Kumaratunga Munidasa ( Sinhala: කුමාරතුංග මුනිදාස; 25 July 1887 – 2 March 1944) was a pioneer

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

n (

Sinhalese Sinhala may refer to: * Something of or related to the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka * Sinhalese people * Sinhala language, one of the three official languages used in Sri Lanka * Sinhala script, a writing system for the Sinhala language ** Sinha ...

) linguist, grammarian, commentator, and writer. He founded the

Hela Havula The Hela Havula is a Sinhalese literary organisation founded by Kumaratunga Munidasa in January 1941. 'Hela Hawula' was formed as the only organization in Sri Lanka to protect and uplift the Sinhala language, Sinhala land and Sinhala culture. 'He ...

movement, which sought to remove

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

influences from the

Sinhala language Sinhala ( ; , ''siṁhala'', ), sometimes called Sinhalese (), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka, who make up the largest ethnic group on the island, numbering about 16 milli ...

. Considered one of Sri Lanka's most historically significant scholars, he is remembered for his profound knowledge of the Sinhala language and its literary works.

Personal life

The second youngest of twelve siblings, Kumarathunga Munidasa was born on 25 July 1887, in Idigasaara village, Dickwella, Matara, Sri Lanka.{{{cite book, last=Ahubudu, first=Arisen, title=පුජිත ජිවිත , publisher=Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, year=1989, pages=139–153, language=Sinhala His mother was Palavinnage Dona Gimara Muthukumarana (or Dona Baba Nona Muthukumarana) and his father was Abious (or Abiyes) Kumaranatunga. His father, a physician who practiced indigenous medicine, kept Pali and Sanskrit manuscripts on Ayurveda medicine, Astrology, and Buddhism.{{Cite journal, last=Coperahewa, first=Sandagomi, date=2011-07-01, title=1. Purifying the Sinhala Language: The Hela Movement of Munidasa Cumaratunga (1930s-1940s), url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/216407476_1_Purifying_the_Sinhala_Language_The_Hela_Movement_of_Munidasa_Cumaratunga_1930s-1940s, journal=Modern Asian Studies, volume=46, doi=10.1017/S0026749X11000291 Munidasa originally attended Wewurukannala Pirivena to learn

Pali Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...

and

in order to become a Buddhist monk, but his family disapproved. He then switched to the government teachers' college in

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...

, graduating in 1907 after two years of training. In 1921, Munidasa married Lilly Laviniya. Kumarathunga Munidasa died on 2 March 1944, at the age of 56.

Career

{{Main, Hela Havula His first appointment was as a government teacher in the Bilingual School of Bomiriya. He was later promoted to the position of principal of the Kadugannawa Bilingual School. After 11 years, he was promoted again to the position of inspector of schools. He remained in that role for four years.{{Cite journal, last=Coperahewa, first=Sandagomi, date=July 2012, title=Purifying the Sinhala Language: The Hela Movement of Munidasa Cumaratunga (1930s–1940s)*, url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/modern-asian-studies/article/purifying-the-sinhala-language-the-hela-movement-of-munidasa-cumaratunga-1930s1940s/ADBB31FE643B1F067EA898F56BC05895, journal=Modern Asian Studies, language=en, volume=46, issue=4, pages=857–891, doi=10.1017/S0026749X11000291, issn=1469-8099 His first book, ''Nikaya Sangraha Vivaranaya,'' was an analysis of a Scripture on the

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

Monastic Orders. Munidasa was a member of the Sinhala Maha Sabha of the Swabhasha movement, which started as a protest against the English-educated elites. In the following years, he made several poetry and short stories such as ''Udaya'', ''Hath Pana'', ''Heen Seraya'', ''Magul Kema'' and ''Kiyawana Nuwana''. Munidasa spoke of language, nation, and the country as a ''

Triple Gem In Buddhism, refuge or taking refuge refers to a religious practice, which often includes a prayer or recitation performed at the beginning of the day or of a practice session. Since the period of Early Buddhism until present time, all Theravada ...

,'' linking these entities to the

concept of refuge. To pursue these sources of refuge, he founded the Hela Havula, which consisted of people who shared his views on

and literary interest. Members of the group often engaged in debates and discussion of recommended literature. It was the starting point for many Sri Lankan scholars and artists and the organization. Munidasa revived the ''Lakminipahana'' newspaper and started the ''Subasa'' and ''Helio'' magazines to teach and promote the correct use of Sinhala.Sahdasomi Coperahewa (1998)
"Cumaratunga as a Language Planner"
The Sunday Times.

Novels

*''Hathpana'' *''Heenseraya'' *''Kiyawana Nuwana'' *''Magul Keema'' *"Mage pasala" *"Piya Samara" *"Shiksha Margaya" *"Sirimath" *"Nalawilla" *"Pahan Katuweki"

References

{{Reflist

External links

Kumaratunga Munidasa - Sri Lankan PoetWorld coinage and purity of language
{{Authority control {{DEFAULTSORT:Munidasa, Kumaratunga 1887 births 1944 deaths Alumni of St. Thomas' College, Matara Grammarians from Sri Lanka Hela Havula People from Matara, Sri Lanka People from Panadura People of British Ceylon Sinhala language Sinhalese writers