Keshav Kashmiri

Keshav Kashmiri ( 15th century) also known as Keshavacharya and Keshava Kashmriri Bhattacharya was an Indian philosopher, theologian and poet. He was a Gauda Brāhmana of North, born in the province of Maharashtra, in the village of Vaidūrya-pattanam, also known as Pratiṣṭhāna. He was a disciple of Mukunda and Gāṅgala Bhaṭṭāchārya. He became the 33rd ācārya of the Nimbārka Sampradāya. According to tradition, he thrice conquered all learned men of his time, which earned him the epithet 'Jagadvijayī.

Life Keśava Kāśmīrī, originally known as Keśavācārya, earned the epithets "Bhaṭṭa" and "Kāśmīrī Bhaṭṭācārya" in recognition of his contributions to religious propagation, his triumphs in philosophical debates, his efforts in countering heretical sects, and his time spent in Kashmir as a pilgrim. However, he would personally refer to himself simply as "Keśava" with brevity. This preference is reflected in the concluding verse of his work Kramadīpikā, a text composed in a cyclical style, where he identifies himself:"Keśavena kṛtā Kramadīpikā" (This Kramadīpikā is composed by Keśava).

According to Agrawal (2000), Keśava Kāśmīrī defeated Vidyādharācārya of the Śākta school of thought in Kaśmīra, and gave him the name Vrajeśācārya, the Yavanas of Mathurā, and the scholars of Navadvīpa. He later settled himself in Kaśmīra.

Mathura Miracle Keśava Kāśmīri is linked with many extraordinary occurrences, The most renowned of these performing a miracle in Mathurā to free Hindus from these specific prohibitions and other conversional tactics of muslim rulers. An event famously recounted in the Nābhā dāsa Bhaktamāla chappaya 75.

Nābhā dāsa wrote that "Sri Keshava Bhatt Ji was the crown jewel of all people. His fame spread throughout the world. Due to his long residence in Kashmir, the epithet "Kashmiri" became associated with his name. He was a vanquisher of oppressors and sinners, and an ornament of the human race. With the axe of devotion to Hari, he uprooted the trees of opposing religions and eradicated them completely. In Mathura, he debated with the Yavanas (foreign rulers) and defeated those heretics. It is well known how the Qazis, who refused to yield to anyone, came to fear his spiritual power after witnessing it. This event is no secret; the saintly community bears witness to it."

Works Keśava Kāśmīrī's works are: Vedānta Kaustubha Prabhā: A commentary on Brahmasutrā. Kramadīpikā: A Pāñcarātrika work Tattva-prakāśikā: A commentary on the Bhagavad-gitā. Tattva-prakāśikā-veda-stuti-tīkā: A commentary on the tenth skanda of Bhagavata-purāna. Viṣṇusahasranāmaṭīkā: A commentary on Vishnu Sahastranama.

Upanishad commentaries Taittriya-prakāśikā: A commentary on the Taittriya Upanisad. keno upanisad bhasya: A commentary on Kena Upanishad.

Kramadīpikā Kramadīpikā is a work of eight chapters dealing mainly with the ritualistic parts of the Nimbārka school of religion. This work deals very largely with various kinds of Mantras and meditations on them.

Influence The Kramadīpikā was influential in the rituals of the Jagannātha temple in Purī, and is quoted in the Haribhaktivilāsa of the Gauḍīya Gosvāmins. It is also an authority on the Krsna worship quoted in the Gopālarcanavidhi of Purusottamadeva (the first and the most standard work on the worship of Jagannatha-Krsna, 15th c.) explicitly refers to the bijamantra of Krsna-Jagannātha as being a "Pradyumna-Mantra" (a Mantra of Pradyumna or Kāma) and designates it as jaganmohana-bewitching the world. “mantrah pradyumno jaganmohano'yam” (kramadīpikā 2.12)