Laxmi Prasad Devkota
| Laxmi Prasad Devkota लक्ष्मीप्रसाद देवकोटा |
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Laxmi Prasad Devkota
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| Minister of Nepal for Education and Swayat Shasan | |
| In office 26 July 1957 – 15 May 1958 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 November 1909 Dhobidhara, Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Died | 14 September 1959(aged 50) Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Nationality |  Nepal |
| Spouse(s) | Mandevi Chalise |
| Children | 5 Daughters and 4 Sons |
| Occupation | Poet, Playwright and Scholar |
Laxmi Prasad Devkota (Nepali: लक्ष्मीप्रसाद देवकोटा; November 12, 1909 – September 14, 1959) was a Nepali poet, playwright, novelist. Devkota is regarded as the greatest poet of Nepal and Nepali language and is honored by the title of Maha Kavi ("The Greatest Poet") in Nepali literature. Some of his popular works are Muna Madan, Kunjini, and Sakuntal "Champa" .
Contents
Life
Early life
Devkota was born on the night of Lakshmi Pooja on 12 November 1909 (1966 Kartik 27 BS) to father Teel Madhav Devkota and mother Amar Rajyalakshmi Devi in Thatunati (now Dhobidhara), Kathmandu.[1] He started his education at the Durbar High School in Kathmandu where he studied both in Sanskrit-grammar and English. After finishing his Matriculation exams from Patna at the age of 17, Devkota pursued the Bachelor of Arts along with the Bachelor of Laws in Tri Chandra College and graduated from Patna University as a Private Examine[2][3] Only after a decade from his graduation as a lawyer did he finally started working in Nepal Bhasanuwad Parishad( Publication Censor board), where he met famous Playwright of Nepal Balkrishna Sama. At the same time, he worked as a lecturer in Tri Chandra College and Padma-Kanya College.
Health
In late 1930s Devkota suffered from Nervous Breakdowns, probably due to the death of his mother, father, and his two-month old daughter. Eventually in 1939, he was admitted in Mental Asylum of Rachi, India for five months.
Later years and death
Laxmi Prasad Devkota was a chain smoker throughout his life. After a long battle with cancer, Devkota died on September 14, 1959 at the Ghat of Bagmati River in Pashupatinath Temple Complex, Kathmandu.
Work and Style
Devkota contributed to Nepali literature by starting a modern Nepali language romantic movement in the country. He was the first to begin writing epic poems in Nepali literature. Nepali poetry soared to new heights with Devkota's innovative use of language. Departing from the Sanskrit tradition that dominated the Nepali literary scene at the time, he wrote Muna Madan (1930), a long narrative poem in popular "jyaure" folk tune. The work received immediate recognition from the Ranas: the country's rulers at the time. Muna Madan tells the story of Madan—a traveling merchant—who departs from his wife Muna to Tibet in a bid to earn some money. The poem describes the thematic hardships of the journey: the grief of separation, the itching longing, and the torment of death. The following couplet which is among the most famous and frequently quoted lines from the epic celebrates the triumph of humanity and compassion over the hierarchies created by caste in the Nepalese culture.
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क्षेत्रीको छोरो यो पाउ छुन्छ, घिनले छुँदैन |
A Kshatriya touches your feet not with hatred but with love. |
Considered his magnum opus "Muna-Madan" has remained widely popular among the lay readers of Nepali literature.
Laxmi Prasad, inspired by his five-month stay in mental asylum in 1939, wrote free-verse poem Pagal(The Lunatic).The poem deals with his usual mental ability and is considered one of the best nepali language poem.
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जरुर साथी म पागल ! |
Surely, my friend, insane I am |
Devkota had the ability to compose long epics and poems with literary complexity and philosophical density in very short period of time. He wrote Shakuntala, his first epic poem and also the first "Mahakavya" (epic poem) written in the Nepali language, in a mere three months. Published in 1945, Shakuntala is a voluminous work in 24 cantos based on Kālidāsa's famous Sanskrit play Abhijñānaśākuntalam. Shakuntala demonstrates Devkota's mastery of Sanskrit meter and diction which he incorporated heavily while working primarily in Nepali.
