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{{Short description|Nepalese writer (1909 - 1960)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Laxmi Prasad Devkota
| honorific_prefix    = Mahakavi
| image               = Mahakavi laxmi prasad devkota.jpg
| alt                 = 
| country             = [[Nepal]]
| office              = [[Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (Nepal)|Minister of Education and Autonomy]]
| term_start          = 26 July 1957
| term_end            = 15 May 1958
| primeminister       = [[Kunwar Inderjit Singh]]
| predecessor         = 
| successor           = 
| signature           = 
| birth_date          = {{Birth date|1909|11|12|df=yes}}
| birth_place         = Dhobidhara, [[Kathmandu]], [[Kingdom of Nepal|Nepal]]
| death_date          = {{Death date and age|1959|09|14|1909|11|12|df=yes}}
| death_place         = [[Pashupati Aryaghat]]
| nationality         = [[Nepalis|Nepali]]
| notableworks        = 
| parents             = Tilmadhav Devkota (father)<br>Amar Rajya Lakshmi Devi (mother)
| spouse              = Mandevi Chalise{{sfn|Shrestha|1981|p=117}}
| children            = 5 daughters and 4 sons{{sfn|Shrestha|1981|p=5}}
| relatives           = [[Lok Priya Devi]] (sister){{sfn|Shrestha|1981|p=5}}
| occupation          = Poet, Playwright and Scholar
| image_size          = 260px
| period              = 
| native_name         = लक्ष्मीप्रसाद देवकोटा
| native_name_lang    = ne
| monarch             = [[Mahendra of Nepal|King Mahendra]]
| width               = 200px
}}

'''Laxmi Prasad Devkota''' ({{langx|ne|[[:ne:लक्ष्मीप्रसाद देवकोटा|लक्ष्मीप्रसाद देवकोटा]]}}) (1909-1959) was a [[Nepalis|Nepalese]] [[poet]], [[playwright]], [[novelist]], and politician. Honored with the title of '''Mahakabi''' ({{langx|ne|महाकवि|lit=Greatest poet}}) in [[Nepali literature]], he was known as a poet with a golden heart,<ref>{{Cite web |last=गिरी |first=अमर |date=2019-10-30 |title=देवकोटा र मानवता: कुन मन्दिरमा जान्छौ यात्री ? |url=https://beta.gorkhapatraonline.com/arts/2019-10-30-3456 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105164530/https://gorkhapatraonline.com/arts/2019-10-30-3456 |archive-date=2019-11-05 |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=[[Gorkhapatra]] |language=ne}}</ref> and is considered one of the most famous literary figures in Nepal.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Lamsal |first=Yuba Nath |date=2013-12-06 |title=Poet The Great: Laxmi Prasad Devkota |url=https://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/gopa.detail.php?article_id=20008&cat_id=10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206120225/https://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/gopa.detail.php?article_id=20008&cat_id=10 |archive-date=2013-12-06 |access-date=2013-12-06 |website=[[Gorkhapatra]]}}</ref> Some of his popular works include ''[[Muna Madan]]'', ''Sulochana'', ''Kunjini'', ''Bhikhari'', and ''[[Shakuntala (epic)|Shakuntala]]''.<ref name="record">{{cite web |author=Hutt |first=Michael |date=2018-03-07 |title=A voice from the past speaking to the present |url=https://www.recordnepal.com/wire/a-voice-from-the-past-speaking-to-the-present |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224175242/https://www.recordnepal.com/wire/a-voice-from-the-past-speaking-to-the-present/ |archive-date=2019-02-24 |access-date=2019-02-24 |publisher=The Record Nepal |location=Kathmandu |language=en}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Devkota was born on the night of [[Lakshmi Pujan|Lakshmi Puja]] on 12 November 1909 (27 Kartik 1966 BS Teel Madhav Devkota and Amar Rajya Lakshmi Devi in Dhobidhara, [[Kathmandu]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=पराजुली |first=गोपाल |date=2022-07-27 |title=महाकवि लक्ष्मीप्रसाद देवकोटा |url=https://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/mag/muna.detail.php?article_id=223&cat_id=17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206120800/https://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/mag/muna.detail.php?article_id=223&cat_id=17 |archive-date=2013-12-06 |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=[[Gorkhapatra]] |language=ne |quote=Being born on the auspicious day of Laxmi pooja (the goddess of wealth), he was regarded as the gift of goddess Laxmi, but in contradiction to it, he became a gift of Saraswati (goddess of knowledge and education).}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Kumar |date=2014-10-23 |title=Mahakavi Devkota: The legend lives on |url=https://kathmandupost.com/miscellaneous/2014/10/23/mahakavi-devkota-the-legend-lives-on |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220728023041/https://kathmandupost.com/miscellaneous/2014/10/23/mahakavi-devkota-the-legend-lives-on |archive-date=2022-07-28 |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=[[The Kathmandu Post]] |language=English}}</ref> His father was a [[Sanskrit]] scholar, who taught him in his childhood. He started his formal education at [[Durbar High School|Durbar High college]], where he studied both [[Sanskrit grammar]] and English.{{sfn|Hutt|1991|p=40}} After finishing his [[matriculation|calculation]]<nowiki/>exams from [[Patna]] at the age of 17, he pursued a [[Bachelor of Arts]] along with a [[Bachelor of Laws]] at [[Tri-Chandra College]] and graduated from [[Patna University]] as a private examinee. His desire to complete his master's degree was left incomplete due to his family's financial conditions.<ref name=":1" />

