The Hela Hawla editions of Sidath Sangara

Abstract

This study aims at finding out why the Sidath Sangarawa was published several times by Hela Hawla when it had already been published by Kumaratunga Munidasa. Although the pioneer of Hela Hawla was Kumarathunga Munidasa, this study tries to find out the reasonswhy his followers published it again. Why did Repiel Tennakoon, Rev. Gnanaloka and Amarasiri Gunawadu publish Sidath Sangarawa after Kumaratunga Munidasa published Sidath Sagara Vivaranaya. This study was conducted using library resources. Having analyzed the data of the four separate publications of the Sidath Sangara by the above mentioned authors, the following conclusions were arrived at. Significant findings of this research are that Amarasiri Gunawadu wrote and published the second part of Sidath Sangarawa after the demise of Kumaratunga as the second part of Sidath Sangarawa written by Kumaratunga was lost after it was handed over to the press. Amarasiri Gunawadu mentions that he tried to write the same idea as Kumaratunga wrote in the second edition. It shows that Gunawadu does not try to be critical on facts submitted in the first and second part of Sidath Sagarawa written by Kumaratunga Munidasa, Rev. Gnanaloka published Sidath Sangara Purana Sannaya to explain the meanings of the Sidath Sangarawa. In that, Rev. Gnanaloka pushed forward his own ideas. Repiel Tennakoon further explained meanings of the words in Sidath Sangarawa published by Kumaratunga Munidasa. He adds new grammar rules in his Sidath Sangarawa edition. The language he used for his edition was simple and understandable for the reader than shorter explanations given by Kumaratunga. Tennakoon identifies weaknesses he found in the Kumaratunga’s Sidath Sangarawa and further reveals more of weakness in Sidath Sangarawa which were not identified by Kumaratunga. These three writers except Gunawadu use different meanings for the same word in the three editions. As there is a considerable time gap for Sidath Sangara publications of these four writers, it is evident that they published the Sidath Sangarawa with different purposes.