Muna Madan is a folk epic narrating the tragic story of Muna and Madan written in poetic version in 1935 by Nepalese poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota. It is one of the most popular works in Nepali literature. Just before his death in 1959 Devkota 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. It is based on the Jhaurey folk tune.
The book describes the life of a man (Madan) who leaves his wife (Muna) and goes to Lhasa to make money. Madan represents all the youths of Nepal who go abroad to earn money to earn their living.
The wife of Madan, Muna is the queen of love and sacrifice. She loves her Madan a lot so she is upset as she has to send him to a place, Lahsa, where there are lots of obstacles and risks. But finally she accepts this challenge and stays in the country with her mother-in-law who is old and weak.
While returning home, Madan becomes sick on the way. His friends leave him on the road and come back home saying he has died. 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.
When Madan returns to Kathmandu after regaining his health, he discovers that his mother and his beloved wife had already died. Madan comes to realize that money is of no value at that point.
The story also shows the life of a poor woman who suffered much without her husband and later dies because of grief. In this poem, Devkota has written about the biggest problems of the then Nepalese society.
Through the story of Muna and Madan, Laxmi Prasad Devkota wants to stabilize the facts of traditional societies, unscientific beliefs and the negative impacts of unemployment and poverty in Nepalese society. The poet has wonderfully defined love by writing about the relationship of Muna and Madan. The book has proved to be a great piece in the Nepali Literature. I found this a-must-read book in Nepali literature.
