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Laxmi Prasad Devkota Biography, the Mahakabi or Poet the Great of Nepal

Samjhana Chaudhari

21 september, 2021 10:00 pm.

Laxmi Prasad Devkota was a Novelist, author, and Nepali artist. In Nepali literature, He was honored with the title of Mahakavi. He was considered the most famous literary figure in Nepal .

Muna Madan, Kundalini, Bhikhari, Sulochana, and Shakuntala are popular and best-selling. He is known as a poet with a golden heart. 

Table of Contents

Laxmi prasad devkota’s early stage .

Laxmi Prasad Devkota was born in Dobidhara, Kathmandu, on 1909, 13 November, on the night of Lakshmi puja. His father’s name is Teel Madhav Devkota, and his mother’s is Lakshmi Devi Devkota.

He achieved his Basic education under the custodianship of his father. His father was a Sanskrit scholar. He started his formal education at Durbar High School, where he learned English and Sanskrit grammar.

At the age of 17, he finished his matriculation exams in Patna. He goes after a bachelor of arts and law at Tri-Chandra College. He graduated from Patna University. Due to the family’s financial condition, his desire for his master’s degree was incomplete.

Laxmi Prasad Devkota joined Nepal Bhasaanuwad Parishad ( publication Censor board); a decade after graduating as a lawyer, he met legendary playwright Balkrishna Sama.

At the same time, he also worked As a lecturer at Padma Kanya and Tri-Chandra College.

Laxmi Prasad Devkota’s learning and style

  Devkota began to write epic poems in Nepali literature, and he was the first writer in Nepal. He started a modern Nepali language movement by contributing to Nepali literature.

He was inspired by the Newar language ballad song Ji Waya Lachhi Madani. He wrote the narrative Poem Jhyaure Bhaka in folk tune, a famous poem, and in 1930 he wrote Muna Madan. The best-selling book in the history of Nepali literature is Muna Madan.

The documentary Muna Madan, Nepal’s real note for the foreign-language Movie at the 76th Foundation Grants, was based on this poem in 2003.

At the time of the Ranas- the country rulers, he received immediate recognition. Muna Madan’s poem describes the story of Madan, a traveling salesman who goes to Tibet to earn some money, leaving his wife, Muna.

The verse explains the thematic hardships of the journey: the agony of parting, the itching desire, and the misery of death.

Edgar Poe Biography, Birth, Marriage & Death

The terrible song ballad Ji Waya la Lachhi Maduni is based on a New dealer, his wife, and his mother. The retailer leaves Kathmandu to work in Tibet.

The song begins with the wife pleading with her relative to stop him, assuming that it doesn’t have a month after she came to their house and he needs to go on.

Laxmi Prasad Devkota had learned this melody from locals singing it at a regional gathering. He was highly influenced by Melody and determined to re-write it in Nepali literature After the Rana leaders had limited literature, language, and New merchants.

He became the Main part of a New dealer as in the first melody to a Kshatriya (warrior class) number. However, Kshatriya spirits did not obey business for their existence during that time.

He came to represent it as such in sequence to attract the Rana leaders. He could make long poems and lyrics with learned philosophical density and complexity in quite a short time. Devkota wrote Shakuntala, which is the first narrative literature.

And including Mahakavya printing in the Nepali language in three months. Shakuntala is a large business in 24 cantos based on Kalidasa’s great Sanskrit musical Abhijnanasakuntalam, Written in 1945.

Devkota’s knowledge of Sanskrit music shows Shakuntala and style, which he regularly combined while working in Nepali.

According to David Rubin, the new learner and translator of Devkota,  Shakuntala is his most notable accomplishment. 

“It is, externally reservations, a staggering accomplishment, arranging numerous elements of a standing tradition with a new characteristic of the scheme, a reward of a remarkable personality, Kālidāsa’s poetic drama of natural love with a representative structure that guides to improvement in the coinciding of emotional and pure love.

Devkota also printed short lyrics arranged in various classical and non-traditional modes and rhythms. Most of his poem explains the significance of English Poetic poets like Coleridge and Wordsworth. The title poem in the group Bhikhari is nostalgic of Wordsworth’s “The Old Cumberland Beggar.”

Devkota had described the fellow performing his unfortunate debt and pain in this poem, removed of personal emotion and physical encouragement.

On the other hand, Fellowes is viewed as the cause of kindness arranged in the heart of pain and poverty. Devkota combines the fellow with the priest as the latest fount of opinion and insight.

His lyrics focus on mundane details of the natural world and the human. The titles of his songs, like Ban and Baadal, explains that he asked his romantic thought about the general and proximal appearances of the world. What resonates during most of his poems is his deep belief in sympathy.

For example, in the composition Ban, the lecturer runs a range of investigations, refusing solace and support that could be awarded individually to him as a person.

He includes his loyalty and attention to his personal life. The composition closes with the following quatrain highlighting the speaker’s humanistic desires.

Besides poems, Devkota also presented meaningful enrichment to the essay genre. He is considered the father of the current Nepali article.

He challenged the traditional method of themes and developed conventional ways of essay writing. He contained a more liquid and natural form that had more accuracy in meaning, expressive in words of a language, and significance in emotions.

His articles are frequently paradoxical and represented by their sharp humor and relentless analysis of the modernizing characters from the West in the Nepali community.

An article titled Bhaladmi examines a dying course in Nepali culture to recognize people based on their outside surfaces and outlay rather than their original personal personality and quality.

In a different article titled Ke Nepal Sano Cha? He states a genuinely nationalistic way of protesting the colonial troops of British India, which he thought were invading all characters of Nepali society.

His poems were published in an article book named Laxmi Nibandha.

Laxmi Prasad Devkota in politics

Laxmi Prasad Devkota was not working inside any well-established state party in his poetry, which harmoniously included an opinion of resistance against the autocratic Rana dynasty.

He initiated operating as a director of the Yugvani newspaper of the Nepali Congress. At the same time, his self-exile in Varanasi started confiscating all his assets in Nepal by the Rana Government.

After democracy through the revolution of 1951, Devkota was appointed to the ‘Nepal Advisory Committee’ in 1952 by King Tribhuvan and was elected member of the Nepal Salahkar Samiti. 

Under Kanwar Inderjit Singh’s premiership, he was elected as Autonomous Governance and Minister of Education in 1957.

Laxmi Prasad Devkota’s family members

Padma Devkota is the eldest son of Laxmi Prasad Devkota, a writer and author who worked for several years as a teacher at the English Department, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu.

Devkota suffered from Nervous breakdowns in 1930, apparently due to the death of his two-month-old daughter, father, and mother. He was admitted to the Mental Asylum of Ranchi, India, for five months in 1939.

He could not support the marriages and properties of his daughters due to economic conditions. He told his wife, “Let’s leave the children to the concern of youth and society and abandon this world at bedtime and take potassium cyanide or morphine. 

Laxmi Prasad Devkota was a severe smoker during his life. Devkota died at Aryaghat Kathmandu on 14 September 1959 after a long struggle with cancer.

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Laxmi Prasad Devkota – Poem, Bio, Maha Kavi, Birthday, Death, & Politics

Facts About Laxmi Prasad Devkota

Who is laxmi prasad devkota.

Laxmi Prasad Devkota is one of the most influential people in the history of Nepalese liberal arts. He is considered the “Maha Kavi,” which translates to The Great Poet for his contribution to the designated field. Until the end of his career, he expanded his professional horizons with active participation in drama writing and novel writing. People often remember the poet for his flexibility and versatility in the craft.

One look at his writings, and one can understand exactly what we have been rattling about in the previous sections. Although the guy takes credit for several dozens of papers, his masterpiece collection includes Muna Madan, Sulochana, Kunjini, Shakuntala, and Bhikhari.

Why was Laxmi Prasad Devkota Called Maha Kavi in Nepal?

The title of Maha Kavi is given to only a chosen few when it comes to the topic of literature. When we dig down to the roots of our literary culture, Laxmi Prasad Devkota is the only person who fulfills the requisites. The backbone behind his superb writing ability is his bilingual range and the flexibility to switch between them without losing his sharpness.

As a matter of fact, he could write poetry in Nepali, Sanskrit, Hindi, and English in a short amount of time. He had completed his first epic Shakuntala within three months. Similarly, he wrote his other epic Sulochana in less than ten days and Kunjini in a single day. Completing a skillful piece of literature in a single day is an achievement in itself. Generally, it is not a single overwhelming achievement but a series of small feats over time that adds up to become a massive influence in one’s career heights in the long run.

Also, we have already discussed about his versatile features. His contribution range expands its horizons to essays, plays, novels, stories, criticism, and countless poems. Remember, he got adapted to these many sectors of writing while continuing his creation of epics and never compromised the quality. To this day, his essays are admired for their content and style.

The significant contribution a poet or literature-related personnel can give is inspiring the generations after him. Laxmi Prasad Devkota has set the bar or provided a threshold to the quality of Nepalese literary culture. To any person thriving for a career in liberal arts, his writings can be compared to some fundamental law that governs the path of its derivate works.

