Laxmi Prasad Devkota (Author of 爨ｮ爭≒､ｨ爨ｾ爨ｮ爨ｦ爨� [Muna Madan])

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Laxmi Prasad Devkota

Born

in Kathmandu, Nepal

November 12, 1909

Died

September 14, 1959

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Laxmi Prasad Devkota is a Nepali poet. Devkota is considered the greatest poet of Nepali language窶派e has been given the title of "Maha Kavi" ("The Great Poet") of Nepali language. Devkota was born into a Brahman family as the third son of Pandit Til Madhav and Amar Rajya Laxmi Devi. He was born in Dilli Bazar, Kathmandu on the day of Dipawali, the Festival of Lights, which is a celebration of Laxmi, the Goddess of Wealth. His name literally means a gift "Prasad" from the goddess of wealth "Laxmi". His family was never financially well-off.

Devkota studied science at Tri Chandra College in Kathmandu. After completing the intermediate level studies at Tri Chandra College, he enrolled in Humanities and that was when he began to read English poe Laxmi Prasad Devkota is a Nepali poet. Devkota is considered the greatest poet of Nepali language窶派e has been given the title of "Maha Kavi" ("The Great Poet") of Nepali language. Devkota was born into a Brahman family as the third son of Pandit Til Madhav and Amar Rajya Laxmi Devi. He was born in Dilli Bazar, Kathmandu on the day of Dipawali, the Festival of Lights, which is a celebration of Laxmi, the Goddess of Wealth. His name literally means a gift "Prasad" from the goddess of wealth "Laxmi". His family was never financially well-off.

Devkota studied science at Tri Chandra College in Kathmandu. After completing the intermediate level studies at Tri Chandra College, he enrolled in Humanities and that was when he began to read English poetry. In 1931, Devkota went to Patna on scholarship hoping to study English for his Master窶冱 degree. But because seats were not available as expected, he enrolled for the Bachelor of Law degree instead. After he received the degree, he returned back home and started to live the family life. Despite taking tuition classes to supplement his earning, sometimes for fourteen hours a day, financial problems never left him.

Devkota lost both of his parents and his very young daughter within a span of two years during mid 1930's. He fell into a depression and became a chain smoker. In 1939, his brothers put him into a mental hospital in Ranchi, India for five months. He makes references to his experience in the lunatic asylum in his famous free-verse poem 爨ｪ爨ｾ爨伶､ｲ ("The Lunatic"). After he returned to Nepal, he worked as a part of Nepal Bhasanuwad Parishad, a state organization that acted as a censorship board, and also taught at Tribhuwan University. He wrote several of his epic poetry during this time. In late 40's, dissatisfied with the Rana regime, he went into a self-imposed exile in Benaras, India, where he edited Yugbani, an opposition journal.

After the autocratic Rana regime was overthrown in 1950, he returned to Nepal and helped publish Indreni, a bilingual literary journal. Although he was constantly in severe financial hardships, he was getting wide recognition as an important figure in Nepali literature. He was appointed the Minister of Education by the first democratically elected government of Nepal in 1957. However, in 1958, he was diagnosed with cancer, and a year later, he passed away.

Laxmi Prasad Devkota was primarily a humanist who occasionally wrote from an atheistic point of view too. Given this reality, some critics have tried to line him up with Marxism or other similar politically leftist ideologies. Apparently in one of his last poems to a friend, he said "Aakhir Shree Krishna rahecha eka" ("After all, Lord Krishna seems to be the Only One"). However, there has been much intellectual skepticism about this last statement.

Devkota contributed to Nepali literature by bringing the Sanskrit tradition to its end and by starting modern romantic movement in the country. Devkota was the first to begin writing epics in Nepali literature. Nepali poetry soared to new heights with Devkota's groundbreaking and innovative use of language.

