Bhanubhakta Acharya is reagarded as the first poet of Nepal who wrote first time in Nepali language. He was the one who translated Ramayana from Sanskrit to Nepali.

He was born in 1814 at Chundi Ramgha gaun (village) in Tanahu district of western Nepal. He was educated at home by his grandfather, Shri Krishna Acharya.

Bhanubhakta is the first poet of Nepal. Poets before him in Nepal usually wrote in Sanskrit. One of his writings is well known for its colorful, flowing praise of Kathmandu valley and its inhabitants. (Titled Kantipuri Nagari meaning Kantipur town)

Bhanubhakta translated great epic “Ramayana” from Sanskrit to Nepali. He not only translated Ramayan but also gave a famous rhyme called Bhanubhaktiya laya. below is the start of Ramayana in Bhanubaktiya rhyme.

एक दिन नारद सत्य लोक पुगिगया
लोक को गरौ हित भनि।।।।

After the fall of the Khas Empire in the 15th century, its language which evolved into present day Nepali was considered bastardized and limited to speech. Sanskrit dominated most of the written texts of South Asia and its influence was particularly strong in Nepal. Brahmins were the teachers, scholars and priests of the society by virtue of their caste. Their education was Sanskrit-oriented since most religious texts of the Hindu religion were in that language.

Many wrote poetry in Sanskrit that were too heavily to understand. Bhanubhakta was definitely “the” writer who gained the acceptance of a wide range of people and his creations played a key role in popularizing the written form of Nepali language.

Bhanubhakta’s contribution is unique. Children who received an education at the time began their studies with light epics such as the “Ramayan” and graduated to the more complex “Upanishads” and “Vedas.”

Ram’s heroic exploits were highly impressive to Bhanubhakta, so he decided to make the deity more accessible to the people who spoke Khas. (Since the social order did not encourage literacy, most country people did not understand anything when epics were read out to them in Sanskrit those days.)

When completed, his translation of the Ramayan was so lyrical that it was more like a song than a poem.

All his ideas and experiences were derived from his intuition. He started the thread of writing. He is the one who made it possible to reach true story of Ramayan to every Nepali. He is pioneer and we regard him as a one of the creators of Nepali language.

The Adi Kavi, Bhanubhakta, is said to be inspired by a grass cutter when was a young boy. He was from a wealthy family and was leading an unremarkable life until he met a grass cutter who in spite of being poor, wanted to give back something to mankind and the society, which could make him remembered after his death too.