Laxmi Prasad Devkota’s Early Life, Family, Date of Birth(12th of November, 1909)

Born on the 12th of November, 1909 , Laxmi Prasad Devkota opened his eyes for the first time on the day of Laxmi Pooja. So, what is unique about that particular day? Well that day, people under the Hindu religion wingspan worship the goddess of wealth Laxmi and pray for prosperity. Little did he know the surprising coincidence would significantly contribute to the nomenclature of the famous poet.

Devkota’s first and middle name means a gift “Prasad” from Laxmi. Considering the irony that his family always struggled with economic issues, we can surely say that the holy name did not serve to its full potential for the man. The future-poet was born in a Brahmin family to parents Pandit Til Madhav and Amar Rajya Laxmi Devi. They lived in the capital city of Kathmandu, Thatunati, to be precise. The place later got its name changed to Dhobidhara.

Devkota was Borns in Brahmin family, Schooling, College

Growing up in a Brahmin family means the poet had a pre-determined fate of involving informal education. As it happens, training was not so readily available to all the people at that time due to the strict law enforcement of the Rana Dynasty. Lucky for Devkota, he had a scholar father. He got most of his primary education under the custodianship of his guardian.

Poet Laxmi continued his further studies at Durbar High School, which was the only school at that time. His parents had to go through a lot of hardships to bless him with the chance to get enrolled at the institution. During this time, the poet explored subjects such as Sanskrit grammar and English. Devkota’s journey to a lifelong pursuit of poetry started from school. He wrote his first piece of a poem as a student.

As per the sources, the literature manic was a quiet student and always enjoyed reading and writing as a teenager. He excelled in his subjects and held a prestigious school career. He remained a part of the high school until his graduation at the age of seventeen. Something off-topic but an exciting fact indeed, Devkota got married at the age of fifteen. Times were surely different then!

Moving on with his studies, Devkota enrolled at Tri Chandra College in Kathmandu in 1925. There, he completed his intermediate-level studies and moved to the Humanities sector for further advancement. Laxmi started studying English Poetry at this period of time. The influence of these romantic era writers can be witnessed in many of his works. He completed his course in 1929 and headed to Patna India in pursuit of a Master’s degree in English.

In Patna, Devkota got impressed by the libraries. The infrastructure and the number of books impressed the poet. Dreaming of such facilities in their home country, the poet and his friends wrote a letter to the then-Rana Prime minister and requested for aid. They pleaded the authority to establish a library in Kathmandu but did not receive a positive response. In fact, they served some time behind bars and got released in exchange for hefty fines.

Devkota returned to Patna in 1931 for the continuation of his study. Unfortunately, the seats were unavailable, and he decided to start his Bachelors in Law instead. The book-worm eventually finished his Law study and returned home to continue his family life. Despite his vast knowledge of several subjects, Devkota always struggled with financial stability. He even went to the lengths of taking tuition classes for fourteen hours a day to supplement his income figures.

Poverty-stricken and helpless, the poet went through a tough time. He never got to fulfill his dreams of getting a Master’s degree due to financial blemishes. This was the time; the man came up with his best creation, “Muna Madan.” The work adopted the jhaurey folk tune and challenged all the Sanskrit scholars who had been dominating the Nepalese literature at that time. The book got enormous recognition from people and even from the royalties. His contribution to the craft got awarded with a purse worth Rs. 100. The amount might sound like a joke now, but a hundred rupees at that time meant a lot of money. A LOT!

With nation-wide recognition, the poet started his career uphill battle. But it seems, the mighty had different plans for his child. Devkota got grieve-struck in the mid-1930s after he lost both his parents and daughter within two years. That is heart-rending, isn’t it? The whole incident took a toll on the poet’s mental stability. Following the event, the man became a chain smoker and fell into severe depression. Worried by his degrading mental health, his brothers admitted him to a psychiatric hospital in India in 1939. His spiritual struggles during this four months counseling period gets reflected from his famous poem “Pagal” (The Lunatic).

After the whole thing settled down, a rejuvenated Devkota returned to his homeland and started working at the Nepal Bhasaanuwas Parishad, which is sort of like a Publication Censor Board now. Still scratching his claws against the money-centric society, he worked as a lecturer at Tri-Chandra College and Padma Kanya College. The only good thing that happened to Devkota during this time was his fateful meeting with another Nepali literature legend Balkrishna Sama.

Things were getting settled for the poet, but his mind was far from getting resolved. Frustrated with the running political scene, Devkota went into a self-imposed exile to India. He stayed in Vernarasi and actively participated in the revolution movement.

Devkota’s Political Experience

Throughout his lifetime, Laxmi Prasad Devkota did not work under the influence of any well-established political party. He liked to express his revolt against the then-reigning government of Ranas via his literature. Looking back at his writings, we can find his rebellious attitude reflected between the complexities of his words.

The most close he got to political influence was his job as an editor. He worked for the Nepali Congress Party newspaper called Yugvani and helped the battle against the government through his own set of skills. He conducted his works from Venarasi, a holy place in the heart of India. He continued his battle until the Rana government finally waved the white flag in 1951, and democracy stepped in the country. After the tremendous change in the country’s political system, Devkota got appointed as one of the members of Nepal Shalakar Samiti in 1952. He received the honor via King Tribhuwan. After few years of serving under the firm, Kunwar Inderjit Singh appointed the poet as Minister of Education and Autonomous Governance. This was the last honor the literature legend received.

Laxmi Prasad Devkota’s Family Life and Death

Laxmi Prasad Devkota struggled with his mental and physical health from the mid-1930s. The loss of his loved ones had wounded the man from within. Some sources even reveal that he had suggested his wife to a co-suicide during the darkest days of his life.

As it happens, he had drowned in debt while supporting the expenses of his daughter’s weddings and dowry system (a tradition that needs the groom’s family to provide ransom or other physical gifts to the bride during the marriage). These situations led to his addiction to cigarettes and finally to his cancer diagnosis.

Unable to pay for the treatment and inadequate health facilities in the country, the poet lost his long battle with cancer and died on the 14th of September, 1959. He got peacefully laid to rest at the banks of Bagmati River located near Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, surrounded by his loved ones.

Devkota had married with Mandevi Chalise at the age of fifteen. He shares five daughters and four sons with his beloved partner. Laxmi’s son Padma walks the path of his late father and indulges in the profession of poetry and writing. He worked as an English professor for many years at Tribhuwan University.

Laxmi Prasad Devkota – The Man Who Revolutionized Nepali Literature and Known as Maha Kavi

Laxmi Prasad Devkota holds the title of “Maha Kavi” or The Great Poet in Nepal. People also like to call him names such as “The poet with the golden heart.” His contributions to the national literature are immense, and his works remain as the basis for several professionals on their careers. Living a life of poverty and getting whiplashes from lifetime and again, the tale of this literature legend is sure to motivate the ones on their struggle paths. Sure, the man passed decades ago, but his poems, essays, and stories still compel us to remember the greatness of his talent and the sharpness in his expression skills.

Devkota’s Unique Writing Skills and Famous Publishes

Laxmi Prasad Devkota has contributed a lot to the Nepali literature sphere. His innovative use of language and romance-fused writings worked as the turning point for the Sanskrit-dominated culture. Somewhere in his career, he got inspired by the Newari song (a local language in Nepal which originated from the Sino-Tibetan roots) called Ji Waya La Lachhi Maduni. The song probably struck some chords to the poet, and he wrote the most popular literature of the Nepali language known as Muna Madan. The long narrative poem got published in 1930 and holds the title of the most-sold book in Nepalese literature to this day. The thing got more recognition after its movie adaptation and went on to grab the Oscars. This achievement tells us the impact it had on the media then and the contribution it had to skyrocket Devkota’s career. Introducing Madan as the main character, the poem is an expression of hardships in one’s journey, the sorrow of separation, the irresistible longing, and the agony of death.

Devkota just had a knack for writing meaningful and powerful pieces within a short period. He wrote Shakuntala, a voluminous work in 24 cantos, which takes inspiration from the famous Sanskrit play Abhijnanasakuntalam. It was published in 1945 and demonstrated his mastery of Sanskrit language and the clever use of words. Devkota’s translator David Rubin described Shakuntala as his greatest achievement.

List of Famous Poems and Publications Written by Laxmi Prasad Devkota

• Crazy – पागल
• Luni – लुनी
• Like Strength – बल जस्तो
• Muna Madan – मुनामदन
• Duel between Raavan and Jatayu – रावण-जटायु युद्ध
• Kunjini – कुञ्जिनी
• Prince Prabhakar – राजकुमार प्रभाकर
• Beggar – भिखारी
• Mahendu – म्हेन्दु
• Gaine’s Song – गाइने गीत
• Butterfly – Poetry Collection of Childrens (पुतली – बालकवितासंग्रह )
• Golden Morning – सुनको बिहान
• Farmer – कृषिवाला (Musical Play)
• Kidnapping of Sita – सीताहरण
• Meeting of Dushyant and Shakantula – दुष्यन्त-शकुन्तलाको भेट

In addition to this, Devkota also spread his professionalism to short lyric poems based on several traditional and non-traditional forms. Influenced by English poets Wordsworth and Coleridge, he brought out his “Bhikhari” (Beggar) poem collection. The title poem in the group described the pain and suffering of a homeless person deprived of worldly pleasures and assist from his loved ones. Some of the famous poems from the collection are “Ban”(Woods), “Kisan”(The Farmer), and “Badal”(Clouds).