A decade after his graduation as a lawyer, he started working in the ''Nepal Bhasaanuwad Parishad'' (Publication Censor Board), where he met famous playwright [[Balkrishna Sama]]. At the same time, he also worked as a lecturer at [[Tri-Chandra College]] and [[Padma Kanya Multiple Campus|Padma Kanya College]].{{sfn|Hutt|1991|p=40}}[[File:Laxmi Prasad Devkota 1.jpg|alt=A photo of Devkota smoking (2013 BS (1956-1957))|thumb|A photo of Devkota smoking ({{NepaliDateConverter|2013}})]]

== Literary career ==
Devkota contributed to Nepali literature by starting a modern Nepali language romantic movement in the country. He was the second writer born in Nepal to begin writing epic poems in Nepali literature. Nepali poetry soared to new heights with Devkota's innovative use of the language.

Departing from the Sanskrit tradition that dominated the Nepali literary scene at the time, and being inspired by the [[Newar language]] ballad song ''[[Ji Waya La Lachhi Maduni]]'', he wrote ''[[Muna Madan]]'' ({{Langx|ne|मुनामदन}}) (1930), a long [[Narrative poetry|narrative poem]] in a popular ''Jhyaure bhaka'' ({{Langx|ne|झ्याउरे भाका}}) folk tune. ''Muna Madan'' is undoubtedly the best-selling book in the history of Nepali literature. The 2003 film [[Muna Madan (2003 film)|Muna Madan]], which was Nepal's official entry for the [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]] at the [[76th Academy Awards]], was based on this poem.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chi |first=Minnie |date=2004-01-23 |title=Nepal's Submission for Best Foreign Language Film (Academy Award) |url=https://international.ucla.edu/institute/article/6975 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200602170538/https://international.ucla.edu/institute/article/6975 |archive-date=2020-06-02 |access-date=2022-07-29 |website=[[University of California, Los Angeles]]}}</ref> The work received immediate recognition from the [[Rana dynasty|Ranas]]'''—'''the country's ministers at the time. ''Muna Madan'' tells the story of Madan, a traveling merchant, who departs for [[Tibet]] in a bid to earn some money leaving behind his wife, Muna. The poem describes the thematic hardships of the journey: the grief of separation, the itching of longing, and the torment of death.<ref>{{Cite web |last=गौतम |first=प्रभाकर |date=2019-06-29 |title=नेवारी गीतिकाव्य 'जि वया ला लछि मदुनी' बाट प्रभावित थियो देवकोटाको मुनामदन |url=https://www.setopati.com/art/art-activity/183642/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220728021101/https://www.setopati.com/art/art-activity/183642/ |archive-date=2022-07-28 |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=Setopati |language=ne}}</ref>

