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Who translated the Ramayana from Sanskrit into Nepali?
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Answer: Option D — Bhanubhakta Acharya
Detailed Solution
Bhanubhakta Acharya (1814-1868) translated the Ramayana into Nepali verse in the 19th century. His "Bhanubhakta Ramayana" is regarded as the first great epic in the Nepali language.
About the Bhanubhakta Ramayana:
- It is based mainly on the Sanskrit "Adhyatma Ramayana" rather than directly on Valmiki's version.
- It was written in simple, musical Nepali, which ordinary people could understand and sing.
- It made the Ramayana popular among Nepali-speaking people and helped unify and standardise the Nepali language.
- According to a popular story, Bhanubhakta was inspired to do meaningful work after meeting a poor grass-cutter who was digging a well for travellers, so that his good deed would be remembered.
About Bhanubhakta Acharya:
- He was born in Chundi Ramgha, Tanahun district, Nepal.
- He is called the "Adikavi" (first poet) of Nepali literature.
His birth anniversary (around 13 July, the 29th day of the month of Asar in the Nepali calendar) is celebrated as "Bhanu Jayanti" in Nepal and also by Nepali-speaking people in Sikkim, Darjeeling and other parts of India.
His Ramayana was later published by Motiram Bhatta, who also wrote his biography.
About the Nepali language in India:
Nepali is one of the 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. It was added by the 71st Amendment Act, 1992, along with Konkani and Manipuri.
It is an official language of Sikkim and is widely spoken in the Darjeeling hills of West Bengal.
Other Nepali writers:
- Laxmi Prasad Devkota: called "Mahakavi"; wrote "Muna Madan" (1930).
- Motiram Bhatta: poet and publisher who popularised Bhanubhakta's work.
- Lekhnath Paudyal: "Kavi Shiromani" (crown of poets).
Ramayana in other regional languages:
Tamil: Kamban; Hindi (Awadhi): Tulsidas; Bengali: Krittibas Ojha; Malayalam: Ezhuthachan; Assamese: Madhava Kandali.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Laxmi Prasad Devkota wrote "Muna Madan".
- ✗Motiram Bhatta published Bhanubhakta's Ramayana.
- ✗Lekhnath Paudyal was called "Kavi Shiromani".
Quick tip
Remember: Nepali Ramayana = Bhanubhakta Acharya ("Adikavi" of Nepali; Bhanu Jayanti); Nepali added to the Eighth Schedule by the 71st Amendment (1992) with Konkani and Manipuri.
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Books & Authors — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Books & Authors, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers famous books and their authors, including ancient Indian texts, works of the freedom struggle, classic and modern literature, autobiographies of famous people, and recently published books by well-known personalities. Questions usually name a book and ask for its author, or the other way round. Ancient and historical books, such as Arthashastra (Kautilya), Indica (Megasthenes) and Gitanjali (Rabindranath Tagore), are tested most often. Autobiographies are another favourite, so learn titles such as 'My Experiments with Truth' (Mahatma Gandhi) and 'Wings of Fire' (A. P. J. Abdul Kalam). Practise the books and authors questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.