Laxmi Prasad Devkota : The Pillar of Nepali Literature
Laxmi Prasad Devkota
Laxmi Prasad Devkota : Life
Laxmi Prasad Devkota (born 1966 (1909), died 2016 (1959)) is a great poet of Nepali literature. Devkota was a man of many talents in various genres of Nepali literature. His contributions to the genre of poetry and essays are considered to be of the highest order. He wrote immortal works like Munamdan, Sulochana, Shakuntal. He is especially famous for his masterpieces.
Laxmi Prasad Devkota was the second son of Tilmadhav Devkota and Amar Rajyalakshmi Devkota.Laxmi Prasad had seven sisters.Laxmi Prasad Devkota was born on November 12, 1966 in Dilli Bazaar, Kathmandu. His Nawaran’s name is Tirthamadhav Devkota. But since he was born in the Lakshmi Puja of Tihar, he was called Laxmi Prasad.
From the time Devkota was born, many hardships entered his house. 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 used to say, ‘I study English and after studying a lot, I earn money by doing 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. But after his family opposed the idea, Devkota was admitted to Durbar School to teach English.
Student Life of Laxmi Prasad Devkota
Devkota used to recite poems to his friends while studying at Durbar School. Most of his friends did not accept that the poems were written by Devkota. In the meantime, one day all the students took a test to write a poem to humiliate him. He also wrote poems among all the students. And at the same time, the teachers gave him the status of ‘Kopilaundo Kavi’.
Devkota was inspired to write poetry by reading the poems of his father and poet Lekhnath Poudyal. As he disappeared, he began to swim under the influence of Western poets such as Wordsworth and Sally.
Devkota wrote poetry ten years ago. At that time, he had written a poem titled ‘I am unlucky’, drowning in the pain of his elder brother-in-law Som KumariAs Devkota’s education was good, he studied from class VIII to class X at Durbar School. He had taken the matriculation exam from Patna, India when he was 17 years old.
College Life and Literature
Devkota studied ISC at Trichandra College. The poem titled ‘Vasantashodasi’ written by him while studying ISC was published in Gorkhapatra Weekly under the name ‘Lakshmi, TC College, Nepal’. At the same time, he started teaching tuition in his home. He studied BA from Patna University of India as a private examinee and also passed BL from the same.
Devkota, a BL student in Patna, was full of romance. Then he started writing more love poems.Writing gradually became Devkota’s dear friend and his daily routine also began to pass in writing.Devkota understood fourteen languages. Poems written by him in nine languages also came to the masses through Sarada monthly.
Devkota was also called the water god of the ocean of poetry. 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. His lifelong friend was a poet and another a cigarette. At the time of writing, he had lit his own manuscript and lit a cigarette.
Marriage, Family and Notoriousness of Laxmi Prasad Devkota
At the age of sixteen, he married Mandevi Chalise of Devkota. After her marriage, Mandevi became the most important character in Devkota’s life. He also wrote ‘Munamadan’ showing the depth of his marital love at that time. Devkota and Mandevi gave birth to five daughters and four sons.
Due to poverty, Devkota also taught tuition for 18 hours a day. Even though he was earning enough to feed three dozen people, a dozen people were starving when he reached his house. No matter how much money he earned, he was poor.
He used to sleep hungry even when he had 80 bighas of land. Devkota’s wife Mandevi was devoted to religion and Devkota himself was very impractical. Devkota was more fond of food than clothing. If he could eat the head of a goat, he would write a poem. He also liked sweets very much.
Devkota’s borrowed place to eat was Lupton’s Hotel in Dilli Bazaar. In that hotel, others borrowed in Devkota’s name. He also borrowed meat from Bagare.Bagre also used to take 3 times of money from him at the end of each month. Devkota was also adept at gambling and dice. He also sang songs, played harmonium and tabla. Another of his hobbies was a bicycle.
During the Rana era, when Devkota started opening a library in Nepal, he became more and more a prisoner. But he was released with a fine of one hundred rupees.Devkota was a visionary. At some point, he asked, “What is the purpose?” Udi Chunu Chandra Ek! ‘Many of the poets called him Tarangi. But sixteen hours before he died, a Russian rocket landed on the moon.
Devkota was taken to Ranchi as he was suffering from mental trauma. During the treatment, Dr. Burke Hill said, ‘People like Devkota are not born in Nepal.
Professions Laxmi Prasad Devkota Did
Devkota could not get a job for ten years after studying BA and BL. Eventually, he joined the Nepali Language Translation Council. When he was awake, Balkrishna Sam and most of his intellectual juhari were running. At the same time, he got a job as a professor at Trichandra College. He was also the first Nepali to get the post of professor after passing BA.
Laxmi Prasad Devkota also got the post of professor in Padma Kanya College. But he stayed there for only four months. Then he got a professor post in Commerce College. Even there, he only lasted three months.
He used to arrive at his office and college very early and sometimes very late. Devkota was also rushed to Banaras. At that time, he did not even inform his family about going there and did not take leave from Trichandra College. And during the Banaras period, Devkota’s way of life did not seem to be higher than that of the intellectuals, porters and plowmen. At that time, his main job was to edit Yugwani against Rana.
After he was financially attacked in Vanaras, Babarshamsher sent his brother to take Devkota with expenses. After that, Devkota returned to Kathmandu cursing those who had taken him to Benaras. After democracy, Devkota was nominated by King Tribhuvan as a member of the Advisory Council. King Mahendra also continued Devkota’s position.
Devkota was nominated as a member of the commission of Tribhuvan University soon after its establishment.
The Later Life
Then the outline of the university was prepared under his signature. Devkota also became a member of the Nepal Academy under Mahendra’s chancellorship. Dr. K.I. He also became the Minister of Education and Autonomous Government in the Council of Ministers formed under Singh’s prime ministership. Even when he was a minister for 110 days, he arranged for Nepali language to be taught in schools and colleges across the country.
Devkota became the pioneer of romantic trend writing in Nepali language and literature. Devkota was also the first to translate Nepali language literature into English language literature and bring it to the western countries. The great Indian scholar Dr. Rahul Sankrityayan had said, “I consider Devkota to be the greatest human incarnation after the Buddha.”
Devkota traveled to Tashkent, Soviet Union to attend the Afro-Asian Writers’ Conference. Devkota was also offered two bottles of blood before speaking at the ceremony on the advice of a doctor.Devkota had gone to Tashkent from Nepal without a visa and passport. For that, he was inspired by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers Suvarna Shamsher and the Vice Chancellor of the Royal Nepal Academy Bal Chandra Sharma by showing the green flag.
But later, on the recommendation of the same people, Devkota’s salary from the academy was withheld. But later, when the secret was revealed, King Mahendra fined him one month’s salary and withdrew his salary. Devkota passed away due to cancer at 6:10 pm on Monday, September 15, 2016.
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