The ballad ''Ji Waya La Lachhi Maduni'' is a tragic song based on a [[Newar people|Newa merchant]], his mother, and his wife. The merchant is about to leave Kathmandu for Tibet on a work. The song starts with the wife pleading with her mother-in-law to stop him, saying that it's not even been a month since she came to their home and he wants to go away. Being raised in [[Kathmandu]], Devkota had heard this song from locals singing it at a local ''Pati'' ({{Langx|ne|पाटी or फ़ल्चा}}). He was highly fascinated by the song and decided to re-write it in [[Nepali language|Nepali]]. Since the Rana rulers had put a ban on the Newa trade, language and literature, he changed the main character from a Newa merchant as in the original song to a [[Kshatriya]] (warrior class) character. Although Kshatriya people did not practice trade for their living during those days, he had to depict it as such in order to lure the Rana rulers.<ref name="record" />

The following couplet, which is among the most famous and frequently quoted lines from the epic, celebrates the triumph of humanity and compassion over the hierarchies created by caste in Nepalese culture.
{{col-begin|width=auto}}
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<poem>
"क्षेत्रीको छोरो यो पाउ छुन्छ, घिनले छुँदैन
मानिस ठूलो दिलले हुन्छ जातले हुँदैन !"
</poem>
{{col-break|gap=2em}}
<poem>
The son of a [[Kshatriya]] touches your feet not with hatred but with love.
A man's greatness is determined by his heart; not by his caste or lineage.
</poem>
{{col-end}}

Considered his [[Masterpiece|magnum opus]], ''Muna Madan'' has remained widely popular among the lay readers of Nepali literature; it remains the most popular Nepali book since 1936;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Acharya |first=Tulasi |date=2022-04-16 |title=The Nepali literary environment |url=https://kathmandupost.com/columns/2022/04/16/the-nepali-literary-environment |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417105143/https://kathmandupost.com/columns/2022/04/16/the-nepali-literary-environment |archive-date=2022-04-17 |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=[[The Kathmandu Post]] |language=English}}</ref> the book was also translated into [[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]]; it was well received by [[China]] and considered successful.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mahat |first=Sunny |date=2019-01-04 |title='Muna Madan' in Mandarin |url=https://theannapurnaexpress.com/news/books-in-translation-1067 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509182715/https://theannapurnaexpress.com/news/books-in-translation-1067 |archive-date=2022-05-09 |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=[[The Annapurna Express]] |language=en}}</ref>

