Entitle: Maha Kavi

Laxmi Prasad Devkota

Laxmi Prasad Devkota (लक्ष्मीप्रसाद देवकोटा) is a Nepali poet, play-writer, and a novelist. Honored with the title of Maha Kavi (literally translated as “Great Poet”), he is regarded as the greatest poet in the history of Nepal and Nepali language. His most popular works include Muna Madan, Kunjini, and Shakuntala.

Quick Information

Date of Birth:	1966 B.S. (1909 A.D.)
Date of Departure:	2016 B.S. (1959 A.D.)
Birth Location:	Dhobidhara, Kathmandu
Father’s Name:	Teel Madhav Devkota
Mother’s Name:	Amar Rajyalakshmi Devi
Popular Compositions:	Muna Madan, Kunjini, Shakuntala, Sulochana
Awards:	Maha Kavi
Occupation:	Poet, Playwright, Scholar, Essayist

Laxmi Prasad Devkota was born on 27th Kartik, 1966 B.S. on the night of Laxmi Puja, from the womb of Amar Rajyalaxmi Devi. Since he was born on the night of Laxmi Puja festival when all his family was worshipping Goddess Laxmi, his parents considered him to be the greatest gift from the Goddess. Hence, he was given the name Laxmi Prasad. However, he turned out to be wealthier in knowledge and wisdom rather than in money and riches.

Education

Devkota started his education at Durbar High School in Kathmandu, where he studied both in Sanskrit grammar and English. He wrote his first poem at this school, and it is said that he used to recite his poems before his friends and teachers. Many times, his friends did not believe he had written such excellent poems, but all his teachers were greatly impressed with the young prodigy. He is said to be a bright student.

After finishing his Matriculation exams from Patna at the age of 17, he pursued the Bachelor of Arts along with the Bachelor of Laws at Tri Chandra College and graduated from Patna University as a private examinee. 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 at Tri-Chandra College and Padma Kanya College.

Contributions

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.

His poem Muna Madan is the most sold book in the history of Nepalese literature. Being pictured as a movie, Muna Madan was able to get selected for the Oscar Award, which also signifies the level of the creation. Muna Madan contains the story of a man named '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.

Devkota also published several collections of short lyric poems set in various traditional and non-traditional forms and meters. Many of his poems focus on mundane elements of the human and the natural world. The poems like ‘Ban’, ‘Kisaan’, and ‘Baadal’ 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.

Besides poetry, Devkota also made significant contributions to the essay genre. He is considered as 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 on Nepali society. One of his essays, entitled ‘Bhaladmi’ (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. His essays are published in the collection ‘Laxmi Nibandha Sangraha’.

Notable Awards

Devkota was honored with the title of Maha Kavi in Nepali literature. His poem Muna Madan, being pictured as a movie, got the Oscar Award. He was appointed as a member of Nepal Shalakar Samiti in 1952 by King Tribhuvan. And in 1957, he was appointed as Minister of Education and Autonomous Governance under the premiership of the then Prime Minister Kunwar Indrajit Singh.

Devkota was a versatile and voluminous writer, who left no branch of literature untouched in the course of his brief career. He has numerous epics, long narrative poems, essays, stories, plays, novels, songs, criticisms and short poems in his stocks of literature. At the same time, he was a great prose writer and is regarded as the founder of the modern prose style.

Devkota had the ability to write poems very quickly. He wrote the Shakuntala (his first epic poem and also the first ‘Mahakavya’ written in Nepali language) in mere three months, the Sulochana epic in 10 days and Kunjini in a single day. Nepali poetry soared to new heights with Devkota's groundbreaking poetry.

With his literary radiance, Devkota has elevated the literary stature of Nepal in the eyes of the world. He was the first writer in Nepal who rose to majestic heights, where no others had ever been before.

Devkota’s greatest possession was his heart. It is said that on one cold winter day, he gave the coat which he was wearing to a beggar shivering at the roadside. Perhaps, his poetry, in its simplest definition, is his heartbeat expressed in the form of the verses.

NOTES:
All dates except date of birth (and those which are immediately followed by B.S.), are in A.D.