Kathmandu, Aug. 1 -- This year's Bhanu Jayanti came and went, as it does every year, without much controversy. The day saw celebratory poem-recitation competitions, extended morning assemblies in schools, and the general commemorations expected on the day.

Students, teachers and public figures alike spoke about Bhanubhakta's translation of the Ramayan into Nepali and his general contributions to the language.

But 'Badhu Siksha', Acharya's prescriptive poem for the education of women, did not receive broad attention. In one stanza of the poem, Acharya instructs women to follow a life of devotion and service to their husbands, whom he says are no less than the gods. In another part, he warns that a woman who laughs risks becoming a beshya...