{{anchor|pagal-poem}}<!-- this anchor is for a redirect to the poem -->Devkota, inspired by his five-month stay in a mental asylum in 1939, wrote a free-verse poem, ''Pagal'' ({{Langx|ne|पागल|lit=The Lunatic}}). The poem deals with his usual mental ability and is considered one of the best Nepali language poems.{{sfn|Hutt|1991|pp=53-56}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thapa |first=Manjushree |date=2002-10-11 |title=Poetry for a derainged time |url=https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=5450 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115032102/https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=5450 |archive-date=2020-11-15 |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=[[Nepali Times]]}}</ref>
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<poem>
"जरुर साथी म पागल !
यस्तै छ मेरो हाल ।
म शब्दलाई देख्दछु !
दृश्यलाई सुन्दछु !
बासनालाई संबाद लिन्छु ।
आकाशभन्दा पातालका कुरालाई छुन्छु ।
ती कुरा,
जसको अस्तित्व लोक मान्दैंन
जसको आकार संसार जान्दैन !"
</poem>
{{col-break|gap=2em}}
<poem>
Surely, my friend, I am mad,
That’s exactly what I am!
I see a word,
Hear sights,
Taste smells,
I touch things thinner than air,
Those things,
Whose existence the world denies,
Whose shapes the world does not know.
</poem>
{{col-end}}
[[File:Laxmi Prasad Devkota.jpg|alt=Laxmi Prasad Devkota|thumb|Laxmi Prasad Devkota]]
Devkota had the ability to compose long epics and poems with literary complexity and philosophical density in very short periods of time. He wrote ''[[Shakuntala (epic)|Shakuntala]]'', his first [[Epic poetry|epic poem]], and also the first ''Mahakavya'' ({{Langx|ne|महाकाव्य}}) written in the Nepali language, in a mere three months. Published in 1945, ''Shakuntala'' is a voluminous work in 24 cantos based on [[Kālidāsa|Kālidāsa's]] famous Sanskrit play [[Shakuntala (play)|''Abhijñānaśākuntalam'']]. ''Shakuntala'' demonstrates Devkota's mastery of [[Sanskrit]] meter and diction, which he incorporated heavily while working primarily in Nepali. According to the late scholar and translator of Devkota, [[David Rubin (author)|David Rubin]], ''Shakuntala'' is among his greatest accomplishments. "It is, without doubt, a remarkable work, a masterpiece of a particular kind, harmonizing various elements of a classical tradition with a modern point of view, a pastoral with a cosmic allegory, Kālidāsa's romantic comedy of earthly love with a symbolic structure that points to redemption through the coinciding of sensual and sacred love."{{sfn|Devkota|1980|p=40}}

Devkota also published several collections of short lyric poems set in various traditional and non-traditional forms and meters. Most of his poetry shows the influence of English Romantic poets like [[William Wordsworth|Wordsworth]] and [[Samuel Taylor Coleridge|Coleridge]]. The title poem in the collection ''Bhikhari'' ({{Langx|ne|भिखारी|lit=Beggar}}) is reminiscent of Wordsworth's "The Old Cumberland Beggar". In this poem, Devkota describes the beggar going about his ways in dire poverty and desolation, deprived of human love and material comforts. On the other hand, the beggar is also seen as the source of compassion placed at the core of suffering and destitution. Devkota connects the beggar with the divine as the ultimate fount of kindness and empathy:
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<poem>
"कालो बादलबाट खसेको 
 अन्धकारमा भित्र पसेको,
 ईश्वर हो कि भिखारी ?
 बोल्दछ ईश्वर हृदय घुसेका 
 घर, घर आँगन चारी
 बोल्दछ, आर्तध्वनिमा बोल्दछ
 करूणामृत दिल भारी ।"
</poem>
{{col-break|gap=2em}}
<poem>
Fallen from the blackest clouds
To enter into darker shrouds,
Is he deity or beggar?
Buddha speaks – his words pierce the heart,
Wandering from house to house, yard to yard,
Now speaking with a voice of pain:
His heart in sorrow cowed.
</poem>
{{col-end}}
[[File:Madhav Prasad Ghimire with Laxmi Prasad Devkota 2.jpg|alt=Devkota with poet Madhav Prasad Ghimire|thumb|338x338px|Devkota (right) with poet [[Madhav Prasad Ghimire]] ]]
Many of his poems focus on mundane elements of the human and the natural world. The titles of his poems like ''Ban'' ({{Langx|ne|वन|lit=The Woods}}), ''Kisaan'' ({{Langx|ne|किसान|lit=The Peasant}}), ''Baadal'' ({{Langx|ne|बादल|lit=Clouds}}) shows 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. For instance, in the poem ''Ban'', the speaker goes through a series of interrogations, rejecting all forms of comfort and solace that could be offered solely to him as an individual. Instead, he embraces his responsibility and concern for his fellow beings. The poem ends with the following quatrain that highlights the speaker's humanistic inclinations:
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{{col-break|gap=2em}}
<poem>
"दोस्त कहाँ छन्? साथ छ को को? घर हो तिम्रो कुन देश?
जान्छौ कुन पुर भवन मुसाफिर, ल्यायौ कुन सन्देश?
दोस्त मेरो शुभ उद्योगी, साथ छ साहस बेश ।
विश्व सबै घर, हृदय-पुरीतिर ल्याउछु सेवा सन्देश ।।"
</poem>
{{col-break|gap=2em}}
<poem>
Where are your friends? Who goes with you? Which land is your home?
What place do you seek, Traveller? With what news do you roam?
My friend is decent diligence. Courage comes with me.
The whole world is my home. To heartland I roam, with hues of humanity.
</poem>
{{col-end}}

