Kavi Bhushan

Kavi Bhushan (c. 1613–1715) ^[1]was an Indian poet in the courts of the Bundeli king Chhatrasal^[2] and the Maratha king Shivaji I.^[1] He mainly wrote in Brajbhasha interspersed with words from Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian languages. He was a scholar poet of Anurag and Shlesh Alankar.

An inscription about one of Bhushan's poems about Chattrapati Shivaji, at the Birla Mandir, Delhi

Early life

Bhushan originally resided in the Tikwapur village in present-day Ghatampur tehsil, Kanpur district of Uttar Pradesh in a Brahmin Family.^[3] He was the brother of the poets Chintamani and Matiram. Bhushan's original name is unknown. Kavi Bhushan ("Precious Poet") was a title given to him by the Rudra Pratap of Chitrakoot.^[4]

He first met Shivaji I when the latter visited Agra to meet the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb; thereafter, Bhushan was supported by Shivaji I. Bhushan later moved from Varanasi to Maratha Kingdom in the 1670s, and attended Shivaji's durbar (court)

Use of Puns

Kavi Bhushan was known for the use of puns in his poetry.^{[citation needed][original research?]}

Literary works

• Shivaa Bhushan
• Shivabavani
• Chatrashaal Dashak
• Saaransh ki khani