Laxmi Prasad Devkota’s contribution to the essay genre is also remarkable. He is considered the father of modern Nepali essays. During his time, he helped to break the traditional way of essay writing and encouraged the involvement of feelings and clarity. Most of his works had a touch of humour and criticism of the modern influence on Nepali society. To clearly understand this, his essay “Bhaladmi” (Dignitary) and “K Nepal Sano Cha?”(Is Nepal Small?) can work as references. The latter also focuses on nationality and the sentiments associated with the feelings. All of these gems come under the single book name “Laxmi Nibhandha Sangraha.”

As it all comes down to observation, Laxmi Prasad Devkota can be considered a humanist who occasionally expresses his feelings from an atheistic point of view. Some critics have even compared his mentality to that of a Marxism-based thing and other politically leftist ideologies. One of his last poems had indications of god influence, but professionals are still sceptical about the message in that poem to this day.

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Historyradio.org

Mahakavi Laxmi Prasad Devkota, the most famous writer in Nepal

In Nepal every school boy knows the name Laxmi Devkota (1909-59), author of the short Napelese epic  Muna Madan . All over Himalaya his works are revered as classics , yet in Europe and the West his folk inspired narrative poems remain largely unknown. In a special interview one of his two surviving sons, Padma Devkota, explains the continuing attraction of his father’s stories, and why a tale like Muna Madan still fascinates today, almost 100 years after it was written.

Historyradio.org:  Why has Muna Madan become such a central work in Nepalese literature?

Professor Padma Devkota: Muna-Madan remains a central work in Nepali literature for several reasons. Briefly, it is the first major Romantic work in Nepali literature which revolts against the age-long Sanskrit classical tradition and seeks to tell the story, as Professor Shreedhar Lohani observes in “Life, Love, and Death in Muna Madan,” of real people through lives of fictional characters, and to fictionalize real geographical space. This is the first work in Nepali literature which elevates the jhyaure song, an otherwise neglected cultural space, to a significant literary height. Next, it tells a story of the common Nepali people which remains realistically contemporary in the context of the international labor market which still attracts many indigent Nepali workers. It is a heart-rending tragedy written in a simple diction which even the illiterate people of Nepal easily understood. They found their own lives written all over the pages of this book. Even then, Poet Devkota himself was criticized by elitist writers as having done something that would mar his literary career.

Historyradio.org:  Muna Madan deals with issues like poverty and caste, to what extent are these issues in present day Nepal?

Professor Padma Devkota: The caste system is not a central theme of Muna-Madan. It is mentioned only once in the course of the story when Madan’s overwhelming gratitude to the Good Samaritan figure, the Bhote, causes Madan to mention his own caste. Furthermore, the caste system itself was efficient at the time it was created. Later practices cast a slur on its original intent, which was simply a division of labor within a small, ancient community. Quite obviously it has outlasted its use in contemporary societies and the Government of Nepal has taken efficient action against all caste discriminations. However, even as poets and thinkers point up the correct path, human habits die hard. We now fear the rise of economic castes such as those that encrust capitalistic societies. I believe Nepal, especially after its secularization, has been more successful fighting the discriminatory caste system than it has succeeded in fighting poverty.

Historyradio.org:  Tell us a little about your father, Laxmi Prasad Devkota. What sort of man was he?

Professor Padma Devkota: Laxmi Devkota is popular as Mahakavi (Great Poet/Epicist). The public was quick to recognize the exceptional qualities of a poet whose fifty-ninth book, The Witch Doctor and Other Essays, a collection of thirty essays written originally in English, appeared on November 11, 2017. There are several other documents waiting to be published. He wrote in practically all the genres of literature and excelled in poetry and essay. Initially, he wrote under the influence of his Sanskrit background and English education. He started out as a Romantic poet in the Nepali tradition but continually grew as a poet to a literary modernity which the bulk of his writings have shaped. As an intellectual, he participated in the socio-political life of the nation, which he loved with all his heart. As a writer, he had vision, imagination and mastery over the medium. He also raised his voice against colonialism, imperialism, discriminations and injustice. As a thinker, he asserted the necessity of scientific and logical thinking to counteract blind faith and orthodoxy which hindered progress. As a human being, he had the gift of compassion and empathy. Legends continue growing around the life of the poet.

Historyradio.org:  What kind of reception did Muna Mudan receive when it was published?

Professor Padma Devkota: Muna-Madan is a long narrative poem written in the lyrical form called jhyaure in which learned people of the time found, as Devkota himself explains, “a low standard of rural taste, an inkling of distancing from civilization or of showiness or trace of ill-manners of the hills.” He tells us how the pundits “started wrinkling their nose” at the mention of jhyaure. For them, the merits of literature were with Kalidas and Bhavabhuti, the classical Sanskrit poets. For Devkota, they were not national poets and their literary output was not the Nepali national literature. So, he compares his situation to that of his predecessor, Bhanubhakta Acharya, the Adi Kavi or the First Poet of Nepal. During Bhanubhakta’s time, the elitists asked if it was possible to write poetry in Nepali. But Bhanubhakta used the Sanskrit classical meter and produced wonderful poetry in Nepali. Similarly, in Devkota’s time, the elitists asked if it was possible to write poetry in jhyaure. Devkota elevated the status of jhyaure by writing serious literature in this rhythm of the common heart. Quickly, Muna-Madan gained popularity and it still remains the best-seller even to this day.

Historyradio.org:  There is a movie version of the novel, is this film faithful to the original text?

Professor Padma Devkota: I would have to look at the movie again to tell you just how faithful it is. When I watched it for the first time years ago, I thought it was sufficiently faithful to the original text, but that is just a passing claim. Gaps, additions and interpretations of the movie need a more serious revisiting.

Watch the movie trailer 

Historyradio.org:  Could you describe the literary style of that your father uses in his narrative? Is he a realist writer, a naturalist? A modernist?

Professor Padma Devkota: Muna-Madan is a long narrative poem written with the ballad in mind. It uses a lyrical form called the jhyaure which was popular among people at work, especially in the paddy fields where young boys and girls teased each other with songs and fell in love. Although Devkota’s poem is tragic in essence in keeping with the eastern view of life, he insists on the importance of action, which alone can give significance to life. Throughout the poem, there are reversals of the imaginary and the real, of gender roles, of situations, and so on. The poem is romantic in vision, emotionally well-balanced and under full control of the writer. It uses fresh metaphors and images that have a lasting impression upon the mind of the reader. The work is popularly acclaimed as being simple, but simplicity of diction is counteracted by the poet’s imaginative flights that trail the syntax behind them. It is as if my father wanted to apply William Wordsworth’s famous poetic declaration in the Preface to Lyrical Ballads to Nepali literature: to write about real people in their own tongues. In trying to select a “language really used by men,” Devkota strikes gold and achieves a simplicity which stands in great contrast to the complexity he was later able to achieve in the epic language of Nepali Shakuntala, for instance.

In terms of its revolt against the classical tradition and its attempt to speak in the simple language of the common people, Muna-Madan is modernist too. It does make a very powerful statement against discriminatory caste practices.

Historyradio.org:  In which way does his novel fall into the narrative of Nepalese literary history?

Professor Padma Devkota: Nepali derives from Pali, which derives from Sanskrit. Very early Nepali writers wrote devotional poetry in Sanskrit; but Bhanubhakta Acharya decided to freely translate Ramanyan into Nepali using the classical Sanskrit meters. He also wrote a few poems about the political and social issues of his time. Then came Motiram Bhatta and introduced the Urdu gazal and wrote many love poems. Lekhanath Poudyal stuck to the Sanskrit tradition but wrote a Nepali that gleamed with polished language. Balakrishna Sama, a playwright and a poet, looked westward and to science and philosophy. Laxmi Prasad Devkota introduced Romanticism and Modernity to Nepali literature.

Briefly again, my father’s poetry is spontaneous, deeply felt, sincere and honest, and has a touch of spirituality in it. He loves his nation, but goes glocal. He finds his inspiration in the histories and mythologies of India, Greater India (Bharatvarsha), Greece, Rome and Nepal. For him, mythology offers a proper window into the hearts of the peoples of the world. For the human being must stand at the center of the universe. The human being is the only significantly worthy object of worship. And the poet remains a liberal humanist.

Historyradio.org:  Why do you think Muna Madan is so little known in Europe?

