Krishnadasa (c. 1528 – c. 1615/1620), known by the honorific Kaviraja (Kṛṣṇôdas Kôviraj; IAST: Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja), was the author of the Chaitanya Charitamrita, a biography on the life of the mystic and saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534), who is considered by the Gaudiya Vaishnava school of Hinduism to be a combined incarnation of Radha and Krishna.

There is scant information about the life of Krishnadasa Kaviraja. Dimock posits that this may be due to his characteristic humility. There is a lack of consensus regarding his birth year among scholars. Dinesh Chandra Sen suggests 1517 CE, though this is debated because it would mean that Krishnadasa Kaviraja was 16 years old when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu died, yet he never claims to have met him. Other more reliable estimates suggest around 1520 CE or 1450 Saka (~1528 CE). He was born in a Bengali Baidya family in the village of Jhamatpur (modern West Bengal). His father's name was Bhagiratha and his mother was named Sunandā. He also had a younger brother named Śyāmadāsa (or Śyāma Dāsa Kavirāja) who was two years younger than him.

In the esoteric tradition of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas, Krishnadasa Kaviraja is identified in Krishna's eternal Vraja pastimes. Kavi-Karṇapūra identifies him as an incarnation of the handmaiden of Radha called Ratnarekhā Mañjarī in the Śrī Gaura-Gaṇoddeśa-Dīpikā. He is also sometimes identified as Kasturī Mañjarī.

Krishnadasa’s family was relatively poor, supported by his father’s medical practice. Tragedy struck when Krishnadasa was approximately six years old, as his father died. His mother, Sunanda, faced immense difficulty supporting the two young boys and died only a few months after her husband. Consequently, the brothers were raised by relatives, likely their maternal uncles.

From his earliest years, Krishnadasa displayed a strong inclination toward renunciation (vairāgya). He was a deeply learned man, eventually becoming proficient in grammar, the six systems of philosophy, and the Vedic-Upanishadic tradition. This grounding in the scriptures began in his youth, and he eventually became a disciple of the prominent Goswamis, Rupa and Sanatana.

A defining moment occurred at his home in Jhamatpur during a religious gathering he organized. A servant of Nityananda, named Mīnaketana Rāmadāsa, visited while a kirtan was in progress. Krishnadasa’s brother, Shyamadasa, had strong faith in Chaitanya Mahaprabhu but lacked proper reverence for Nityananda, leading to a bitter argument between him and Mīnaketana Rāmadāsa. Krishnadasa took the side of the devotee, harshly rebuking his own brother for not recognizing that Chaitanya and Nityananda are "one body, equal in every respect". This act of devotion pleased Nityananda, who subsequently appeared to Krishnadasa in a dream and instructed him to leave his home and travel to Vrindavana, where he would attain all things. This vision marked the end of his life in Bengal and the beginning of his journey toward his eventual legacy as a primary chronicler of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. After receiving instructions in a vision from Nityananda, Krishnadasa left Bengal and travelled to Vrindavan where he took initiation from Raghunatha dasa Goswami, one of the direct followers of Chaitanya.

In Vrindavan, Krishnadasa lived the life of a scholarly recluse, dedicating himself to devotional acts, study, and writing. He became deeply integrated into the intellectual circle of the Goswamis, learning the life stories of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu from Raghunatha Dasa Goswami, and receiving guidance on theological interpretation from Jiva and Rupa Goswami. He benefitted from the substantial library the Goswamis had collected in Vrindavan, which included many rare manuscripts.

The impetus for his masterwork came from the Vaishnava community in Vrindavan. They were concerned that the existing biography by Vrindavana Dasa, the Chaitanya Bhagavata, focused primarily on Chaitanya's early life and left his final years abbreviated or untold. They collective commanded Krishnadasa to write a comprehensive account.