Muna Madan

Muna Madan
Author Laxmi Prasad Devkota
Original title मुना मदन
Cover artist Tekbir Mukhiya
Country Nepal
Language Nepali
Subject Poem
Genre Story
Pages 40

Muna Madan (Nepali: मुनामदन) is a short epic narrating the tragic story of Muna & Madan written by Nepalese poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota and one of the most popular works in Nepali literature.

Muna Madan is based on an 18th-century ballad in Nepal Bhasa entitled Ji Waya La Lachhi Maduni (it has not been a month since I came).[1][2][3] The song, which is popular in Newar society, tells the story of a merchant from Kathmandu who leaves for Tibet on business leaving behind his newly wed bride. The wife is concerned for his safety as the journey to Tibet is filled with hardships, and she pleads with him not to go. But he leaves despite her protests. When he returns home after many years, he finds that she has died.[4][5][6]

Synopsis

Muna Madan describes the life of a man (Madan) who leaves his wife (Muna) and goes to Lhasa to make money, and while returning he becomes sick on the way. His friends leave him on the road and come back home saying he has died. The story also shows the life of a poor woman who suffered much without her husband and later dies because of grief. Finally he is rescued by a man who is considered to be of lower caste in Nepal. That is why it is said that a man is said to be great not by caste or race but by a heart full of love and humanity.[7]

When Madan returns to Kathmandu after regaining his health, he discovers that his wife is dead and becomes grief-stricken. Madan comes to realize that money is of no value at that point. In this poem, Devkota has written about the biggest problems of the then Nepalese society.[8][9]

Just before his death in 1959 he made his famous statement, "It would be all right if all my works were burned, except for Muna Madan." It is the most commercially successful Nepali book ever published.[10][11]

Movie

The poem has been adapted into a movie of the same name. The film was directed by Gyanendra Deuja and was starred by national award nominated actress, Usha Poudel who made a debut in the role of Muna. Muna Madan was Nepal's official entry at the 2004 Academy Awards. [12]


    हातका मैला सुनका थैला के गर्नु धनले
    साग र सिस्नु खाएको बेस आनन्दी मनले
    क्षेत्रीको छोरो यो पाउ छुन्छ, घिनले छुदैन 
    मानिस ठूलो दिलले हुन्छ, जातले हुदैन

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hutt, Michael (July 1994). "Book Review" (PDF). Contributions to Nepalese Studies. Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies (CNAS), Tribhuvan University. Retrieved 27 June 2012. Page 253.
  2. ↑ Bandhu, C. M. (December 2006). "Folklore Studies in Nepal: A Historical Survey" (PDF). Nepali Folklore and Folklife. Nepali Folklore Society. Retrieved 17 July 2012. Page 5.
  3. ↑ Hutt, Michael (1991). Himalayan Voices: An Introduction to Modern Nepali Literature. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520070486. Page 41.
  4. ↑ Lienhard, Siegfried (1992). Songs of Nepal: An Anthology of Nevar Folksongs and Hymns. New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas. ISBN 81-208-0963-7. Page 84.
  5. ↑ Von Bohlen, Dominik (December 2012). "Muna Madan". ECS Nepal. Archived from the original on 26 December 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  6. ↑ "Ji Wayala Lachhi Maduni (Pushpa Chitrakar)". Academia.edu. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  7. ↑ Peebles, Patrick (2012). Voices of South Asia: Essential Readings from Antiquity to the Present. M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 9780765620729. Page 157.
  8. ↑ "YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  9. ↑ Shrestha, Dayaram (2006). Nepal Sahitya Ka Kehi Prista. Lalitpur: Sajha Prakashan.
  10. ↑ Kharel, Samik (9 April 2012). "Muna Madan best-seller of all time". eKantipur. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  11. ↑ K.C., Bishnu (27 January 2006). "'Muna Madan,' a Literary Masterpiece". OhmyNews. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
  12. ↑ Chi, Minnie (23 January 2004). "Nepal's Submission for Best Foreign Language Film (Academyय Award)". UCLA International Institute. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.