Professor Padma Devkota: No serious attempt has been made by the Nepalese Government to introduce its culture and literature to the Europeans, who don’t read Nepali anyway. And why should they? Nepal is not an economic or military giant. So, its richest cultural mine awaits discovery by individuals who wander in search of the best in world literature. Some such as Dom Moreas who met Devkota at his death-bed and reminisced him in Gone Away: An Indian Journal or David Rubin whose translations of Devkota’s poems appear under the title Nepali Visions, Nepali Dreams or Michael Hutt of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London, who translated Muna-Madan are examples of Western scholars who have discovered him. More recently, international scholarship has grown around Devkota’s work. One such study, though peripheral to Muna-Madan, is that of Anna Stirr’s on “Sounding and Writing a Nepali Public Sphere: The Music and Language of Jhyaure” (Asian Music 46, 2015). Although Devkota himself started the tradition of translating his own works and those of his colleagues’ into English, and although he also started the tradition of writing serious literature originally in English, we have not been able to publicize it beyond the frontiers of our immediate neighbors.

Historyradio.org:  Are there many foreign translations of the story?

Professor Padma Devkota: Not as many as or as good as we would like to see. Some Nepali translators have attempted rendering Muna-Madan into English. Among them are my father’s brother, Madhusudhan Devkota, and Tirtha Man Tuladhar both of whom attempted a translation of this work in 1970. Ananda Shrestha’s rendering into English appeared in 1995. Foreigners, too, have tried to translate this work in their own ways. A. M. Syangden and Ganga Singh Rai form India attempted translating Muna-Madan in 1994 and 1996, respectively. Their major problem is with the language itself. Michael J. Hutt’s translation appeared in 1996. It remains the most noted version to this day. Liu Xian translated it into Chinese in 2011. Portions of the text have been translated into Russian, Korean, French, German and other European languages, too. All of them have translated from the original text of Muna-Madan, which is shorter by 399 lines from the text revised by the poet in 1958. This one remains to be translated by someone.

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Laxmi Prasad Devkota was born on November 12, 1909 and died on September 14, 1959. Laxmi Prasad Devkota was the third son of Pandit Tilmadhav and the Amar Rajya Laxmi Devi. He was born on the day of Laxmi Puja. So, His Parents named him Laxmi Prasad as the arrival of Laxmi(Goddess of Wealth). Most People know him as a great poet of Nepali literature. Devkota was a man of many talents, writing poems, short stories, plays and essays in all four genres of Nepali literature. Therefore, His contributions to the genre of poetry and essays are considered to be of the highest order. He has written unique works like Munamdan, Sulochana, Shakuntala. He is especially famous for his masterpiece “Muna Madan”.

Devkota has been experiencing many hardships since his birth. The managerial structure of his house was also very poor. Also, his house did not reach the poverty line. So, when he was young he use to say, ‘I will study English and after studying a lot I will earn money by teaching tuition. But he was sick from birth. Devkota had read Amarkosh and recited hymns in his childhood. He used to recite his father’s poems from an early age. As his father’s poetry progressed, so did the juice of literature. His father tried to make him a Pandit.

Durbar High School was the only school in Nepal during the Rana rule. He was admitted there with hard work. He started writing poetry from school. Devkota used to recite poems in class. Some students accused him of reciting his father’s poems. So, he recited a poem called Durbar High School in 10 minutes. The poem contained a critical analysis of the student’s behavior, the teacher’s teaching style, and the school. After hearing this poem, students and teachers of the school started praising Devkota’s creativity. In 1925, Devkota admitted to Tri-Chandra College in Science. After completing his certificate level studies in science, he moved to the Faculty of Humanities. After completing his bachelor’s degree in 1929, he went to Patna, India in 1931 on a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in English. He didn’t get a place in English. So, he studied law.

Literary journey

Devkota was a rich and extraordinary writer of many talents; There is no genre of literature that has not touched his short life since he started writing poetry at the age of ten. He has written epics, long descriptive poems, essays, stories, plays, songs and critiques. Devkota’s essays, which feel like reading poetry, are highly commendable for their style and content. The tragic play “Munamdan” is one of the best-selling works by sajha publication even five decades after his death. “Munamdan” is the first Nepali work soaked in Nepali public life. Devkota also taught at Tri-Chandra College for some time. He also became Nepal’s education minister in 2013. During his time, Nepal’s largest and first Tribhuvan University was established.

Devkota had a unique talent for writing poems very quickly. He wrote Shakuntala (epic) in three months, Sulochana (epic) in ten days and Kunjini in one night. He took Nepali literature to new heights. Munamadan was written in the popular Lok Vaka or Zhaure verse. This put an end to the influence of Sanskrit in Nepali literature. The poem “Pagal” is his next great creation; In which he has answered in a poetic style to those who call themselves crazy. In Nepali linguistics, Devkota became the pioneer of Romanticism. Also, Devkota was also the first to translate Nepali language literature into English language literature. And bring it to the western countries.

Continued…

The great Indian scholar Dr. Rahul Sankrityayan had said, “I consider Devkota to be the greatest human incarnation after the Buddha”. Sankrityayan had also described Devkota as one of the three main poets of India. (Jaishankar Prasad, Sumitranandan Pant and Suryakant Tripathi Nirala). Devkota understood fourteen languages. His poem ‘Sharda’ written in nine languages ​​also came to the masses.

Devkota was also known as the water god of Literature. He was not out of poetry when he got up, sat down, walked, slept, ate or in any moment of his conscious and unconscious. From the time he opened his eyes in the morning to the time he closed his eyes at night, he used to wander in the world of poetry. One of his lifelong friends was a poet and the other a cigarette.

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Biography of laxmi prasad devkota – nepali mahakavi.

Gifted poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota born on the festival of the Goddess of wealth “Laxmi Puja” and so named as a present from the Goddess Laxmi. But he turned out to be wealthier in knowledge and wisdom rather than in money and riches. He was known as Mahakabi , the great poet, and lived and died a poor man.

Biography of Laxmi Prasad Devkota

Lakshmi Prasad Devkota was born on November 12, 1909 (1966 BS) on the night of Laxmi Pooja festival in Dillibazar, Kathmandu. His father Teel Madhav Devkota and mother Amar Rajyalakshmi Devi regarded him as the gift from the goddess Laxmi and named him Laxmi Pradad. Devkota is known as the greatest poet of Nepal, and has been given the title of “Maha Kavi” (“The Great Poet”).

At the time of Devkota, the learned poets preferred to write poems in Sanskrit rather than in Nepali language. Devkota is known to have started a modern romantic movement in Nepal. Devkota was the first poet to write epic poems in Nepali literature. Nepali poetry soared to new heights with Devkota’s groundbreaking and innovative use of the language.

Devkota wrote Muna Madan (1930), a long narrative poem in popular “jyaure”, a Nepali folk style. The Rana rulers at that time liked the epic poem. The poem is a story about a young guy named Madan leaving his wife Muna at home to earn money in Tibet. The hardships of the journey and the grief of separation, longing and death are some of the most important aspects of the story.

Devkota is known for his ability to compose long epic poems with literary complexity and philosophical depth in very short period of time. He wrote Shakuntala, his first epic poem (the first “Mahakavya” – epic poem – in the Nepali language) in three months. The book is a voluminous work in 24 cantos based on Sanskrit play by Kalidas ‘Abhjana Sakunalam’.

Besides poetry, Devkota also made significant contributions in stories and essay genre. He is also considered the father of the modern Nepali essay. He defied the conventional form of essays by breaking the rules of grammar and syntax, and embracing a more fluid style.

4 thoughts on “ Biography of Laxmi Prasad Devkota – Nepali Mahakavi ”

Many mistakes born on 1966 bs and wrote poem in 193…something bs?? :( any way nice biography i liked it !

Nepali year 1966 BS is equivalent to 1909 AD.

He wrote “Muna Madan” in 1930 is AD, when he was 21-years old.

long lve devkota jew……..

He is always on my heart.

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The great poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota

He was born in a middle class family. At the time he was born, Nepal was ruled by the Ranas who were against educating the common people. His family had to go through a lot of trouble to get him admitted at Durbar School, which was the only school in the whole of Kathmandu Valley. He got married at the age of fifteen, while still in school.

He wrote his first poems at school. He was quiet and always a good student who loved reading and writing. It is said that he used to recite his poems in front of his class and his friends did not believe that he wrote them himself because they were very good. His teachers, however, were impressed by his talent.

When he came back from India after finishing his studies, he had to work really hard to earn a living. His popular book Muna Madan was written during this time. All the poets of the time wrote using the old Sanskrit forms. Muna Madan was written in the jhyaure folklore style. This was completely new and it received recognition. It is still a best seller even after more than seven decades of its publication.

Soon afterwards, he lost both his parents and an infant daughter within two years. This shattered Devkota completely. It was at this point that he wrote Pagal which is one of the best written poems in Nepali.

He had the command of Nepali, Sanskrit, Hindi, and English languages and he could write poetry very quickly. He wrote his first epic Shakuntala in three months. He wrote his other epic Sulochana in ten days and Kunjini in a single day. He was a versatile writer and wrote many essays, plays, stories, novels, criticism and innumerable poems along with the epics. His essays are much admired for their style and content. He took Nepali literature to new heights. He has influenced generations of Nepali writers and many have tried to emulate him.

Devkota worked hard all his life. He became a professor at Trichandra College in 1946. Later, in 1957, he became Nepal’s Education Minister.

He was also a very generous man. He gave all he had to anyone in need. One winter morning, he saw a beggar shivering in the street and gave him the coat he was wearing.

