Kumaratunga Munidasa (
Sinhala: කුමාරතුංග මුනිදාස; 25 July 1887 – 2 March 1944) was a pioneer
Sri Lankan (
Sinhalese) 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. 'H ...
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 language primarily spoken by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka, who make up the largest ethnic group on the island, numbering about 16 million. Sinhala is also s ...
. 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'' Buddh ...
and
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 ...
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 m ...
, 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 Theravad ...
,'' linking these entities to 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 ...
concept of refuge. To pursue these sources of refuge, he founded the Hela Havula, which consisted of people who shared his views on
Sinhala language
Sinhala ( ; , ''siṁhala'', ), sometimes called Sinhalese (), is an 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 million. Sinhala is also s ...
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