Besides poetry, Devkota also made significant contributions to the essay genre. He is considered the father of modern Nepali essay writing. He defied the conventional form of essays and broke the traditional rules of essay writing and embraced a more fluid and colloquial style which had more clarity in meaning, expressive in feelings, and eloquent in terms of language. His essays are generally satirical in tone and are characterized by their trenchant humour and ruthless criticism of the modernizing influences from the West on Nepali society. An essay titled ''Bhaladmi''  ({{Langx|ne|भलादमी|lit=Gentleman}}) or 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. In another essay titled ''Ke Nepal Sano Cha?'' ({{Langx|ne|के नेपाल सानो छ?|lit=Is Nepal is small}}), he expresses deeply nationalistic sentiments inveighing against the colonial forces from British India which, he felt, were encroaching all aspects of Nepali culture.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Panta |first=Pradipna Raj |date=2021-10-29 |title=Nepal Through Eyes Of Devkota |url=https://old.risingnepaldaily.com/detour/nepal-through-eyes-of-devkota |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120103813/https://risingnepaldaily.com/detour/nepal-through-eyes-of-devkota |archive-date=2021-11-20 |access-date=2022-07-29 |website=[[The Rising Nepal]] |publisher=[[Gorkhapatra Corporation]] |language=en}}</ref> His essays are published in an essays book entitled ''Laxmi Nibhandha Sanghraha'' ({{Langx|ne|लक्ष्मी निबन्धसङ्‌ग्रह}}).<ref name="record" />

Devkota also translated [[William Shakespeare]]'s play ''[[Hamlet]]'' into Nepali.{{sfn|Trivedi|Chakravarti|Motohashi|2021|p=102}} Moreover, he translated his own epic, ''Shakuntala'', into English and wrote several poetry, essays, plays, and epics in English.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chalise |first=Vijaya |date=2008-10-27 |title=Devkota birth centenary Who cares for this national genius? |url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/opinion/devkota-birth-centenary-who-cares-for-this-national-genius |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323032556/https://thehimalayantimes.com/opinion/devkota-birth-centenary-who-cares-for-this-national-genius |archive-date=2023-03-23 |access-date=2022-07-31 |website=[[The Himalayan Times]]}}</ref>