In 1958, he was diagnosed with cancer and he passed away in 1959 aged 50.

Although he is no more with us, his writing will always keep him alive in the hearts of the people who love Nepali literature.

Other Nepali poets: Aadikabi Laxmi Prasad Devkota Mahakabi Siddhi Charan Shrestha Yugkabi Bhanu Bhakta Acharya Yuvakabi Moti Ram Bhatta

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Biography of Laxmi Prasad Devkota : The Greatest Poet of Nepal

Laxmi Prasad Devkota was born in 1909 in Dillibazar, Kathmandu, on the auspicious day of Laxmi Puja, when the goddess of wealth is honoured in every household. His name ‘ Laxmi Prasad Devkota ‘ was given by his parent. Despite the fact that his name implies the goddess of wealth’s gift, he lived in poverty his entire life. Rather, the goddess Saraswati, who is associated with study and understanding, bestowed upon him a blessing. He attained the status of Nepal’s “Greatest Poet, ” Mahakabi, and won the affection and admiration of the populace.

His family belonged to the middle class. The Ranas, who were in charge of Nepal when he was born, were opposed to public education. In the Kathmandu Valley, Durbar School was the sole school; therefore, getting him admitted required a lot of work on the part of his family. While still enrolled in school, he got married at the age of fifteen.

His initial poems were written in school. He was a modest, devoted reader and writer who was always a decent student. It is reported that when he would perform his poems in front of his classmates, his friends would not accept that he was the author since they were so excellent. Nonetheless, his talent impressed his teachers.

After completing his education with honours, he enrolled at Trichandra College in 1925 to pursue a science degree. After earning his B.A. in arts in 1929, he travelled to India on a scholarship to pursue further education in 1931. He and his friends wrote to the Prime Minister, Rana, requesting permission to establish a library in Kathmandu as a result of what they saw in India’s libraries. For this, they received prison sentences and hefty penalties.

After completing his studies in India, he had to work really hard to support himself. Muna Madan , his well-known book, was written during this period. All of the writers of that time used the ancient Sanskrit forms. Muna Madan was composed in the style of Jhyaure folklore. This was entirely novel, and it was acknowledged. After being published for more than 70 years, it is still a best-seller.

He lost his mother and father soon after, as well as his baby daughter, within two years. This broke Devkota to pieces. He wrote Pagal, one of the best poems ever written in Nepali, around this time.

In addition to being fluent in Hindi, Sanskrit, Nepali, and English, he was a very fast poet. In three months, he completed writing Shakuntala, his debut epic. He spent 10 days writing Sulochana, his other epic, and one day writing Kunjini. In addition to the epics, he was a prolific writer of essays, dramas, stories, novels, criticism, and countless poems. His essays are well regarded for both their substance and elegance. He elevated Nepali literature to a whole new level. Several Nepali writers have attempted to imitate him because he has affected generations of them.

Devkota dedicated his life to labour. In 1946, he was appointed as a lecturer at Trichandra College. He was later appointed Minister of Education for Nepal in 1957. He was also an extremely giving individual. He offered everyone in need everything he had. He handed the beggar the coat he was wearing after noticing him freezing on the street one winter’s morning.

He was given a cancer diagnosis in 1958 and died in 1959 at the age of fifty. His writing will live on in the hearts of those who adore Nepali literature , even if he is no longer with us.

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Biography of Laxmi Prasad Devkota

• By Neppedia Team
• January 12, 2023

Laxmi Prasad Devkota (1909-1959) was a prominent Nepali poet, playwright, and essayist. He is considered to be one of the most influential literary figures in Nepal, and is known for his contributions to Nepali literature, particularly his poetry.

Devkota was born on December 12, 1909, in the village of Devkota in the Dolakha district of Nepal. He was the eldest son of his family and received his early education at home. He later went to Kathmandu for higher education, where he studied at Durbar High School and Tri Chandra College.

Devkota began writing poetry at a young age and his first poem was published in a local magazine when he was just 14 years old. He went on to publish several collections of poetry and plays, including “Muna Madan” which is one of his most famous work and considered as a classic in Nepali literature.

In addition to his literary contributions, Devkota also played a significant role in Nepal’s political and cultural history. He was an active member of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, and he played a key role in the drafting of Nepal’s first democratic constitution.

Despite his successes, Devkota’s life was plagued by personal tragedy. He was an alcoholic and suffered from chronic health problems. He died on September 14, 1959, at the age of 49.

Devkota’s legacy lives on through his writing. He is celebrated as one of Nepal’s greatest poets and his work has been translated into many languages. Many of his work is still studied in schools, colleges and universities across Nepal. His works are considered as a representation of Nepali culture and the way of living. He is remembered for his powerful imagery and the way he addressed social and political issues in his writing.

In conclusion, Laxmi Prasad Devkota was a pioneering literary figure in Nepal. He was a poet, playwright, and essayist of great significance, whose contributions to Nepali literature continue to be celebrated and studied to this day. He was also a political figure whose work helped shape Nepal’s modern democratic identity.

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Memorable Aspects of Poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota

Ninu Chapagain

The observation by some of the critics of Nepal that the great poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota (1909 – 1959) is in himself the whole of Nepali literature, is an exaggerated remark. But writers and scholars from abroad too have estimated Devkota quite high as a great icon, not only of Nepali literature but also of the global literature. Be it the remark of Doctor Miller—who was treating Devkota for stomach cancer that Devkota was a rare individual like Abraham Lincoln who takes birth after centuries, or be it the opinion of Russian cosmonaut Yuri Maltsev that Devkota was a ‘staunch nationalist’, a ‘true patriot of his country’ , a global citizen who was a ‘hearty lover of Russia’—they all have estimated Devkota quite high with an open-hearted praise for his writing, that crosses the boundaries of nationality and assumes a purely global character, vindicated by the fact that even years after his death, his creative power gives us a inner and eternal power. We can also consider the opinion of Russian writer Ludmila Aganina, who for the first time wrote Devkota’s  biography in a foreign language:

A talented Nepali poet, a freedom-lover, a patriot, an architect of words, an anti-colonialist and a man of positive action, Devkota was a cordial friend of Soviet Union. A poet dies but his work is immortal. Devkota’s poems are living examples.

All these remarks foreground Devkota’s magical talent and great contributions.    

Shiva Mangal Singh Suman, an expert of Hindi literature, has remarked that Devkota is in par with world’s best poets, and his absence cannot be easily compensated. For a nation to get a talent like him, it should be ready for a sacrificial penance. With this single talent in its hand, Nepali literature has become glorious on the stage of the global literature forever.  

In this context, the opinion of Indian scholar Rahul Sankrityayan too is pertinent. He said:

Nepali poetry faced the obligation to meet India’s four century-long target in just one century; yet we cannot consider it immature owing mainly to this haste. One of its vindications is the great poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota, in whom we not only find the conglomeration of three of our greatest poets—Prasad, Panta and Nirala—but in him, we also find the extended form of Ayodhya Singh Hariaudh, the author of Priyabrabas . On the other, we find in Devkota a different poet of high stature, who was never born in Hindi literature.

These exemplary opinions from foreign writers to some extent clarify the type of contributions Devkota made in Nepali literature.

Among the most remarkable contributions of Devkota, we can recall his pioneering role in popularizing romanticism at a time when classicism was at the helm of its influence in the history of Nepali poetry. His untiring commitment to its refinement, development and prosperity, his establishment as the central talent in the genre of poetry in his age, execution of the primal responsibility to lay the foundation of Nepali essay, and development of various facets of romanticism in Nepali poetry with new vigour and craftsmanship are unforgettable contributions of Devkota. His specialty rests in the fact that he raised himself above the plain of passive romanticism that was retrospective, removed from the society, and engrossed in nature’s eulogy and spiritualism. He gave a boost to the element of rebellion started by Siddhicharan Shrestha and Gopal Prasad Rimal, and after 1951, subscribed to Marxist philosophy and delivered high-order revolutionary romantic creations. He also holds the credit of making historic experimentations like popularizing folk metrical patterns and giving them a position of esteem in literature, and conferring ordinary people of Nepal and people from various castes and communities the role of the protagonists in his writings.

Devkota was the writer who enriched the archive of Nepali vocabulary by coining new words rooted in Nepaliness. Though he was still an idealist to a great extent, he incorporated issues related with the deplorable and economically poor Nepali populace, and their obligation to migrate towards Tibet (called ‘Bhot’ by the Nepalese) and India (called ‘Muglan’ by the Nepalese) for job, and the untold hardship they had to face there. The choice of such subjects and characters, in turn, made him an immortal poet. 

Devkota also lent enough inspiration and support to Nepali people in their struggle for democracy. His contribution in developing Nepali literature against imperialism and colonialism, giving it a healthy development trajectory, is quite salutary. In fact, great poet Devkota was a staunch activist of the literary and cultural movement against feudalism and imperialism. He was an extremely diligent and hard-working personality with a high sense of self-esteem and a spirit of sacrifice, capable of combating poverty, scarcity and adversity. All his life, depending on private tutorials for making his ends meet, Devkota fought with various adversities and problems; however, the sacrifice he made in favour of the nation, its people and revolution will never be forgotten.   

