Keshav Pandit
Keshav Swami Purohit (died 1690), also known as Keshav Pandit or Keshav Bhat Pandit, was Chhatrapati Shivaji's Rajpurohit (Religious chief) and a Sanskrit scholar and poet of his times. He was also the ‘Rajpurohit’ and Danadhyaksha of Sambhaji and Rajaram. Sambhaji's schooling took place under his guidance.
Keshav Pandit
Gaurav Sharma Online · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Died
- 1690
- Occupation
- poet
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wikidata · Q6394981 · wikipedia · Keshav Pandit
In this article
Contribution to coronation
Contribution to coronation
Keshav Pandit accompanied Shivaji’s secretary Balaji Awji in his campaign to Uttar Pradesh and Udaipur for obtaining Shivaji’s family history which was necessary for the coronation ceremony.
Contribution to history
Contribution to history
Keshav Pandit has written in Sanskrit poetical biographies of all the Chhatrapatis he had worked with. Especially, his book ‘Rajaram Charitam’ written in 1690, gives a detailed account of Rajaram’s secret flight to Gingee fort from Panhala fort through the areas occupied by the Mughal army. It is supposed to be the most reliable source of Rajaram's escape as Keshav Pandit himself was one of the participants of this journey. The original book is kept intact in the royal library of Tanjavur. Soon after completion of this book, Keshav Pandit died at Gingee approximately at the age of 60. His heirs are staying in the villages near Devrukh in Ratnagiri district with the surname 'Purohit'. Most of them have now shifted to Ratnagiri, Thane and Pune.
His works
His works
• Shivaji’s biography in Sanskrit • Sambhaji’s biography in Sanskrit • Rajaram’s biography ‘Rajaram Charitam’ in Sanskrit • 'Dandneeti' (Sanskrit) i.e. Criminal Code proposed for Maratha Empire
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Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Keshav Pandit, revision 1285640656 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 25 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
39,529 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Kerstin NorborgAuthor
- Kerttu VuolabAuthor
- Keshav DasAuthor
- Keshav MalikAuthor
- Keston SutherlandAuthor
- Ketil GjessingAuthor
- Ketti FringsAuthor
- Ketty NivyabandiAuthor
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