Dr. Sudath Gunasekara (SLAS) 

According to Mahavansa, the Great chronical, the Sinhale Kingdom was found in 543 BC by Vijaya, a North Indian Prince. who was banished by his Father King Sinhabahu for his misbehavior with his fellow mates. As such according to Mahavamsa Prince Vijaya is the founder King of Sri Lanka and the Sinhala nation. This was how we were taught in school and even in the University.  Also, this was what had been written down practically in every book starting from Mahavamsa the Great Dynasty of the Sinhala nation down to the grade two texts and even going further down to the bed time stories of our mothers and grandmothers prior to our schooling days.

However, in my late 80s, I came across a completely different story on the origin of this Great Dynasty called the Sinhala nation. This is completely a new proposition that the Sinhale was founded by none other than Gautama Budda in his Bodhisathva days, long time before he attained the Buddhahood in the 6th century B.C.

This narrative is found in the preface to a book of protection (Piruwaana Poth vahanse) edited by Ven,Kirama WimalaJothi Thera. (1995) He has mentioned two Sanskrit Buddhist texts Karandavyuha and Divyaavadhaana composed about 2 ½ centuries before the Mahavamsa was composed in the 5th Century CE

 According to that narrative his name was Sinhala. He was the son of a rich merchant called Sinha who had come to this country from Western Indus valley area of North Western India, long time prior to the birth of Buddha in the 6th century BC. I am lost to understand as to why the Vamsakatha authors have not mentioned anything about this episode. Was it mere indifference or the intention of eulogizing the Kalinga Dynasty as the founders of this country and the Sinhala nation. This Narrative has to be seriously looked into in depth by archaeologists and historians who are interested in finding out the true founding father of the Sinhala nation, whether he was a notorious Indian prince called Vijaya, who was expelled from the country by his father King Sinhabahu for his misdoings or Gauthama the Buddha himself in one of his previous births in sansaara, as a Boddhisatva who’s name also was Sinhala.

 As for me I also prefer this new proposition to be more logical, honorable and proud too for the Sinhala Buddhists. I list the following reasons to strengthen my support of this argument

First of all, the Sinhala nation was named after the founder’s name Sinhala. It is more logical to argue that the ‘nation was named after the name of the founder of that nation. rather than suggesting that a man called Vijaya founded the Sinhala nation and it was so named after his father’s name Sinhabahu. A son who was banished from his Kingdom naming the nation he found in a new country, after his father’s name Sinhabahu” is very unlikely an event.

Second, although the Buddha was born and bred in North India, he loved Sri Lanka more than his country of birth. His first and also the only visit to a foreign country was also to this country in the 9th month after he attained Buddhahood. Not only that he visited this country thrice and has consecrated this whole Island at all these three occasions to the Buddha sasana having placed his sacred footprint on the summit of mount Samanala and sanctifying the whole Island including all the 16 other holy places right round this country.

According to Mahavamsa Lord Buddha even at his last moment, as he was lying on his parinirvaana bed, had directed Sakka the King of Gods to protect Prince Vijaya and his 700 retinue who landed on this Island on that day, as this country will be the only place on earth and his Dhamma will prevail unhindered for another 5000 years to come. As you all know although 2569 years have passed after the Buddhas passing away Sri Lanka has come to stay as the prime seat of his doctrine in the world.

Third, even as a small child in grade 11 way back in 1947 in school, I did not like to be called a descendant coming down from a group of 700 bandits whose heads were half shaven, and banished from India by his father King”, as the teacher told us in class.

As such, as for me, I prefer to accept the second proposition rather than the Vijayan concept on the birth of this country and the Sinhala nation It is an honor- supreme, for all Sinhala Buddhists to say and accept that the Sinhala nation has its origin traced back to, the Bodhisathva, named Sinhala. Therefore, I am convinced that the founder of the Sinhala nation was none other than Gauthama the Buddha in his Bodhisathva days.  Because no one can ever imagine to inherit the Buddhist cultural model we find in this country, from a person like Vijaya who was banished by his own father for his misdeeds and landed on the sands of this country by an accident.

 Above all isn’t it an honor and a singular privilege as well, to claim that the founder of the Sinhala nation was none other than Gauthama the Buddha. This elevates the Sinhala nation to a unique and a privileged civilization on earth, no other nation can claim. Isn’t ii an honor and a unique privilege too, to be called that we, the Sinhala nation descends from Lord Buddha, the Greatest Teacher of gods and men (satta devamanussanam) ever born on this earth.

However, I leave this debated to be settled by a more eminent and erudite set of scholars, As I am neither a historian or an archaeologist. I only open the door for such a deeper but certainly a worthwhile debate, on the birth of a pristine civilization like that of the Sinhala Buddhist Nation, a glowing crest jewel in human civilization of this earth.