There is no doubt that in his convictions about life, Devkota is not uniform in his writings. There are ample multiplicities, enough contradictions and many paradoxes in his literature. He was a poet, who responded to the calls of the changing epoch and moulded himself in tune with the imperatives of the dynamic age. Through the lane of spiritualism, we adopted materialism and with time, got influenced from dialectic materialism. In the first phase of his writing (1934-1946), he was a passive romantic humanist, while in second stage (1947-1951) he became a revolutionary romantic who supported capitalistic humanism. In the third phase (1952-1958), he presented himself as a revolutionary romantic, who supported socialistic humanism. However, he had not been able to completely give up the regressive tendencies he showed in the first phase of his life. He, at places, repeated such tendencies in his later-day writings too.  

Some Popular Works of Devkota

Among the most discussed works of the great poet Devkota are Muna – Madan (short-epic, 1935), Shakuntal (epic, 1945), Sulochana (epic, 1945), Pahadi Pukar (long poem, 1948), Prometheus (epic, started in 1954 and published in 1959), and Krishi Bala (poetic drama, 1956). The first named three works represent the first phase of Devkota’s literary life. In these works, Devkota has presented himself as a spiritual idealist thinker. Of all the works written in this stage, Muna-Madan stands out because of its distinctive position in Nepali literature. It is characterized by Nepaliness, populism and originality. We shall turn to Muna-Madan later. Sulochana is a reformist epic that advocates love marriage and widow remarriage, and denounces violence against women. It is strewn with idealist and theist outlook that the struggle between the rich and the poor and between the old and new will take everyone towards destruction. 

Though the patrons of ancient Hindu culture rate Shakuntal as the greatest of Devkota’s writings that showcases the highest order of Devkota’s poetic excellence, this work is among Devkota’s most inferior works in regards with its social pertinence and social values, although it is an important manifestation of Devkota’s spontaneity, grand imaginative faculty, comprehensive and grand-eloquent representation of nature, and witty and sharp poetic capacity.  

Shakuntal is the best example of Devkota’s retrospective thinking. This tendency of seeking an escape from the deplorable present through a retirement to the old and the outdated story can be seen as Devkota’s conservative tendency to push the present time towards regression. In Pahadi Pukar (1948), Devkota has made realistic depiction of the Nepali society during the Rana regime, giving a call for struggle and revolution for one’s personal rights (human rights). Before this, none of Devkota’s writings had made such realistic depiction of Nepal’s social and political problems giving a clarion call for revolution. The epic Prometheus (started in 1954 and published in 1959), and the poetic drama Krishi Bala (1956) are the most important works of the third phase of Devkota’s poetic career. Both the works are laden with revolutionary fervour. They articulate the opinion that an armed struggle is inevitable for the liberation of the common people. Based on the love story between Usha and Kiran—a young man and a maiden from peasant families— Krishi Bala is a story of the struggle of the farmers for liberation from the feudal oppression. Some critics, who stress on the spontaneous poetic faculty of Devkota, have made an exaggerated presentation of Devkota’s Shakuntal —written in three months, and Sulochana —written in ten days, as works that stand synonymously with Devkota.  But Devkota’s greatness as a poet is found to be resting on his poems like “The Lunatic” and in works like Muna-Madan , Prometheus and Krishi Bala , and not on any other work. If his poetic greatness is to be gauzed on the basis of his epics, it is to be sought in Prometheus , and not in Shakuntal or any other epic. 

Like Shakuntal , Prometheus too is not free from retrospective tendencies, but in Prometheus , these tendencies are not aimed at  resurrecting the past in the present context as in Shakuntal , but at guiding the present towards the future. Prometheus is a grand-narrative that is based on the high ideal of humanism, revolution and liberation. Shakuntal , Maha Rana Pratap and Prithviraj Chauhan were written with an aim to back Hindu Aryan culture and medieval feudal culture, but Prometheus was composed to support revolutionary activities depicting the struggle of the hero Prometheus with Zeus, who is anti-humanist and a draconian ruler. It airs the universal message that revolt should compulsorily brew against draconian and dictatorial regimes and leaders, and no matter how difficult a situation comes up, one should never be disheartened. 

In his first phase of writing, as seen in Shakuntal , Devkota had back-fed the ancient Aryan civilization as ideal, and had become retrospective. However, in the third phase of his writing, though he turned towards the ancient age through Prometheus , he committed himself to the service of the future, accepting freedom, liberation and sacrifice as his ideals. 

Extremely Popular Poet

Great poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota is among those poets, who have been extremely popular among Nepali people, and among the patrons of international literature. Till date, no other Nepali writer has been found to share his stature. A few reasons that raised his popularity to this pinnacle are his extraordinary creative faculty, astonishing talent, honesty of giving his experiences an original expression in a powerful way, generation of high quality revolutionary literature in favour of freedom, equality and economic justice, excellent artistry that surpasses all his contemporaries, history of fearlessly plunging into anti-Rana and anti-monarchy movements for democracy, brutal critique of the selfish and wrong tendencies of the leaders, staunch patriotism, generation of works that embolden Nepal’s national unity, the worthy message against colonialism and imperialism articulated in international seminars, the tendency to side with the poor and the needy in all circumstances, and the liberal habit of prodigally spending all his earnings for friends without even saving for future etc.

Devkota’s short epic Muna-Madan , published in the first phase of his literary life, has played the most instrumental role in giving Devkota this degree of popularity. Muna-Madan (1935) is an epic that presents the deplorable economic condition of the lower middle class of Nepal during the Rana regime. The epic makes a heart-rending depiction of the life of lower middle class people. Those days, people had no option but to go to Tibet or India for work and earn whatever they could to run the family. Muna-Madan presents the same predicament, in which Madan, the protagonist, goes to Tibet (Bhot) for work. The epic underscores the national and economic problem resulting out of such emigration. Muna-Madan can be considered a document that throws light on the realistic status of the economic deplorability of the entire Nepali populace, Nepali measures to combat the same, the selfish and intriguing nature of the rulers, the helplessness of the Nepali people and the essence of their hardship. In the tradition of Nepali epics, Muna-Madan stands out as unique and original, especially on the question of the subject it treats and the style of expression it uses. For the first time, an epic addressed the life of the working class people, their life style and their struggle. Earlier, people from the same class were given the central position as protagonists. In one hand, the epic depicts indifferent natures of friends who leave the protagonist Madan in a sickly state on his way back from Tibet; on the other hand, there is the tale of the magnanimous character of a poor Tibetan peasant who takes Madan to his home, treats him, and sends him home without taking a penny for his service and hospitality. Devkota’s other epics, however big they might have been, have not been able to surpass Muna-Madan . 

A Mythical Hero in His Lifetime

Probably due to his excessive popularity, everything related with Devkota, including his writing, his food habits, and his general behaviour, became popular anecdotes for people. His liberal nature and his magnanimous humanity have become a point of discussion for everyone. His capacity to deliver fluent lecture on poetry and enrapture everyone with his speech, the power to write poetry any time, the habit of gifting away all his clothes and reaching home half-naked in cold season if he saw any unclad person shivering, distributing all his salary to poor and beggars spotted on the way and returning home empty-handed, his habit of smoking all the time, getting his fingers burnt with his own cigars, remaining engrossed in thoughts all the time, inability to distinguish whether he was starving or well-fed, forgetting to return home from medical store with drugs for ailing children and a few more of such anecdotes are taken as hearsay stories connected with Devkota. In popularizing such hearsays about Devkota, the most instrumental things were the strong curiosities, interest and fondness of Nepali people in his grand, liberal and attractive personality. Besides Devkota, there has been no other writer in Nepali literary arena, who has enjoyed so much of attraction from the general populace.

A Spontaneous Poet

Poet Devkota is famous for his rare capacity to write verses in all circumstances, and on all issues. There are many examples of his spontaneity in Nepali literature. In his short-lived life, he has bequeathed a pile of works. In his life of fifty years, he spent forty years in the service of literature. Sources say, he wrote around 85 books in this duration. His works are powerful enough to shock anyone, both in quantity and quality. In a short period of three months, he wrote the 557 page long epic Shakuntal , divided into 24 cantos. When some sort of doubt was expressed on this extraordinary capacity, he challenged the same by saying that he would make another epic ready in ten days, and the result was Sulochana , taking everyone by surprise. Divided into fifteen cantos, the epic Sulochana was in fact a product of sixty hours of engagement. He surprised everyone by writing the short epic Kunjini in a single day. There also is a saying that he wrote twelve stories in a single night. He wrote the short epic Ansu , consisting of 93 slokas in just one hour and twenty minutes. He believed that he could write one epic in a day. He had a strange capacity to converse all day long in metrical verses, and talk whole day on poetry. Therefore, he was not just known as a spontaneous poet; people said he was a switch, which on being pressed could emanate poetry. Barring a few, most of his works are of high quality, and people cannot easily relegate them to the rank of inferior works. 

A Multi-dimensional Talent

Devkota has laid his hand on a myriad of genres like poetry, short epics, full-length epics, children’s poetry, songs, essays, stories, novel, poetic drama and plays, along with commentaries, prefaces, comments, reports and memoirs. This is an evidence of the multi-dimensional personality he owned. As a literary journalist, he also edited Yugvani and Indreni . He was the chairman of various literary organizations. He too was an activist of the political party Nepali National Congress, and all his life, he remained a tutor. He also worked as a job-holder, teacher and professor. He took part in Nepali people’s struggle for democracy all his life. He played a great role in expanding the horizon of Nepal’s struggle for democracy, first as a member of its advisory committee and second, as the representative of Nepali intellectuals in the advisory body. The speeches he delivered about the need to establish democracy at the earliest, about true and false democracies, and about Nepal’s nationality as representative of writers in All Party Conference, and as the chairman of the grand gathering organized to welcome Dr. K. I. Singh prove that he was a true supporter of people’s rule. 

Devkota was a person who paid keen interest in the educational and academic development of the Nepali people. He played a crucial role in the foundation of Tribhuvan University and Nepal Academy, and he was a member of both these institutions. Though for a short span, he served Nepal and its citizens at the capacity of the Minister for Education and Autonomous Governance. These are some facets of Devkota’s public life. 

In private life too, Devkota was no less magnanimous. He was a person without hypocrisy. He led a liberal, diligent, honest, simple and modest life with a high sense of self-esteem. On this ground, playwright Bal Krishna Sama said, “Devkota was greater than all his works; it will be unjust to bind his unparalleled personality within the limits of his works.”

Poet Who Raised the Esteem of Nepali Folk Metres

At a time when classical metres were normally employed and folk metres were sidelined, Devkota wrote Muna-Madan and a few other works in folk metres. Muna-Madan and such other works are befitting answers to those poets who considered ornate classical metres as the only medium capable of expressing lofty, grand and great ideas. With the conviction that jhayure —a Nepali folk metre—is the true metre of the people, Devkota showed the guts to use this metre in Muna-Madan and a few others of his profound and popular works like Kunjini (1945), Basanti (1952) and Mhendu (1959). He also wrote many songs and poems in folk metres. This way, he played a crucial role in raising the esteem of Nepali folk metres connected with Nepal’s joy and sorrow, which were sidelined by scholarly and educated modern practitioners. The jhyaure metre Devkota used in his works has become a means to connect the general Nepali people with poetry. The short epic Mhendu , composed in a folk metre called ‘Bhote selo’ has played an important role for national integration by linking Nepali literature with the folk culture of various communities living in Nepal. 

A Poet Who Promoted National Integration

Putting a break on the tradition of choosing protagonists from the socially, economically, politically and culturally dominant people and lifting their characters high, Devkota tried to place the common characters and subject of various communities as central to his writing. The epic Muna-Madan , for the first time in the history of Nepal’s epic tradition, gave a high placement to a character from a tribal community of Nepal. By depicting a Tibetan man to have more liberality, humanity and sense of service than a Bhrahmin or a Chhetri, Devkota presented a new trend. He made this initiative even more extended in his later works and represented characters from tribal communities as heroes. Gurung in Kunjini , Sherpa in Luni and Tamang in Mhendu have been given the status of heroes, giving categorical message that the nation called Nepal doesn’t belong to the community of the rulers alone; it equally belongs to people of various communities, and all communities are entitled to the same rights and opportunities. This is a historic contribution Devkota made in Nepali literature. 

A Distinguished Patron of Nepal’s Nature 

Nepal is a country endowed by nature’s unparallel beauty. Here, nature manifests itself in various forms—from extremely beautiful ones, to the extremely horrific ones. In the works of Devkota, these myriad of manifestations and forms find their depiction as central subject. He was a great patron of nature. In fact, he spent all his life depicting Nepal’s natural beauty in his works. The grand, lively and dynamic representation of Nepal’s nature can be detected all over his works. The works of no other Nepali poet have made such power representation of the dynamism of nature that changes every moment and manifests in innumerable forms. Special mention may be made of the horrific and macabre face of nature that finds special place in his works. Devkota too had attained specialization in personifying nature. It was a specialty on his part to enter the internal worlds of the society and individuals through nature. In words of critic Basudev Tripathee, in Devkota we find the traits of all the five major romantic poets of English literature. It can therefore be said that these were the reasons that made Dekvota famous as a great lover of nature.

A Great Patron of Humanism

Devkota is the most distinguished Nepali poet, who had great faith in humanism. In all turns of his literary career, he remained a humanist. His humanist stand appears to be growing firmer in later days, and it makes a transition into a concrete form of humanism from an abstract one. Ludmila Aganina, the Russian author who wrote Devkota’s biography in the Russian language, has characterized Devkota as a person greatly concerned with the future of his country, and anxious about the future of the entire planet. According to her, it is quite easy to kneel down before a discouragement, but man has to live as man anyway and should cater joy and hope to others with one’s own enthusiasm. Only then, a title like the ‘human’ becomes worthy of an individual.

In one of his poems written in Moscow, Devkota had said, “Life becomes life, only if it comes to be of some use to others.” To author Somnath Ghimire ‘Byas’ who approached Devkota to request him to write preface to his book Ashouch Bigyan , Devkota had advised: “We need not write about gods and landlords anymore; we must henceforth write about human beings.” On being asked why other works he wrote were not as popular as Muna-Madan , Devkota had answered that it was mainly because, Muna-Madan was more human-centred than other works he wrote. According to Indian scholar Rahul Sankrityayan, Devkota’s heart was committed to love for man, and he was easily moved by the hardship of the poor and the needy. In fact, Devkota’s importance rests in his service to humanity. He has repeatedly said, “My ambrosia is service to man,” “I want to see all my brothers settled,” “We need to light a lamp, for the world is still too dark,” and “Work is worship says Laxmi Prasad.” 

Devkota’s conviction about art makes his stand on humanism clearer. He believes that art has its connectivity with life. In his famous speech delivered at Tashkent during the Afro-Asian Writers’ Conference, he had said: 

From the people awakened by the great struggles for life and against destruction, for equality of status and against military invasion, for national freedom and against colonialism and imperialism, literature has started receiving strong support. In this condition, literature can no longer remain a means of pleasure for a particular class.  It has now become a powerful social and national weapon.

Devkota had strong belief that literature should ensure the welfare of the society. In his essay titled “Sahitya ra Shivatva” (Literature and Eternal Truth), Devkota writes: “Literature that harms the society is poison; it’s not true literature. We consider that literature is a stream of creation emanating from enlightened people inspired by an objective of ensuring a balanced development of the heart and the mind.”  The support literature’s its existence rests on the harmonization of social views, development of the heart, and through it, the expansion of the intellect. It is the reflection of the age, and its progress is grounded on its use and eternal validity.”  In his views, the main parameter to judge the eternal utility of literature is the degree in which it inspires man to move ahead along the path of progress through the acts of profound influence. These are some of his opinions about literature. A few of these sayings are enough to depict the greatness of his humanist thinking. 

A Poet with Universal Sensitivity

Devkota, in the third stage of his poetic career, wrote many poems cantred on international problems. “Sade” (Beast), “Shanti Geet” (Peace Song), and “Asia” are some of his poems in this category. He has written poems denouncing problems like arm-race among the imperialist nations, war for colonization, and production of nuclear weapons, and in support of equal existence, world peace, and national independence. His vision about a universal language, global humanism, high estimation of the people of Russia and China, and the praise of Mao Tse-tung too are examples of internationalism inside him. Seizing the vein of the real problem of his days, he appealed all the writers of the world to stand united against imperialism and colonization. He took parts in some international seminars and delivered highly influential speeches. In those speeches, he not only criticised imperialism, colonization and wars among the imperialist nations; he also stressed on the need for unity among the oppressed countries. He is a poet of Asian universalism. Writing about an awakened Asia, he has written:

We are awakened Asian children; we’re Nepalese, the children of the dusk

We too are rightful heirs to the round home of the globe; we claim our share in a plate full

We are patrons of sacrifice; we are Nepalese—the universal human. 

First Bridge of Literary-Cultural Ties with China

The first most important writer to connect Nepal and China through literary-cultural means was Laxmi Prasad Devkota. He contributed in this respect in various ways. His short epic Muna-Madan is the first and one of the finest works ever written, based on the long tradition of cultural and economic relation of the Nepalese people with People’s Republic of China—their neighbour in the north. In it, Devkota has not only prodigally eulogized the natural beauty of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet; he has also described the beauty of the women of Lhasa, besides its social prosperity. That time, Devkota even proposed the construction of Kathmandu-Lhasa Highway. He believed that such a highway was necessary for Nepal’s national security and sovereignty. We can safely say, such a viewpoint that advocated a connectivity of Nepal with Tibet was quite visionary. 

Devkota toured China in the first week of September in 1953, and met Mao Tse-tung.  The poem “Mao Tse-tung” he wrote immediately after, and his “Suputra e Chinka” (O Great Progenies of China)—written in praise of the great Chinese people—can be mentioned in this regard. Expressing his honour for the people of China, he writes: 

O great progenies of China!

