Family account
About the poet
The summary below draws on Damodar Lal Das’s “Mahakavi Pandit Lal Dasak Jeevan-Parichay” in Bhavanjali Smarika 2022, printed pages 9–19.
Source: Damodar Lal Das, “Mahakavi Pandit Lal Dasak Jeevan-Parichay,” Bhavanjali Smarika 2022, printed pages 9–19.
The life account
Early life and learning
Mahakavi Pandit Lal Das was born in a Kayastha family in Madhubani, then part of Darbhanga district, on Falgun Krishna Tritiya in Vikram Samvat 1912 (1856 CE). His birth name was Chudamani Das; he became known as Lal Das. His father Bachkan Das was devout, and his mother was remembered as virtuous and religious. The family had five sons and five daughters.
Lal Das began alphabet learning at about age five, studying Mithilakshar and Hindi. His father chose Sanskrit as the foundation of his education. Lal Das also studied Persian for four years with a Maulvi, then pursued Sanskrit, devotional and classical texts. His life encompassed teaching, poetry, religious composition, translation and pilgrimages to Kashi, Prayag, Ayodhya, Vrindavan and Janakpur.
The literary legacy
A poet, scholar and translator
The companion essay “Mahakavi Lal Dasak Mahatva”, attributed to Dr. Ramanand Jha ‘Raman’, describes Lal Das as a poet and translator with a strong grounding in religious and Puranic literature. It emphasises the value of his Maithili writing and translations, and notes that some works also preserve historical, social and cultural details of Mithila.
Mahakavi Pandit Lal Das Rachanavali — Part 1
The title page identifies Part 1 as “Stri-Dharma Shiksha evam Savitri-Satyavan Natak” (Women’s Dharma Education and the Savitri-Satyavan play).
- Stri-Dharma Shiksha / Pativratāchār (स्त्री-धर्मशिक्षा अर्थात् पतिव्रताचार)
- Savitri-Satyavan Maithili play (सावित्री-सत्यवान मैथिली नाटक)
Part 1 title and contents are taken from the family-supplied title page and contents image. Publication details will be expanded when the complete source text is available.
Works listed in Part 2
- Viradawali (विरुदावली)
- Mahalakshmi Vrat Katha (महालक्ष्मी व्रतकथा)
- Haritalika Vrat Katha (हरितालिका व्रतकथा)
- Vaidhavya Bhanjani / Somavari Vrat Katha (वैधव्य भञ्जनी / सोमवारी व्रतकथा)
- Chandi Charit (चण्डीचरित)
- Shri Durga Saptashati (श्री दुर्गा सप्तशती)
- Janaki Ramayana (जानकी रामायण)
- Maithili translation of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita (श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता मैथिली अनुवाद)
This is the list printed in the supplied Part 2 overview; titles are checked against the supplied contents page.
Other titles shown on family-supplied covers
Only the visible cover titles are recorded here. Contents, language, edition and publication details are awaiting confirmation.
About this account
Sources and editorial care
This page draws on “Mahakavi Lal Dasak Mahatva” in Lal Das Rachanavali, Part 2 (2021), printed pages 7–11, and Damodar Lal Das’s “Mahakavi Pandit Lal Dasak Jeevan-Parichay” in Bhavanjali Smarika 2022, printed pages 9–19. The material is paraphrased, not reproduced word-for-word.