Govindabhatta


Govinda-bhaṭṭa, known by his pen name Akbariya Kālidāsa, was a 16th-century Sanskrit-language court poet from present-day India. His patrons included Rewa's ruler Ramachandra and the Mughal emperor Akbar.

Works

The texts attributed to Govindabhatta include:
Govindabhatta appears to have become quite popular, as his verses appear in at least six anthologies of the 17th and the 18th centuries. The texts that cite his verses include Subhashita-haravali, Padyamrta-tarangini, Rasika-jivana, Sundaradeva's Sukti-Sundara, Padyareni, and Padyarchana.
Most of Govindabhatta's extant verses are devoted to description and praise of kings. The kings praised by him include Akbar and Ramachandra of Rewa. He may have adopted the pen-name "Akbariya Kalidasa" to please Emperor Akbar.
In his poems, Govindabhatta pays homage to the gods Vishnu, Shiva, Bhavani, Ganesha, Krishna, Durga, and Jvalapa.