Departing from the Sanskrit tradition that dominated Nepali literary scene, he wrote 爨ｮ爭≒､ｨ爨ｾ爨ｮ爨ｦ爨� i.e. Muna Madan (1930), a long narrative poem in popular "jhyaure" folk meter. The book received immediate recognition from the Ranas who ruled Nepal at that time. It tells the story of Madan who departs from his wife Muna to Tibet to make money. The poem deals with the themes of the hardships of journey away from home, grief of separation, longing and death. The following couplet (translated) which are among the most famous and most frequently quoted lines from the poem celebrates the triumph of humanity and compassion over any artificial hierarchies creat ...more

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Laxmi Prasad Devkota窶冱 books

Average rating: 4.28 · 2,928 ratings · 162 reviews · 34 distinct works 窶� Similar authors

	爨ｮ爭≒､ｨ爨ｾ爨ｮ爨ｦ爨� [Muna Madan] by Laxmi Prasad Devkota, 爨ｲ爨歩･財､ｷ爭財､ｮ爭爨ｪ爭財､ｰ爨ｸ爨ｾ爨ｦ爨ｦ爭�､ｵ爨歩･金､游､� 4.37 avg rating — 1,879 ratings — published 1936 — 17 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	爨ｲ爨歩･財､ｷ爭財､ｮ爭爨ｨ爨ｿ爨ｬ爨ｨ爭財､ｧ爨ｸ爨吭･坂呉､伶･財､ｰ爨� [Laxmi Nibandha Sangraha] by Laxmi Prasad Devkota, 爨ｲ爨歩･財､ｷ爭財､ｮ爭爨ｪ爭財､ｰ爨ｸ爨ｾ爨ｦ爨ｦ爭�､ｵ爨歩･金､游､� 4.36 avg rating — 238 ratings — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	爨ｲ爨歩･財､ｷ爭財､ｮ爭爨歩､ｵ爨ｿ爨､爨� 爨ｸ爨吭･坂呉､伶･財､ｰ爨� [Laxmi Kavita Sangraha] by Laxmi Prasad Devkota, 爨ｲ爨歩･財､ｷ爭財､ｮ爭爨ｪ爭財､ｰ爨ｸ爨ｾ爨ｦ爨ｦ爭�､ｵ爨歩･金､游､� 4.37 avg rating — 148 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	爨ｨ爭�､ｪ爨ｾ爨ｲ爭爨ｶ爨ｾ爨歩･≒､ｨ爭財､､爨ｲ [Nepali Sakuntal] by Laxmi Prasad Devkota, 爨ｲ爨歩･財､ｷ爭財､ｮ爭爨ｪ爭財､ｰ爨ｸ爨ｾ爨ｦ爨ｦ爭�､ｵ爨歩･金､游､� 3.95 avg rating — 144 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	爨壟､ｮ爭財､ｪ爨� [Champa] by Laxmi Prasad Devkota, 爨ｲ爨歩･財､ｷ爭財､ｮ爭爨ｪ爭財､ｰ爨ｸ爨ｾ爨ｦ爨ｦ爭�､ｵ爨歩･金､游､� 3.68 avg rating — 108 ratings — published 1968 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	爨ｭ爨ｿ爨籾､ｾ爨ｰ爭 [Bhikhari] by Laxmi Prasad Devkota, 爨ｲ爨歩･財､ｷ爭財､ｮ爭爨ｪ爭財､ｰ爨ｸ爨ｾ爨ｦ爨ｦ爭�､ｵ爨歩･金､游､� 4.38 avg rating — 72 ratings — published 1967 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	爨歩･≒､ｨ爭財､憫､ｿ爨ｨ爭 [Kunjini] by Laxmi Prasad Devkota, 爨ｲ爨歩･財､ｷ爭財､ｮ爭爨ｪ爭財､ｰ爨ｸ爨ｾ爨ｦ爨ｦ爭�､ｵ爨歩･金､游､� 4.16 avg rating — 68 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Nepali Visions, Nepali Dreams - the poetry of Laxmiprasad Devkota by Laxmi Prasad Devkota, David Rubin (Translator) 3.84 avg rating — 45 ratings — published 1980 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	爨伶､ｾ爨�､ｨ爭� 爨伶･爨� [Gaine Geet] by Laxmi Prasad Devkota, 爨ｲ爨歩･財､ｷ爭財､ｮ爭爨ｪ爭財､ｰ爨ｸ爨ｾ爨ｦ爨ｦ爭�､ｵ爨歩･金､游､� 3.72 avg rating — 46 ratings — published 1967	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	爨ｫ爭も､� 爨ｫ爭≒､ｲ爭�､歩･� 爨ｬ爨ｾ爨伶､ｮ爨� [Phool Phuleko Baagma] by Laxmi Prasad Devkota, 爨ｲ爨歩･財､ｷ爭財､ｮ爭爨ｪ爭財､ｰ爨ｸ爨ｾ爨ｦ爨ｦ爭�､ｵ爨歩･金､游､� 4.18 avg rating — 38 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars