Keshava of Nandigrama
Keshava (
jyotishi or daivajña) from Nandigrama
in present-day western India.
Biography
Keshava flourished around 1496–1507.
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
- 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]
References
- ^ a b c d e f David Pingree, ed. (1971). Census of the Exact Sciences in Sanskrit Series A. Vol. 2. American Philosophical Society. pp. 65–66.
- ISBN 9789811360343.
- ^ David Pingree, ed. (1970). Census of the Exact Sciences in Sanskrit Series A. Vol. 1. American Philosophical Society. p. 40.
- ^ David Pingree 1981, p. 126.
- ^ David Pingree, ed. (1976). Census of the Exact Sciences in Sanskrit Series A. Vol. 3. American Philosophical Society. p. 202.
- ^ David Pingree 1981, p. 92.
- ^ David Pingree 1981, p. 98.
- ^ David Pingree 1981, p. 93.
- ^ David Pingree 1981, p. 36.
Bibliography
- David Pingree (1981). Jyotiḥśāstra: Astral and Mathematical Literature. A History of Indian Literature. Otto Harrassowitz. p. 115. ISBN 3-447-02165-9.