 He started his work in the world of letters with a poem and an article "Prachin Bharatiyoin Ka Pahirava" in Hindi and by writing in English his first published essay at the age of 17—"What Has India to do".Keeping in the spirit of anti-imperialism, in 1921, he wrote "Non-co-operation and Non-mercantile Classes of India" which was an attempt to look at the struggle of Indian classes in the set up of colonial and semi-feudal economy.Acharya Shukla taught at Banaras Hindu University Varanasi and chaired its department of Hindi during Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya's period from 1937 until he died (1941).