==Politics==
[[File:Laxmi Prasad Devkota Stamp.jpg|alt=Commemorative stamp of Devkota|thumb|247x247px|Commemorative stamp of Devkota (1965)]]
Laxmi Prasad Devkota was not active within any well-established political party, but his poetry consistently embodied an attitude of rebellion against the oppressive [[Rana dynasty]]. During his self-exile in [[Varanasi]], he started working as an editor of ''Yugvani'' newspaper of the [[Nepali Congress]], leading to the confiscation of all his property in Nepal by the Rana Government. After the introduction of democracy through [[1951 Nepalese revolution|Revolution of 1951]], Devkota was appointed member of the ''Nepal Salahkar Samiti'' ({{Langx|ne|नेपाल सल्लाहकार समिति|lit=Nepal Advisory Committee}}) in 1952 by [[Tribhuvan of Nepal|King Tribhuvan]]. Later in 1957, he was appointed as Minister of Education and Autonomous Governance under the premiership of [[Kunwar Inderjit Singh]].<ref name=":002">{{Cite web |last=रिसाल |first=भैरव |date=2019-10-27 |title=महाकविसँगको त्यो अन्तर्वार्ता |url=https://www.himalkhabar.com/news/15695 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224045416/https://www.himalkhabar.com/news/15695 |archive-date=2021-02-24 |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=[[Himal Khabarpatrika]] |language=ne |quote=कुराकानीमा देवकोटाले आठ महीनादेखि हातमा रातो पैसो नपरेकोले ओखती त कता-कता चुल्होमा आगो बल्न पनि मुश्किल भएको वेदना साट्नुभयो । म त्यहाँ डेढ घण्टा जति बसें हुँला । क्यान्सर जस्तो रोगबाट ग्रसित भए पनि महाकविको व्यक्तित्वमा तेज र ओज थियो । तर कोठा भने असरल्ल, सामान भद्रगोल ।}}</ref><ref name=":001">{{Cite web |last=उप्रेती |first=अरुणा |date=2020-09-06 |title=दुई किताब : देवकोटाको जीवनशैली, सिकाइ र सहयोग |url=https://www.onlinekhabar.com/2020/09/894417 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200906154950/https://www.onlinekhabar.com/2020/09/894417 |archive-date=2020-09-06 |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=[[Online Khabar]] |language=ne}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Devkota's son, Padma Devkota, is also a poet and writer and served for many years as a professor at the English Department, [[Tribhuvan University]], Kathmandu.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-01 |title=A Concocted Emotion Is not Poetry: Padma Devkota |url=https://thegorkhatimes.com/2022/02/01/a-concocted-emotion-is-not-poetry-padma-devkota/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803070531/https://thegorkhatimes.com/2022/02/01/a-concocted-emotion-is-not-poetry-padma-devkota/ |archive-date=2022-08-03 |access-date=2022-05-15 |website=The Gorkha Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Health ===
In the late 1930s, Devkota suffered from [[Mental breakdown|nervous breakdowns]], probably due to the deaths of his parents and his two-month old daughter. Eventually, in 1939, he was admitted to the [[Central Institute of Psychiatry|Mental Asylum of Ranchi]], [[India]], for five months.<ref name=":001" /> With financial debts later in his life and being unable to finance the weddings and dowries of his daughters. He is once reported to have said to his wife, "Tonight let's abandon the children to the care of society and youth and renounce this world at bedtime and take potassium cyanide or morphine or something like that [[Sic|''[sic]'']]."{{sfn|Pandey|1959|p=30}}

== Later years and death ==
Devkota developed cancer and died on 14 September 1959, at [[Pashupati Aryaghat]], along the banks of [[Bagmati River|Bagmati river]] in [[Pashupatinath Temple]], Kathmandu. He had smoked for most of his life. Prior to his death, Devkota's income was terminated by the [[Nepal Academy|Nepal Academy of Literature and Art]] because he attended the Afro-Asian Writers' Conference, which was held in modern-day [[Tashkent]], without first seeking permission from them.<ref name=":002" /> He also spoke at the ceremony, praising well-known figures for their contributions to Nepali literature, including [[Bhanubhakta Acharya]], [[Lekhnath Paudyal]], Pandit Hemraj, and [[Somnath Sigdel]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=देवकोटा |first=लक्ष्मीप्रसाद |date=2020-11-14 |title=महाकविको 'इच्छापत्र' |url=https://www.himalkhabar.com/news/120451 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406163521/https://www.himalkhabar.com/news/120451 |archive-date=2021-04-06 |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=[[Himal Khabarpatrika]] |language=ne}}</ref>{{sfn|Chauhan|2009|pp=99-105}} Devkota claimed in an interview that he hadn't received pay for the previous eight months and that as a result, he had been unable to purchase the medication he needed to treat his disease; moreover, he was struggling to even buy food. Devkota's personality was vibrant and assertive despite the fact that he was battling cancer, but his room was disorganized.<ref name=":002" />

