‘Putra-Shok’ by late Damaru Ballabh Upreti launched on Bhanu Jayanti in Dhangadhi

Dhangadhi: On the occasion of the 212th Bhanu Jayanti, Sudurpaschimanchal Sahitya Samaj, Dhangadhi, organized the launch of the historic poem ‘Putra-Shok’ authored by Vedantacharya and renowned litterateur, the late Damaru Ballabh Upreti. The book launch was held during a special literary program.

Chief guest Govindaraj Pandey, Director of the Postal Department of Sudurpaschim Province and Chief Cultural Scientist, praised Adikavi Bhanubhakta Acharya for elevating the status of the Nepali language globally. He also remarked that Putra-Shok is a significant literary treasure for the Sudurpaschim region.

The poem Putra-Shok, written in BS 1989 at the request of the royal family, was composed in response to the death of Prince Krishna Jung Bahadur Singh, eldest son of King Devi Jung Bahadur Singh of Bajhang. It blends emotional expression with moral guidance, referencing ancient Sanskrit texts like Bhartrihari Niti Shatak and Chanakya Niti to console the grieving.

Literary reviewer Pragya Basudev Pandey highlighted the poem’s unique form, stating, “While folk verse was common in the Far West during that period, Upreti’s use of Varnik Sanskrit verse displays his profound erudition.” The poem has been republished by the writer’s grandson, Ganesh Upreti.

At the same event, writer TR Pathak was honored with the ‘Yagya Vishnudas Puraskar’ and Purna Bahadur Malla received the ‘Pratibha Shree Samman’.

The event was presided over by Sahitya Samaj President Tirtharaj Pandey and hosted by General Secretary Ganesh Nepali. Other speakers included culture expert Yagya Raj Upadhyay, historian and writer Uttam Bahadur Singh, and Associate Professor Harikrishna Kadayat, a member of the Sudurpaschim University Executive Council.