10 Famous Nepalese Personalities With their Sayings

Balbhadra Kunwar 

Balbhadra Kunwar‘s Sayings

“Go capture the fort that you could not win by war, but now we have left it at our own will”.

Prithvi Narayan Shah

Prithvi Narayan Shah is known as the initiator of unification of Nepal. He is also the first King of Unified Nepal. He managed to conquer about 70 small states to larger Nepal in his lifetime. King Prithivi Narayan Shah had laid out the guiding principles of governance, nationalism, and foreign policy before dying in his deathbed at Nuwakot palace. The message is still revered as “Divya Upadesh” or The Divine Counsels.

Prithvi Narayan Shah‘s Sayings

“मेरा साना दुखले आर्ज्याको मुलुक होइन यो चार बर्ण छात्तिश जात सबैको साझा फूलबारी हो सबैलाइ चेतना भया । “
– “This is not the nation gained by my trifle efforts, this is the garden of all kinds of flowers, and may all be aware of this.”

Gautam Buddha

Buddha was born as prince Siddhartha Gautam in the gardens of Lumbini. Being lived in all the luxuries, he was shielded from the realities of life like death, disease and other sufferings of world. He came to know about the realities of human lives, from his charioteer only in his twenties. The prince was depressed and decided to seek for the path to relieve from the universal sufferings. Siddhartha Gautam thus left the Palace and sought the answers by meditation. He is said to achieve ‘enlightment’ or ‘awakening’ and was then called ‘Buddha’ (the Awakened). His divine teachings and insights of human life gave rise to Buddhism. He is also known as the “Light of Asia”.

Gautam Buddha‘s Sayings

“There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.” 

“You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.”

“The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.” 

“There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.”

Laxmi Prasad Devkota

L. P. Devkota was born on the day of Laxmi Puja “The day of worship of Goddess of Wealth – Lakshmi“. Believing the child to be blessed with goddess of wealth they named him after the Goddess, but time revealed that he was indeed gifted with the blessing of learning and education. Throughout his life, he was baffled with poverty but proved himself to be the most influential persons in Nepali literature. He had unexemplified talents to write poems poems with literary complexity and philosophical density in very short period of time. Additionally he wrote essays and epics with his excellency. “Muna Madan” is a short epic which was also the most intimate one for him.  He is entitled “MahaKabi” meaning The Great Poet. 

 मानिसको आँसु मानिसले पुछ्नु सबैको धर्म हो ।
– It is the religion of mankind to wipe each other’s tears.

Tenzing Norgay Sherpa 

Born in the high Himalayas of Nepal, Tenzing Norgay Sherpa (born Namgyal Wangdi) was among the first two men to scale the Highest Peak in the World i.e. Mount Everest. He, with Sir Edmund Hilary from New Zealand scaled the mountain for the first time in 1959. He was named as one of the 100 most influential persons of 20th Century by Time Magazine.

Tenzing Norgay‘s Sayings

If I know I make this much trouble, I never climb Everest.

I needed to go . . . the pull of Everest was stronger for me than any force on Earth.

We look up. For weeks, for months, that is all we have done. Look up. And there it is-the top of Everest. Only it is different now: so near, so close, only a little more than a thousand feet above us. It is no longer just a dream, a high dream in the sky, but a real and solid thing, a thing of rock and snow, that men can climb. We make ready. We will climb it. This time, with God’s help, we will climb on to the end.

B. P. Koirala

Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala is one of the most beloved and influential personality in the politics of Nepal. He was a firm democratist who had actively participated in the freedom movements of Nepal as the founder leader of Nepali Congress. He had proposed democratic socialism to be the most appropriate for an underdeveloped country like Nepal. He also served as a Prime minister of Nepal. Apart from politics, he was a brilliant literary figure. Influenced by Austrian Neurologist and writer Sigmund Freud was the first person to introduce new element – human psychology – in Nepali literature.

B. P. Koirala’s Sayings

“साहित्यमा सम्राट पनि नाङ्गो हुन्छ।”
Even the Emperor is naked in Literature. 

