First Nepali Poet Bhanubhakta Acharya

By Gopal Parajuli

Bharjanma ghaanstira mann diyi dhan kamayo
Naam kyei rahos pachhi bhanera kuwa khanayo
Ghansi daridra gharako tara buddhi kasto
Ma Bhanubhakta dhani bhaikana aaja yasto!

[He gathered fodder all his life, and earned a little. With it, he got a well dug up, hoping it would give him some face. Though a poor man he was, how benevolent were his thoughts! Fie on me, Bhanubhakta; I did nothing, though quite well-off.]  

There is an interesting event that describes how Bhanubhakta Acharya  grew up to become a poet. One day, he was walking near a stream. He was completely exhausted, for, he had walked for a long time before reaching there. He sat on a stone under a tree and fell asleep in the cool shade of the tree. 

After a while, a Ghansi—grass-cutter—arrived. Singing a folk tune, he started gathering fodder. Bhanubhakta woke up hearing the song. He wanted to talk with the man; so, he asked, “What do you do with this grass, brother?” 

Ghansi replied, “I want to earn some money by selling it. I will spend some of it to bring up my sons and daughters. I will save some. I have already saved a little.” 

Bhanubhakta enquired again, “What do you intend to do with the saving?” 

Ghansi answered, “With some of my saving, I have got a well dug up. Now, I have a desire to have a shade built for travelers. This work will make me immortal after my death. What is there to receive after death? I will work very hard, and achieve this dream at all cost.”

Bhanubhakta was deeply moved by Ghansi’s words. Though he was poor, Ghansi worked for the welfare of others. That day onwards, Bhanubhakta decided to devote himself to the well-being of others. 

Bhanubhakta wanted to become famous. He realized that he had not done anything for others, though he came from a well-off family. While he was in deep thoughts, a flash of poetry occurred to his mind. The verses in the beginning of this text are some lines from the same.

Bhanubhakta Acharya became the first great poet of Nepali language and literature. He is, therefore, known ‘aadikavi’, the first poet. Though there had been poets before him, none had written in the language of the general people, and on one had gained so much of popularity as Bhanubhakta Acharya.

Acharya was born on 13^th July 1814 AD in a village called Ramgha of Tanahu in mid-western Nepal. His grandfather Shrikrishna Acharya was well-versed in Sanskrit language. Bhanubhakta studied Sanskrit at an early age with him, but soon he developed a very keen interest in Nepali language, the language of the common people. He translated the Ramayan from Sanskrit into Nepali in his original style. He also composed many beautiful and elegant poems that have remained all-time favorites of many readers till our own day. In addition to the Ramayan, he also produced works such as Prasnottar, Bhaktamala and Badhushiksha, that have become permanent treasures of Nepali literature for all time. 

Bhanubhakta was educated; so he could write poems when he wanted. He understood that if he translated the holy Ramayana from Sanskrit into Nepali, he could help the uneducated people, who had no access to Sanskrit language. He produced the Ramayana in Nepali language, which is today famous as Bhanubhaktako Ramayan. His translated the Ramayana is a simple read, and extremely lucid in its flow. People, who are able to read only the alphabet, can also read the Ramayaa. A few starting verses of his Ramayana read like this: 

Ek din Narada Satyalok pugigaya lokko garun hit bhani
Brahma taahi thiya parya charanma khusi garaya pani.

[One day, Sage Narad reached heaven with a desire to do something for the welfare to the world. Brahma, the creator, was there. Narad fell upon His feet and pleased Him.]

Bhanubhakta visited Kathmandu from Ramgha twice or thrice in his life. Once he stayed at Balaju before reaching Kathmandu. He composed a poem about this place. The two verses of this poem are given below:

Yati dinpachhi maile aaj Balaju dekhyan
Prithivital bharima swarg ho jani lekhyan

[After such a long time, I saw Balaju today and knew, it was paradise on earth.]

Bhanubhakta worked in an office in Kathmandu. He was imprisoned at Kumarichowk because he had failed to keep the accounts. He did not remain quiet, even inside the prison. He translated much of the Ramayana there, and wrote a few scrap poems. 

Bhanubhakta got entangled in a legal dispute about land with Giridhari Bhat. When the case was delayed, he wrote these verses addressed to a clerk at the court: 

Kati ma garaun bhanchhan bholi-bholi
Bholi-bholi bhani saba ghara bityo, baksiyos aaja jholi

[How much should I do? You always postpone for the next day. Your postponement has jeopardized all my world now; take everything I have and finish me off.]

Bhanubhakta ridiculed the customs of his society through his poems. 

Bhanubhakta had a strong desire to contribute immensely in his life. Social systems were not in his favor. He was neglected by time and contexts. He encountered many obstacles every day. He could not free himself from the web of those hurdles. Whatever he did was marvelous, considering the highly conservative age he lived in. 

Bhanubhakta passed away at the age of 54 in 1868. His poems will always remind Nepali people of his contribution. As a poet, he has become a precious son of Mother Nepal. His half-size statue has been erected in front of Durbar High School to honor him. The erstwhile Durbar High School has now been named Bhanubhakta Memorial High School, after him. 

There are several statues of Bhanubhakta in Nepal and abroad, especially in Darjeeling, Kalingpong, and Sikkim. He is a true poet of the entire Nepali race. He has been declared a National Luminary.

We should not, however, forget young poet and biographer Motiram Bhatta, when we talk about Bhanubhakta. It was he who wrote about the poet and brought him into the limelight.  Bhatta came to know about Bhanubhakta, the poet who had composed beautiful poems, on hearing the recitation of Ramayana at his own marriage ceremony. His interest to devote his time and labor to literature grew more after he heard folk songs sung by Daaureni, a woman involved in the collection of firewood, and Ghaseni, a woman grass-cutter. He developed a profound love for his mother-tongue. With these inspirations, he published an original book of poetry called Manodweg Prabah in Banaras in the year 1881.  

Bhanubhakta was largely unknown to Nepali society, before the rise of Motiram Bhatta. Because of the efforts of Motiram, Nepali society came to know about Bhanubhakta. Motiram Bhatta published “Baal Kanda” the first section of the Ramayana in 1884 and the whole of the Ramayana in 1887 AD Thus, he made it possible for Nepali people to enjoy the verses of the Ramayana. 

Motiram Bhatta also wrote and published the biography of Bhanubhakta after conducting research on the poet’s life for three years. After this, hidden Bhanubhakta came to light.