Ciranjiva and his patron Yasavanta Simha

Summary

This article explores the life and works of Ciranjiva Bhattacarya, a prolific Bengali poet and poetician of the early seventeenth century. It opens by listing four of his extant works—Vidvanmoda‑tarangini, Madhavacampu, Vrttaratnavali and Kavyavilasa—and notes he quoted from three other compositions that have not survived. The author emphasises the confusion that surrounds Ciranjiva’s date and the identity of his patron, Yasavanta Simha. Through internal references in his works and information gleaned from manuscripts, the article reconstructs the poet’s background and family. Ciranjiva’s father, Raghavendra Bhattacarya, was a distinguished student of Bhavananda Siddhantavagisa and a celebrated teacher at Navadvipa. Ciranjiva recorded that his grandfather was proficient in palmistry and astrology, suggesting a family tradition of scholarship. Evidence from the Madhavacampu reveals that Ciranjiva was born at Navadvipa and later lived in Benares, where he studied under a Vidyasagara and became an accomplished teacher himself. The article examines Ciranjiva’s Vrttaratnavali, written for his patron Yasavanta Simha, and quotes the book’s introductory verses that praise Yasavanta as a courageous chief whose fame delighted yogis. These verses provide the only solid identification of the patron and hint at a political connection with the kingdom of Govardhana, possibly the royal house of Bihar or Odisha. By collating manuscript evidence, the author constructs a tentative chronology: Ciranjiva’s father died around 1647 AD; Ciranjiva wrote his works in the 1650s; and Yasavanta Simha’s influence peaked around the same time. The article suggests that Ciranjiva’s later years were spent in Benares and that his descendants preserved manuscripts relating to astrology and ritual. It concludes by calling for further research into local traditions to clarify the poet’s chronology and the true identity of his patron.