“जीवन नै एक सुनिश्चित जोखिम हो। जीवनको सार्थकता कुनै उद्देश्यका लागि प्रतिवध्दतामा निर्भर गर्दछ। मानिस आफ्नो सङ्कल्प र आस्थाले यथार्थमा मानिस हुन्छ।”
Life itself is an explicit risk. The significance of life depends on the commitment for a purpose. A human is in fact human because of his faith and determination.

M. B. B. Shah

King Mahendra Bir Bikarm Shah, the ninth Shah King of Nepal. It was during his Kingship, Nepal saw implementation of various political and economic approaches. The Rana family had control on all the affairs of the kingdom during the first three decades of his life. Later under his kingship he suspended the constitution, dissolved the elected parliament and established a hierarchial system called “Panchayat” system. Although he was criticized for his autocratic approach, it was during his rule some very important infrastructures of development were initiated. He is called as a “true patriotic” king by the historians. He had keen interest in literature and crafted patriotic and inspiring poetry.

M. B. B. Shah‘s Sayings

म मरे पनि मेरो देश बाँचिरहोस ।
May my country live on even if I die

Bhanubhakta Acharya 

The first poet of Nepal “Aadikavi” Bhanubhakta Acharya is well known for translation of great Epic “Ramayana” from sanskrit to Nepali. Born in the high Brahmin caste, he was given sanskrit education at home itself by his Grandfather. Young Bhanu Bhakta is said to be inspired by a poor grass cutter, who wished to do something for the mankind by constructing a well on his earnings, only to be remembered even after his death. Bhanubhakta being surprised and deeply inspired by the penurious grass cutter sought for his own purpose in life.

Bhanubhakta Acharya‘s Sayings 

“भर जन्म घाँसतिर मन दिई धन कमायोनाम क्यै रहोस पछि भनेर कुवा खनायोघाँसी दरिद्र घरको तर बुद्धी कस्तोम भानुभक्त धनी भैकन आज यस्तोमेरा इनार न त सत्तल पाटी क्यै छन्जे धन र चीजहरू छन् घरभित्रनै छन्तेस घाँसीले कसरी आज दिएछ अर्तिधिक्कर हो मकन बस्नु न राखि किर्ती”

All his life he earns his little living cutting the grass.
And constructs a well for his name even after his vitality pass.
Indigent grass cutter but how high thinking is this. 
Being Bhanubhakta but why did i myself did miss. 
I have neither have wells nor rest houses, every riches i have is only within my house. 
The grass cutter has opened my eyes today. 
Worthless is the life whose memories of existence just fades away.

Anuradha Koirala

The Nepalese Social Activist Anuradha Koirala is the founder of “Maiti Nepal” – an organization for dedicated for rescuing and helping the victims of Girls Trafficking. Sex trafficking is one of the most henious crimes the world is facing at present. Inspired by the humanitarian service service of Mother Teresa, Anuradha is one of the living social icon of Nepal. She already has been titled with CNN Hero of the year in 2010. She is the pride of the nation and a source of courage and inspiration for the Nepalese Women. 

Anuradha Koirala‘s Sayings

“Just imagine what would happen if your daughter was standing there. What would you do, how would you fight? So you have to join hands, you have to take each child as your daughter. Soon you will feel their sorrow and then you will feel the strength that comes out of you to protect them.”

“Society rejects me and my girls, but they are the most important thing in my life.”

The Gurkhas

The Gurkhas “Gorkhalis” are considered as one of the most fearsome fighters in the history. One of the specialities of Gurkha Soldiers is that they still carry with a traditional 18-inch curved knife known as “Khukuri”. The Nepalese Gurkha soldiers have been the part of British and Indian army after the fruitless attempt of British expansion into the Nepalese territory in the 19th Century. The decision of recruiting Gurkha soldiers in British army began after a peace treaty was signed with the British East India company when they suffered heavy losses in the wars fought during the Anglo Nepal War. Since then the Gurkhas have loyally fought for the British all over the world, receiving 13 Victoria Crosses between them.

The Gurkhas Quotes