You have spilled blood; so the roses have blossomed

See, the east is red! The dark night has waned

The awakened hearts are twinkling with light

You have now reached the pinnacle of success

Erasing from earth the night—a blot on the earth’s face!

In this poem, Devkota has not only praised the Chinese people, he has also expressed his promise and commitment to registering victory over the domestic enemies of Nepal. He writes:

We have come to share

The joy of your warmth, divine light and successful ascent of the mountain peak 

A touch of yours tells us, we shall defeat

our domestic foes

who are still too blind to see the dawning age. 

Devkota’s high opinion about Mao Tse-tung is not less attractive and significant. In his poems, the poet has addressed Mao Tse-tung as a great architect of the East, and as a mountain peak. According to his own acceptance, no one else had influenced him in the past with his power to tame imagination as much as the honour and gravity of Mao did. He writes ahead: 

His presence radiates a peaceful, human glory

He has articulated the rocking of a sea through the voices of millions and billions

And on that October Day, a deep, revolutionary commotion emanated; 

A day when liberation snapped all manacles tying it

and appealed the awakened East to rise and celebrate the festivity of joy. 

She is a manifestation of Power—informed by her own struggles and experiences.

At a time when the earth’s glory was growing dimmer and duller

You were a lofty peak that reflected the sunrays

in a peaceful atmospheres of the great heights.

In the first part of the poem, he writes:

I have seen the great builder of the East

A strong and ever-smiling man

whose eyes are quite keen;

He must cover more earth and sky than the ordinary people

(From him, measureless greatness is emanating)

And he has manifested only in a faint degree

the greatness that exists inside him. 

He has kept imagination under his grip.

The way his honour and gravity influenced me is something

no one in the past had done. 

These poems by Devkota have, in fact, connected Nepal and China in an extremely intimate fashion. Devkota’s contribution in this regard has remained unsurpassed. 

Devkota and Lu Xun: Some Similarities

There is similarity in the ideological convictions that underscore the writings of Devkota and China’s great writer Lu Xun. Lu Xun delivered innumerable works denouncing cannibalism, and advocating for a social system that has freedom, equality and brotherhood in it. Lu Xun’s story “A Mad Man’s Diary” and Devkota’s poem “The Lunatic” rest on the same subject matter. In the poem, Devkota writes: 

When I see the tiger daring to eat the deer, friend,

or the big fish the little…

When man regards a man

as not a man, friend…

I look at this inhuman human world 

with eyes like a lashing flame of fire.

These lines remind us of Lu Xun, who wrote against the tradition of man eating the flesh of man. Both have denounced the practice of man eating another man, and have, in fact, expressed their vision of a humanely world. This too is a great step towards binding Nepal and China together. This vindicates the fact that great writers—be from any country in the world—always write in favour of the development of a humanely world. 

[Ninu Chapagain (b. 1947) is a critic and Marxist thinker of high repute. His seminal publications include Yatharthavadi Rachanadrishtri ra Bibechana , Marxvadi Chintanma Saundarya , Uttaradhunikta : Bhram ra Wastabikta , Dalit Saundarya Sashtra ra Sahitya etc., while there are more than a dozen of volumes he had edited. He is the Chairperson of Devkota-Lu Hsun Academy. ]

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Laxmi Prasad Devkota: 8 things you should know about Nepal’s most celebrated writer

In the history of Nepali literature, there is no one who compares with Laxmi Prasad Devkota. Known as Mahakavi (the great poet), Devkota during this life not only wrote poems but also authored books in several genres and was involved in various other activities too.

Born on the auspicious day of Laxmi Puja resulting in the name Laxmi Prasad Devkota, this man has an air of mystery about him. But, on his birthday, let’s look at some interesting facts about him.

1. Was a proficient English writer

Many think Laxmi Prasad Devkota only wrote poems in Nepali but he was an avid reader of western literature and was influenced by poets like William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He translated his own epic, Shakuntala, into English and wrote many poems, essays, plays and epics in English. One of his most famous English poems is The Lunatic , the authorial translation of his Nepali poem Pagal , which was featured in Tribhuvan University’s several English courses for years.

He also translated William Shakespeare’s Hamlet from English to Nepali.

2. Was a minister too

Due to his work in literature and education, Laxmi Prasad Devkota was even made the country’s minister for education and autonomous governance by King Tribhuvan when Kunwar Inderjit (KI) Singh was the country’s prime minister. He was not as active in mainstream politics prior to that but was believed to have been close to the Nepali Congress as he was the editor of their newspaper Yugvani. He served for only 10 months.

3. Was a chain smoker

Laxmi Prasad Devkota loved smoking cigarettes. Him writing poems on his cigarettes is well-known. But, there are also people who say he could not live without cigarettes and could not even write without smoking one. But, his same habit turned out to be his downfall as he was diagnosed with lung cancer and succumbed to it in 1959, aged 49.

4. Survived on tutoring

Coming from a middle-class family with not many job opportunities around, he became a tutor and taught a lot of students over the years. This helped him sustain himself and study in India and look after his family.

5. His misunderstandings with his wife were notorious

Laxmi Prasad Devkota’s relationship with his wife is believed to have been quite poor. There is not enough proof around, but there are audio recordings in which he has scolded his wife for not understanding him or his love for art.

He is once reported to have said to his wife, “Tonight let’s abandon the children to the care of society and youth and renounce this world at bedtime and take potassium cyanide or morphine or something like that.”

6. Sent to a mental asylum

When he was in his late 20s, Laxmi Prasad Devkota, who suffered from nervous breakdowns, was sent to a mental asylum in Ranchi where he spent half a year. Many then thought Devkota had gone mad, but Dr Own Berkeley-Hill is believed to have said how Devkota was perfectly fine and it was a sin for him, such a literary talent, to have been born in Nepal and that he was perfectly fine.

7. One of the best-selling Nepali writers of all time

He is almost untouchable when it comes to best-selling writers in the country. There is not a person in Nepal who does not know about this short epic poem, Muna Madan.

8. Denied Madan Puraskar

For someone who was so revered, Laxmi Prasad Devkota never won the Madan Puraskar , Nepal’s most prestigious literary prize, as many of his peers and those within the palace felt that if he won, Rani Jagadamba, the founder of Madan Puraskar, would learn about his work and be very generous and give him more than just the prize. There are people who say various plots were waved to keep him and his work out of her knowledge.

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Laxmi Prasad Devkota

Laxmi Prasad Devkota (Nepali: लक्ष्मीप्रसाद देवकोटा, 12 November 1909 – 14 September 1959) was a Nepali poet, playwright, and novelist. Honoured with the title of Maha Kavi (literal translation: 'Great Poet') in Nepali literature,and is known as the poet with the golden heart. Devkota is by and large regarded as the greatest poet in the history of Nepal and Nepali language. Some of his popular works include Muna Madan, "Sulochana",Kunjini, and Sakuntala.

Quotes [ edit ]

• पण्डित लेखनाथ पौड्यालको विषयमा (On the subject of Pandit Lekhnath Paudyal)
• जूवा (Gambling)
• शिक्षा (Education)
• सुस्तरी श्वास फेर
• साधुको माहात्म्य
• मुनामदन (Munamadan)

पागल (The Lunatic) [ edit ]

Art and life [ edit ].

• कला र जीवन (Art and Life)

• Poets from Nepal
• Authors from Nepal
• Short story writers from Nepal
• Novelists from Nepal
• Playwrights
• 1909 births
• 1959 deaths

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Maha kabi Laxmi Prasad Devkota

Birthplace: Delhi Bazar (Dhobidhara) Kathmandu

Date of Birth: 1966 B.S. Kartik-27 ( 12. November 1909)

Date of death: 2016 B.S. Bhadra 29 (14. September 1959)

Parents:  Pandit Til Madhav (Father) and Amar Rajyalaxmi Devkota (Mother)

The third child of their parents.

He was born on Laxmi puja day so his name became Laxmi Prasad Devkota. But his baby shower name is Tirth Madhav Devkota.

He was born into a Poor family. So he wants to learn English and work as an English teacher to earn money. His Father was pandit and used to write poems (Kabita). Laxmi Prasad Devkota’s inspiration was his father. At that time Nepal was ruled by Ranas. So it was tough for him to study because Ranas does not want the public to learn. They think that if people get educated, they will go against Ranas. After a lot of struggle, his family admitted him to the only school in Kathmandu Valley known as Durbar High School.

In 1982 B.S. Laxmi Prasad Devkota joins Trichandra College to graduate with a science. In 1985 B.S. he has gone to Patna, India to Study English. But he was not selected to study English then he joins Law. After that, for a few years, he becomes a teacher at TriChandra College. And he also becomes the Education minister of Nepal. During this phase, Nepal First University was also Established known as Tribhuban Bishwo Vidyalaya. 

From the Age of 10, he started poems and in a short time, he has written different Poems, Novels, Songs, dramas, etc.

In 1991 B.S. he published Muna Madan which is evergreen creation.

He died due to intestine Cancer. After knowing he was going to die soon, he started writing more creations on his deathbed.

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