Humans come into this world at birth. Many of them live their lives, pass away, and are completely forgotten two generations later. Few people, nevertheless, are able to have their names immortalized due to their outstanding deeds. Certain individuals are immortalized due to their extraordinary contributions to society, while others are immortalized due to their unique characteristics. Given the limited number of names, the Nepali poet Adikavi Bhanubhakta Acharya stands out as a prominent figure due to the enduring nature of his poems.
Bhanubhakta Acharya was undoubtedly one of the “one in a million” individuals who are said to be born exceptional. The most valuable asset Nepal could possess. His literary contributions to Nepal were a significant turning point. And even now, on his birthday, we commemorate Bhanu Jayanti in remembrance of his contributions. Numerous conferences, seminars, and other events are scheduled for this day with the aim of inspiring other undiscovered or emerging talents to come forward and make contributions to Nepali literature.
Bhanubhakta Acharya: Early Life
On July 13th, 1814 AD (1874 BS), Bhanubhakta Acharya was born. He was born in the Nepalese village of Chundi Ramgh in the Tanahun district. He came from a wealthy Brahmin family at birth. Shri Krishna Acharya, Acharya’s grandfather, provided him with an education. As the Governor of Palpa in western Nepal, his father, Dhananjaya Acharya, was employed by General Amar Singh Thapa as a government official.
Not much is known about his early years, but there is a tale that he was inspired to become a poet by a grass cutter who was labouring in intense heat to dig a well as a way to give back to the community. The grass cutter’s determination touched him.
The career of Bhanubhakta Acharya
Every work of literature produced at the time was written in Sanskrit, a language that was incomprehensible to the average person. Therefore, the works were only available to educated brahmins who had studied Sanskrit. However, Bhanubhakta Acharya began writing in Nepali and changed the metaphysical subject matter.
As a result, he contributed to the general popularization of Nepali literature and the language. He also won the support of the Rana family at the time. In order to make the epic Ramayana accessible to those who were not able to learn Sanskrit, Acharya also translated it into Nepali. In addition, he had a strong devotion to Lord Ram.
The reason Bhanubhakta Acharya is called Aadikabi is not because he composed the first poem in Nepali history, but rather because he was the country’s first poet to write in the language. He transformed Nepali into a language suitable for writing literary works. Since he was the first poet to comprehend the marma, or inner essence, of poetry, he is also bestowed with that title.
Bhanubhakta Acharya: Later Life
In 1868 AD, Bhanubhakta Acharya passed away (1925 BS). He was never forgotten, though. Even while he was alive, other notable authors and poets like Laxmi Prasad Devkota continued to eclipse his works. When Acharya passed away, his contributions went unacknowledged. After Moti Ram Bhatta discovered his manuscripts and published them, he became well-known and received the credit he deserved.
