His career as a writer began in 1868, with his articles in the periodical
Shalapatrak (शालापत्रक, The School Paper) founded by his father. Notable in this period are the critical appraisals of the
Sanskrit poets
Kalidas,
Bhavabhuti,
Bana,
Subandhu and
Dandin. These articles introduced his readers to the 'Western' tradition of literary criticism. They were later republished as
Sanskrit Kavipanchak (संस्कृत कविपंचक ). Eventually he became the editor of this periodical, however some of his articles criticising the conduct of the British Government and
Christian Missionaries proved controversial, and the ensuing repercussions forced the closure of
Shalapatrak in 1875. In 1874, he started the monthly
Nibandhamala (निबंधमाला, A Garland of Essays) for which he is principally remembered. Nearly all of the writing in the 84 issues of this periodical published in 12 years is due to him. His range is wide, and includes subjects such as the contemporary status of the Marathi language contrasted with that of English, Sanskrit and Marathi poetry, and the propriety of using foreign words in Marathi.
Aamachya Deshachi Sthiti (अामच्या देशाची स्थिती, The State of Our Country) and
Mudranaswatantrya (मुद्रणस्वातंत्र्य, Freedom of the Press) are two of his influential political articles. He also translated the following works into Marathi in cooperation with his father: •
Rasselas by
Samuel Johnson •
Kadambari by
Banabhatta • The
Arabian Nights (loosely following the translation into English by
Edward Lane) A compilation of his selected writings has been edited by Buddhisagar. Vishnushastri's Marathi prose style was moulded on the one hand by his knowledge of Sanskrit, and on the other by his extensive reading into the works of
Samuel Johnson,
Addison and
Macaulay. His writing is characteristic of what is usually called the
अव्वल इंग्रजी (
High English) period, when Marathi written syntax shows the heavy influence of long, complex sentences incorporating several subordinate clauses, prevalent in 18th and 19th century English. He is also commonly referred to as the
Shivaji of the Marathi language. However, this honorific description was first applied to Vishnushastri by himself, and in fact, was spoken by him in English. ==In popular culture==