Krishnadasa Kaviraja was a Vaisnava devotee living in Vrindavana during the last half of the 16th century and best known as the author of the most theologically significant hagiography of Krishna Chaitanya (1478-1533), the chaitanya charitamrita.
Without citing their sources, scholars have generally accepted that Krishnadasa was born sometime between 1517 and 1528, that his father was Bhagiratha, an Ayurvedic phyisician, and his mother Sunanda, both whom died when he was very young, leaving him and his younger brother Shyamananda to be raised by relatives.
Krishnadasa reports one incident where during a kirtana session his brother was in conflict with the prominent Vaisnava devotee Minaketana Ramadasa over the relative virtues of Chaitanya and Nityananda, much to the humiliation of Krishnadasa (CC 1.5.139-58).
The author of this great classic, Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, born around the beginning of the sixteenth century, was a disciple of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, a confidential follower of Caitanya Mahaprabhu's.
Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami was also residing in Vrindavana at this time, and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami endowed him with a full comprehension of the transcendental life of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami commenced work on the text at a very advanced age and in failing health, as he vividly describes in the text itself: "I have now become too old and disturbed by invalidity.
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