==Publications==

===Epics===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"
|+ Epics of Laxmi Prasad Devkota
|-
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Year of first<br />publication
! scope="col" | First edition publisher<br />(Kathmandu, unless otherwise stated)
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Shakuntala (epic)|Shakuntala]]'' 
| {{sort|1945|1945}}
| Sajha
| Epic
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
! scope="row" | ''Sulochana'' 
| 2002
|
| Epic
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
! scope="row" | ''Bana Kusum'' 
| {{sort||}}
|
| Epic
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
! scope="row" | ''Maharana Pratap'' 
| {{sort||}}
|
| Epic
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Prithviraj Chauhan (epic)|Prithviraj Chauhan]]''
| 1992-1993
|
| Epic
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
! scope="row" | ''Prometheus'' 
| {{sort||}}
|
| Epic
| style="text-align: center;" |
|}

===Poetry / short novels / essays / novel===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"
|+ Poetry / Short Novels / Essays of Laxmi Prasad Devkota
|-
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Year of first<br />publication
! scope="col" | First edition publisher<br />(Kathmandu, unless otherwise stated)
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| scope="row" | ''Like Strength'' (बल जस्तो)
| {{sort||}}
|
|
|
|-
| scope="row" | ''The Beggar - Poetry Collection'' (भिखारी - कवितासंग्रह)
| style="text-align: center;" |
|
|
|
|-
| scope="row" | ''Gaine's Song'' (गाइने गीत)
| {{sort||}}
|
| Poetry
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
| scope="row" | ''Butterfly - Children's Poetry Collection'' (पुतली - बालकवितासंग्रह )
| {{sort||}}
|
| Poetry
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
| scope="row" | ''Golden Morning - Children's Poem'' (सुनको बिहान -  बालकविता)
| {{sort||}}
|
| Poetry
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
|Pagal (पागल)
|
|
|poetry
|
|-
| scope="row" | ''Farmer - Musical Play'' (कृषिवाला - गीतिनाटक)
| {{sort||}}
|
| Verse Drama
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
| scope="row" | ''Meeting of Dushyant and Shakantula'' (दुष्यन्त-शकुन्तला भेट)
| {{sort||}}
|
| Short Epic
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
| scope="row" | ''[[Muna Madan]]'' (मुनामदन)
| {{sort||}}
|
| Short Epic
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
| scope="row" | ''Duel between Raavan and Jatayu'' (रावण-जटायु युद्ध)
| {{sort||}}
|
| Short Epic
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
| scope="row" | ''Kunjini'' (कुञ्जिनी)
| {{sort||}}
|
| Short Epic
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
| scope="row" | ''Luni'' (लुनी)
| {{sort||}}
|
| Short Epic
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
| scope="row" | ''Prince Prabhakar'' (राजकुमार प्रभाकर)
| {{sort||}}
|
| Short Epic
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
| scope="row" | ''Kidnapping of Sita'' (सीताहरण)
| {{sort||}}
|
| Short Epic
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
| scope="row" | ''Mahendu'' (म्हेन्दु)
| {{sort||}}
|
| Short Epic
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
| scope="row" | ''Dhumraketu''
| {{sort||}}
|
| Short Epic
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
| scope="row" | ''Laxmi Essay Collection'' (लक्ष्मी निबन्धसङ्‌ग्रह)
| {{sort||}}
|
| Essay
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
| scope="row" | ''[[Champa (novel)|Champa]]'' (चम्पा)
| {{sort||}}
|
| Novel
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
| scope="row" | ''The Sleeping Porter'' (सोता हुआ कुली)
| {{sort||}}
|
| Poetry
| style="text-align: center;" |
|-
|''[[The Witch Doctor and Other Essays]]''
|2017
|Sangri~La Books
|Essays (English)
|
|}

