He was one of the most influential poet of Maithili and Hindi. Besides poems, he also wrote a number of short stories, novels and travelogues. He was awarded with Sahitya Academy Award for his book "Patarheen Nagna Gach". He received Sahitya Academy Fellowship for lifetime achievement which is the highest literary award of India.
Born as Vaidya naath Mishra into a Maithil Brahmin family, he later converted to Buddhism and got the name "Nagarjun". He started his literary career with writing maithili poems and chose the pen name "Yatri". He became a teacher for sometime in Saharanpur, UP but his quest for Buddhism led him to Srilanka in 1935 where he converted to Buddhism following the footsteps of his mentor "Rahul Sankrityayan". There he also studied Marxisim and Leninism. After his return, he travelled a lot in India. He also participated in Indian Freedom Movement and was jailed by British govt. In post independence period, he played an active role in JP Movement.
Nagarjun is regarded as Jan Kavi and it is said that he was the first poet of India who took poems out of the hands of elite and spread it to masses.
सुविख्यात प्रगतिशील कवि-कथाकार। हिंदी, मैथिली, संस्कृत और बांग्ला में काव्य-रचना। पूरा नाम वैद्यनाथ मिश्र ‘यात्री’। मातृभाषा मैथिली में ‘यात्री’ नाम से ही लेखन। शिक्षा-समाप्ति के बाद घुमक्कड़ी का निर्णय। गृहस्थ होकर भी रमते-राम। स्वभाव से आवेगशील, जीवंत और फक्कड़। राजनीति और जनता के मुक्तिसंघर्षों में सक्रिय और रचनात्मक हिस्सेदारी। मैथिली काव्य-संग्रह ‘पत्रहीन नग्न गाछ’ के लिए साहित्य अकादेमी पुरस्कार। उत्तर प्रदेश हिन्दी संस्थान तथा मध्य प्रदेश और बिहार के शिखर सम्मान सहित कई पुरस्कारों से सम्मानित।
प्रमुख प्रकाशित पुस्तकें: रतिनाथ की चाची, बाबा बटेसरनाथ, दुखमोचन, बलचनमा, वरुण के बेटे, नई पौध आदि (उपन्यास); युगधारा, सतरंगे पंखोंवाली, प्यासी पथराई आँखें, तालाब की मछलियाँ, चंदना, खिचड़ी विप्लव देखा हमने, तुमने कहा था, पुरानी जूतियों का कोरस, हजार-हजार बाँहोंवाली, पका है यह कटहल, अपने खेत में, मैं मिलिटरी का बूढ़ा घोड़ा (कविता-संग्रह); भस्मांकुर, भूमिजा (खंडकाव्य); चित्रा, पत्रहीन नग्न गाछ (हिंदी में भी अनूदित मैथिली कविता-संग्रह); पारो (मैथिली उपन्यास); धर्मलोक शतकम् (संस्कृत काव्य) तथा संस्कृत से कुछ अनूदित कृतियाँ।
O Wow! Never thought will read a Hindi book written so far back in past to tell such bold and contemporary story with so much depth and understanding of sociopolitic situations and coping with same with dignity by ordinary men and women. i started this book with some apprehension about it. but soon was absorbed in the clipped description and surprising boldness of the writing. I have become a die hard fan of the author. I am going to read all his books for sure.