Devkota also published several collections of short lyric poems set in various traditional and non-traditional forms and meters. Most of his poetry shows influence of English Romantic Poets like Wordsworth and Coleridge. The title poem in the collection "Bhikhari" ("Beggar") is a reminiscent of Wordsworth's "The Old Cumberland Beggar". In this poem, Devkota describes the beggar going about his ways in dire poverty and desolation deprived of human love and material comforts. On the other hand, the beggar is also seen as the source of compassion placed in the core of suffering and destitution. Devkota connects the beggar with the divine as the ultimate fount of kindness and empathy:
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कालो बादलबाट खसेको |
Fallen from the black clouds |
Many of his poems focus on mundane elements of the human and the natural world. The titles of his poems like "Ban वन" ("Woods"), "Kisaan किसान" ("The Peasant"), "Baadal बादल" ("Clouds") show that he sought his poetic inspiration in the commonplace and proximal aspects of the world. What resonates throughout most of his poetry is his profound faith in humanity. For instance, in the poem "Woods," the speaker goes through a series of interrogations rejecting all forms of comfort and solace that could be offered solely to him as an individual. Instead he embraces his responsibility and concern for his fellow beings. The poem ends with the following quatrain that highlights his humanistic inclinations:
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दोस्त कहाँ छन्? साथ छ को को? घर हो तिम्रो कुन देश? |
Where are your friends? Who go with you? Which land is your home? |
Besides poetry, Devkota also made significant contributions to the essay genre. He is considered the father of the modern Nepali essay. He defied the conventional form of essays by blatantly breaking the rules of grammar and syntax, and embracing a more fluid and colloquial style. His essays are generally satirical in tone and are characterized by their trenchant humor and ruthless criticism of the modernizing influences from the West in the Nepali society. An essay titled भलादमी (Bhaladmi) or "Dignitary" criticizes a decadent trend in Nepali society to respect people based on their outward appearances and outfit rather than their actual inner worth and personality. In another essay titled के नेपाल सानो छ? (Ke Nepal Sano Cha?) "Is Nepal insignificant (small)?", he expresses deeply nationalistic sentiments inveighing against the colonial forces from British India which, he felt, were encroaching all aspects of Nepali culture. His essays are published in the collection Laxmi Nibhandha Sanghraha (लक्ष्मी निबन्धसङ्ग्रह).
Politics
Laxmi Prasad Devkota was not active in any well-established political party but his poetry consistently embodies an attitude of rebellion against the Rana dynasty.During his self exile in Varanasi he started working as editor of Yugvani newspaper for Nepali Congress party resulting in confiscation of all his property in Nepal by the Rana Government.After Introduction of democracy through Revolution of 1951 ,Devkota was appointed as a member of Nepal Shalakar Samiti in 1952 by King Tribhuvan.Later in 1957 he was appointed as Minister of Education and Autonomous Governance under premiership of Kunwar Inderjit Singh.
Publications
Epics
| Title | Year of first publication |
First edition publisher (Kathmandu, unless otherwise stated) |
Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shakuntal (शाकुन्तल) | 1945 | Sajha | Epic | |
| Sulochana (सुलोचना) | Epic | |||
| Bana Kusum (बनकुसुम) | Epic | |||
| Maharana Pratap (महाराणा प्रताप) | Epic | |||
| Prithvi Raj Chauhan (पृथ्वीराज चौहान) | Epic | |||
| Prometheus (प्रमीथस) | Epic |
Poetry / Short Novels / Essays / Novel
| Title | Year of first publication |
First edition publisher (Kathmandu, unless otherwise stated) |
Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Like Strength (बल जस्तो) | Poetry | |||
| Beggar - Poetry Collection (भिखारी - कवितासंग्रह) | Poetry | |||
| Gaine's Song (गाइने गीत) | Poetry | |||
| Butterfly - Children's Poetry Collection (पुतली - बालकवितासंग्रह ) | Poetry | |||
| Golden Morning - Children's Poem (सुनको बिहान - बालकविता) | Poetry | |||
| Farmer - Musical Play (कृषिवाला - गीतिनाटक) | Verse Drama | |||
| Meeting of Dushyant and Shakantula (दुष्यन्त-शकुन्तला भेट) | Short Epic | |||
| Muna Madan (मुनामदन) | Short Epic | |||
| Duel between Raavan and Jatayu (रावण-जटायु युद्ध) | Short Epic | |||
| Kunjini (कुञ्जिनि) | Short Epic | |||
| Luni (लुनि) | Short Epic | |||
| Prince Prabhakar (राजकुमार प्रभाकर) | Short Epic | |||
| Kidnapping of Sita (सीता हरण) | Short Epic | |||
| Mahendu (म्हेन्दु) | Short Epic | |||
| Dhumraketu | Short Epic | |||
| Laxmi Nibandaha Sangraha - Laxmi Essay Collection (लक्ष्मी निबन्धसङ्ग्रह) | Essay | |||
| Champa (चम्पा) | Novel |
References
- Poems Of Laxmi Prasad Devkota In Nepali (From Laxmi Kavita Sangraha) Compiled By Sanjaal Corps
- Laxmi Prasad Devkota: Nepal's Greatest Poet
