Yadunath Sharma, popularly known as Girish Ballabh Joshi (1867–1923) was a Nepali Ayurvedic doctor (''

kabiraj Kabiraj is an occupational title found in persons of eastern Indian subcontinent. In older days, people traditionally practising Ayurveda were generally called ''kabi'' in the eastern Indian Subcontinent. Many of them were attached to royal cou ...

'') and novelist. He is considered to be the first Nepali novelist. His novel '' Bir Charitra'' was first published in 1903.

Early life

He was born on 5 October 1867 (19 Ashoj 1924 BS) to father Ganga Nath and mother Bagishowri. The place of his birth is disputed, some sources claim it was in Kathmandu, while other claims, it was in Varanasi or Mathura city of India. It is believed his parents were on a pilgrimage in India, around his birth. He grew up in

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...

and

Varanasi Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.* * * * The city has a syncretic tradition of I ...

. His family served as the royal ''Baidhya'' (Ayurvedic practitioner). He studied Ayurveda in Varanasi. After the death of his father, he returned to Kathmandu.Chapter 1
elibrary.tucl.edu.np

Literary career

Although, he had not received any education in literar field, he was interested in literature. He was proficient in Hindi and Urdu alongside Nepali. He was an ardent fan of

Devaki Nandan Khatri Devaki Nandan Khatri (18 June 1861– 1 August 1913) was an Indian writer who lived in Varanasi and wrote the historic fiction fantasy novel '' Chandrakanta''. Biography He was born on 18 June 1861 in a Punjabi family in Pusa village of Sa ...

, an Indian writer. His novels influenced him to write ''Bir Charitra'', a fantasy detective novel.

Bibliography

Novels * '' Bir Charitra'' (1903) * ''Bahadur Charitra'' * ''Prarabdha Darpan'' * ''Chandrakala Adityasen'' * ''Girishbani'' (Hindi novel) Plays * ''Sitaram Milap'' (Hindi) * ''Pashupati Sabha'' * ''Satyanag Chitra'' * ''Golokarchitra'' Other * ''Ishwar Tatva Bibek'' * ''Patanjal Yogsutrako Bhasya'' (Sanskrit) * ''Bibhinna Dev Deviko Stuti Padhya'' (Sanskrit)

Personal life and death

He had 13 children (7 daughters and 6 sons). He died in December 1923 (Poush 1980).

References

{{Authority control Nepalese male novelists Nepalese novelists 20th-century Nepalese writers 1867 births 1923 deaths 19th-century Nepalese writers