Bhanubhakta Acharya

Shree Aadikavi Bhanubhakta Acharya
A portrait of Bhanubhakta Acharya
Native name	श्री आदिकवि भानुभक्त आचार्य
Born	1814 (1871 B.S.) Chundi Ramgha, Tanahun District, Nepal
Died	1868 (aged 53–54) (1925 B.S.) Setighat, Tanahun District
Occupation	Poet
Language	Nepali
Nationality	Nepali
Citizenship	Nepali

Bhanubhakta Acharya (Nepali: भानुभक्त आचार्य; 1814 – 1868) was a Nepalese poet and writer who translated the great epic Ramayana from Sanskrit to Khas language. Born in 1814 in Chundi Ramgha, Tanahun District, he was educated at home with a strong leaning towards religion from his grandfather. He is honoured with the title Adikavi (First poet) of Nepal (Actually first poet of Khas language as there had been many poets in other languages of Nepal before him).

The great epic Ramayana had been a translated to Nepal language(original language of Nepal) as early as 12 century CE, he is the first Nepali who translated the great epic ‘Ramayana’ from Sanskrit to Khas language. Bhanubhakta Acharya was born on 29 Ashar, 1814 in Tanahu district of Nepal. Acharya was born to a Very Brahmin family and received education with a strong leaning towards religion from his grandfather at home. He is honored with the title Adikabi for the contributions he has made in the field of poetry and Khas literature and every year, his birthday is celebrated as a festival of Bhanujayanti (13 July) by conducting various programs, usually academics and poem recitation. Motiram Bhatta, first referred to him as Adikabi while writing Acharya’s biography in 1981. He clarifies that Acharya is not called Adikabi because he was the first poet in Nepal but he deserved the title as he was the first poet who wrote with an understanding of the marma (inner essence) of the poetry.

The Khas language which evolved into present day Nepali was considered bastardized and was limited to speech after the fall of the Khas Empire in the 15th century. Then, most of the written texts of South Asia were dominated by Sanskrit and it had strong influence in Nepal. As the Brahmins were the teachers, scholars and priests of the society because of their caste, their education was based on Sanskrit. Many poets had written poems that was Sanskritized while Acharya started to write in Khas language which not only popularized the language but also gained him acceptance from the Rana Rulers. Acharya was highly impressed by Ram’s heroic exploitsand he wanted the deity to be more accessible to the people who spoke Khas andsince, most of the people did not understand Sanskrit language, he translated the epic into Khas language. The translation was so lyrical that rather than sounding like a poem it sounded more like a song.