==See also==
* [[Nepali literature]]
* [[Bhanubhakta Acharya]]
* [[Mahakavi Devkota]]

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== Bibliography ==
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{Cite book |last=Shrestha |first=Chandra Bahadur |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xz11AAAAIAAJ |title=My Reminiscence of the Great Poet, Laxmi Prasad Devkota |publisher=[[Royal Nepal Academy]] |year=1981 |language=English |access-date=2022-07-25 |archive-date=5 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405004250/https://books.google.com/books?id=Xz11AAAAIAAJ |url-status=live }}
* {{Cite book |last=Hutt |first=Michael James |author-link=Michael Hutt (academic and translator) |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/43476642 |title=Himalayan voices : an introduction to modern Nepali literature |date=1991 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |isbn=978-0-520-91026-3 |location=Berkeley |language=en |chapter=Lakshmiprasad Devkota (1909-1959) |oclc=43476642 |chapter-url=https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft729007x1&chunk.id=d0e1775&toc.depth=1&toc.id=d0e1775&brand=ucpres |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121230024/https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft729007x1&chunk.id=d0e1775&toc.depth=1&toc.id=d0e1775&brand=ucpres |archive-date=2021-11-21 |url-status=live }}
* {{Cite book |last=Devkota |first=Laxmi Prasad |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/5946334 |title=Nepali visions, Nepali dreams : the poetry of Laxmiprasad Devkota |date=1980 |publisher=[[Columbia University Press]] |others=Translated by David Rubin |isbn=0-231-05014-3 |location=New York |oclc=5946334 |access-date=2022-07-27 }}
* {{Cite book |last1=Trivedi |first1=Poonam |last2=Chakravarti |first2=Paromita |last3=Motohashi |first3=Ted |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1196839110 |title=Asian interventions in global Shakespeare : 'all the world's his stage' |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2021 |isbn=978-1-000-21431-4 |location=New York, NY |page= |language=English |oclc=1196839110 |access-date=2022-07-30 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Pandey |first=Nityaraj |author-link=Nityaraj Pandey |access-date=2022-07-26 |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/79647044 |title=महाकवि देवकोटा |publisher=[[Sajha Prakashan]] |year=1959 |isbn=9789993327929 |location=Nepal |language=ne |oclc=79647044 }}
* {{Cite journal |last=Chauhan |first=Janga B. |year=2009 |title=Bodhi: An Interdisciplinary Journal |url=https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/BOHDI/article/view/2816 |url-status=dead |journal=Devkota in Russia |language=English |publisher=[[Kathmandu University]] |publication-place=Kathmandu, Nepal |volume=3 |issn=2091-0479 |oclc=644273013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180603053049/https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/BOHDI/article/view/2816 |archive-date=2018-06-03 |access-date=2022-07-29 }}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100606044811/http://www.onlinesahitya.com/author/18/Laxmi%20P.%20Devkota Some Works by Laxmi Prasad Devkota]
* [http://www.dsrc.org.np Mahakavi Laxmi Prasad Devkota Study and Research Center] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410133527/http://www.dsrc.org.np/ |date=10 April 2019 }}
* [http://kavitakosh.org/kk/लक्ष्मीप्रसाद_देवकोटा Some Works by Laxmi Prasad Devkota in original Nepali]
* [http://sanjaal.com/nepalipoems/category/poem-laxmi-prasad-devkota/ Poems Of Laxmi Prasad Devkota In Nepali (From Laxmi Kavita Sangraha) Compiled By Sanjaal Corps]
* [http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?no=259733&rel_no=1 Laxmi Prasad Devkota: Nepal's Greatest Poet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314032950/http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?no=259733&rel_no=1 |date=14 March 2012 }}

{{Works by Lakshmiprasad Devkota |state=collapsed}}
{{Nepali literature|state=collapsed}}
{{Nepalese writers}}
{{Authority control}}

{{portal bar|Nepal|Literature|Poetry|Art|Writing}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Devkota, Laxmi}}
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