Death | 1617 |
| Death Place | —- |
| language style | Sanskrit language |
His family was highly respected among the Raj families of Orchha. Indrajit Singh, the younger brother of King Naresh of Orchha, considered Keshav Das as his court poet as well as his minister and guru. 21 villages were presented as a gift to Keshav Das by Indrajit Singh, the Maharaja of Orchha.
Poet Keshavdas Literary Introduction
He was a prominent poet of Hindi literature, who translated the tradition of Sanskrit masters into Hindi. His literary works are found only in Sanskrit language. Keshav Das, the great poet of Reetikal, is known for devotion after Surdas and Tulsidas. He gave many books to the society, full of vastu, fine arts. Their major texts are – Kavi-Priya and Rasik-Priya.
In Rasik – Priya, he translated Sanskrit signs and 16 texts. Eight of the 16 texts are certified. These include a book related to Ramachandrika Bhakti. In which Keshavdas ji has considered Rama and Sita as his deity and praised the name Rama. This book is used to test the knowledge of Pandits. This is an important book. It is said that to show Goswami Tulsidas ji, Keshavdas ji completed the epic ‘Ramachandrika’ in one night. The theme of the epic Ramachandrika is ‘Devotion to Lord Rama’. It is said about some verses of his poem:
Do not worry about the poet
Ask Kavita’s poetry ..
Keshavdas ji had the shelter of Maharaja Veer Singh Dev, hence he never faced any problem. Keshavdas ji was more interested in Sanskrit language and he had a great love for Sanskrit since childhood. Due to attachment, he used to inspire people around him to have a conversation in Sanskrit. The servants working at his house also spoke in Sanskrit. He found it insulting to talk in Hindi language. He has given importance to Sanskrit language and said –
Do not know how to speak the language, whose family slaves
curry three languages, Jadapati Keshavdas
Keshavdas Death
The poet Keshavdas ji, who was the creator of Hindi poetry and adapted many verses of Sanskrit in his language, died in 1617 AD.
Compositions of keshavdas
Following are the major compositions of Keshavdas –
- Veer Singh Dev Charitra (1607)
- Ramachandrika (1601)
- Jahangir Jas Chandrika (1612)
- Poet Priya Nakh – Shikh (1601)
- Ratan Bawani (1607)
- Science Gita (1610)
- Rasik Priya 1591
Keshavdas ji has mainly used Braj language in his compositions, his language is rhetorical. He has also included Bundelkhandi language in his compositions. His style is mature and serious.