{{Short description|Indian poet (1866–1905)}} {{Infobox person
| name = Krishnaji Damle | image = Keshavsut - Konkani Vishwakosh.png | birth_name = Krishnaji Keshav Damle | birth_place = Malgund, Bombay Presidency, British India | birth_date = 7 October 1866 | death_place = Hubbali, British India | death_date = 7 November 1905 (aged 39) | monuments = The Memorial of Keshavasuta, Malgund | honorific_prefix = ''Keshavasuta'' | occupation = Poet | works = ''Tutari'' <br/> ''Aamhi Kon ?'' | parents = Keshav Vitthal Damle (father) <br/> Annapurna Damle (mother) | children = 3 | other_names = ''Keshavasuta'' }}
'''Keshavasuta''' (born '''Krishnaji Keshav Damle'''; 7 October 1866 – 7 November 1905) was a Marathi poet who is regarded as the pioneer of modern Marathi poetry.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Macave|first1=Prabhakara|title=Keshavsut|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-rdHAAAAMAAJ&q=keshavsut|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|access-date=April 25, 2016|year=1966}}</ref> He wrote around 135 poems during his lifetime. In addition to his Marathi works, he wrote poetry in English and authored a play that remained unpublished.<ref name="Vishwakosh1999">{{cite wikisource |last1=Navelkar |first1=V. R. |editor-first1=Tanaji |editor-last1=Halarnkar |editor-link1=Tanaji Halarnkar |others= |title=Konkani Vishwakosh |trans-title=Konkani Encyclopaedia |wslink=Page:Konkani Viswakosh Vol3.pdf/510 |type= |edition= |series= |pages=510 |volume=3 |year=1999 |publisher=Goa University |location=Goa |language=gom |wslanguage=gom }}</ref>
==Early life and education== Keshavasuta was born on 7 October 1866 in Malgund, Ratnagiri. He completed his education in several locations, including Khed, Baroda, Wardha, Nagpur, and Pune. He was married in 1880 while he was still a student. In 1889, he passed his matriculation examination.<ref name="Vishwakosh1999" />
==Career== After completing his matriculation, Keshavasuta worked various temporary jobs. Following the outbreak of a plague epidemic in Mumbai, he relocated to the Khandesh region. He initially worked as a teacher at a municipal school in Bhadgaon. He later served as the headmaster of a school in Faizpur. In 1904, he took a position as a Marathi teacher at a government school in Dharwad. He died in Hubli, Karnataka, on 7 November 1905.<ref name="Vishwakosh1999" />
==Literary work== Although Keshavasuta began writing poetry in his childhood, his active period as a "true poet" is considered to be between 1885 and 1905. The pen name "Keshavasuta" was bestowed upon him by Narayan Phadnis, the editor of the monthly magazine ''Kavyaratnavali'', and it was under this name that his work became known to the public.<ref name="Vishwakosh1999" />
===Style and themes=== Keshavasuta's poetry represented a departure from traditional Marathi poetry. His style was described as somewhat rough, lacking the rhetorical flourishes common among the earlier scholarly poets. He experimented with meter, favoring ''matraganavrttas'' over ''aksharaganavrttas'', and introduced new rhymes. He is credited with being the first to introduce the sonnet form from English literature into Marathi poetry.<ref name="Vishwakosh1999" />
His work was influenced more by English rhythmic poets such as Wordsworth, Shelley, and Keats than by Sanskrit or traditional Marathi predecessors. His poems explored themes of self-discovery, nature, social rebellion, and interpersonal relationships. His writing reflected a free-spirited attitude that revolutionized Marathi poetry and influenced future generations. His philosophical foundation relied on principles of freedom, equality, brotherhood, and humanism.<ref name="Vishwakosh1999" />
===Notable works=== Keshavasuta's poems covered diverse subjects: * Nature: Poems such as ''Beetle'' (1890), ''Flower Leaf'' (1892), and ''Butterfly'' (1900) depict elements of nature.<ref name="Vishwakosh1999" /> * Social rebellion: His revolutionary social views are evident in works like ''Tutari'' (1893), ''Nava Shipai'' (1898), and ''Gofan Keli Chan'' (1905).<ref name="Vishwakosh1999" /> * Mysticism: He wrote poems reflecting mysterious experiences and enlightenment, the most popular being ''Zapurza''. Other poems in this genre include ''Mhatari'' (1901) and ''Harpale Shrey'' (1905).<ref name="Vishwakosh1999" />
==Legacy== Keshavasuta's collection of poems was published posthumously in 1916 by Hari Narayan Apte.<ref name="Vishwakosh1999" /> He is cited as a major influence on subsequent poets, including Govindagraj, Balkavi, Rendalkar, and Kavyavihari, who considered themselves his disciples. In 1966, the Government of Maharashtra celebrated his birth centenary.<ref name="Vishwakosh1999" />
== Legacy ==
* A memorial has been erected at Keshavasuta birthplace Malgund in his honour. * Keshavasut's poem ''Tutari'' is seen in the soundtrack of the Oscar-nominated film Harishchandrachi Factory. * On 22 May 2017, the Dadar-Sawantwadi Rajya Rani Express was named as ''Tutari Express'' to mark the centenary of Damle's famed poem titled ''Tutari''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-rajyarani-express-rechristened-as-tutari-express-2447535|title = 'RajyaRani Express' rechristened as 'Tutari Express'|date = 22 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pibmumbai.gov.in/scripts/detail.asp?releaseId=E2017PR933|title=Press Information Bureau: Government of India news site, PIB Mumbai website, PIB Mumbai, Press Information Bureau, PIB, India's Official media agency, Government of India press releases, PIB photographs, PIB photos, Press Conferences in Mumbai, Union Minister Press Conference, Marathi press releases, PIB features, Bharat Nirman Public Information Campaign, Public Information Campaign, Bharat Nirman Campaign, Public Information Campaign, Indian Government press releases, PIB Western Region}}</ref> ==References== {{Reflist}}
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Category:Marathi-language poets Category:Indian male poets Category:1866 births Category:1905 deaths Category:19th-century Indian poets Category:Poets from Maharashtra Category:19th-century Indian male writers Category:Poets from British India