History minus Evidence is no History - Part II

| by Dr.Sripali Vaiamon

( May 21, 2012, Toronto, Sri Lanka Guardian) On the 20th of May, our electronic media producers in Canada, presented an excellent half hour with available meager facilities, Voice of Lanka, on account of the universal festival of the Theravada Buddhists,The commemoration of three prime events, the Wesak. In this there was a magnificent song by Sunil Aryaratna, beautifully rendered by the best female vocalist in Sri Lanka,Nanda Malini.The Buddhanu Bavena, in which there is a line in the lyric, Galayavi Payasa Dhara. Payasa is solid milk rice, which cannot be drifted and flow, it will sink. Similarly another popular song rendered by Vincent de Paul Pieris ,Sri Pade Samanola kanda pene-This should be the other way about. I pointed out these in good songs for the connoisseur of our music lovers. Not with any hard feeling!

“Romeo and Juliet,’ the most popular archetype play of the world renowned dramatist and poet, William Shakespeare which has an historical outlook engulfed with little bit of historical information here and there but it is not a history book. There are no authentic historical facts and evidence to treat it as an historical document. Dr. Martin Wickramasinghe’s masterpiece, ‘Rohini’ has an historical outlook. But it is not a piece of historical literature. Manimekalai and Silappadhikaran which referred to certain Buddhist events such as Buddha’s implanting Sripada on the peak of Samanola are just Tamil literary works of South India but not historical documents.

Mahabharata and Ramayana are both Indian legends. Although in many a places historical facts have been interspersed. Some of these have been discovered and accepted as quite authentic. Plenty of original imaginations, creative writings, and pseudo descriptions have gone into both volumes. When you take them into serious consideration all are not historical contents with evidence. Just fascinating embellishments, marvelous creations in the fertile minds of the Compilers. However, to readers’ amazement certain revelations may have become history. For an example, the musical instrument Ravanastron, supposed to have been manufactured by Ravana which could be played with a bow quite similar to a violin was the very first innovation of that caliber. Ravana was an ardent devotee of the god Shiva. So to perform poojas he has invented this instrument. It has been vividly described in Sonnerat’s Voyage aux Indes orientales Vol 1.p.182. Also in Encyclopedia of Britannica and The International Encyclopedia of Music and Musicians, published by Dodd and Mead & Company. New York. A replica of this had been produced by a Sri Lankan talent and had presented recently to His Excellency the President in which the picture appeared in the Internet.

Presence of the mighty king Ravana in Sri Lanka, still has not been clearly established as an historical eventuality due to unavailability of acceptable facts and data, although here and there in the Ramayana what have been highlighted had been recognized as authentic occurrences. Ramayana, incidentally was translated into Tamil and christened it as Ramayana

Dandumonara or Pushpaka, his air plane, was a marvellous innovation in that era. Other than the conception of it absolutely no other evidence available of its existence. Even to have an imagination of the possibility of creating a flying machine in that remote era could be something quite plausible. His air port was at Wariyapola. The name is still in existence. So many other names of places depicted in Ramayana are still being used, in Sri Lanka. Archeologists have not so far involved in any excavation in those regions to find availability of artefacts. If they come across something believable and acceptable and determine the years by C 14 or some other method, then it would become history. Until such time Ramayana has to be treated as a legend. Undiscovered events and instances may have to be treated as myth. NASA few years back has taken an under-sea photographs of Adam’s bridge. Which is also known as Rama Sethu, Rama’s bridge. Which was between Mannar and Danuskodi, at the Palk Strait. It is quite visible in the photograph that the shales, supposed to have been laid by the Vanara force, (not monkeys but a human race have some monkey features) which looks like a bridge. Some considered this as the first bridge in the world built by human beings. These evidences give a great height to Valmiki as the author of Ramayana but still his masterpiece has to go as a legend. To become it a history book all his elaborations minus evidence and facts have to be deleted and establish only what have been approved as historical phenomena. Otherwise it is a glorified legend.

The monkey character, Hanumantha in Ramayana, as of late has come to be treated as a God and Indians have built Kovils for the creature. Poor people who find unable to meet their both ends, attempted to seek some one’s help to elevate their position or obtain some material help. So they make offerings to Hanumantha. With their inner psychological force sometimes their poojas may have been answered so they believe there is absolute truth in it. Similarly others who are more allured and devoted to religions adopted various devotional techniques to gain some salvation. Rich people who are equipped with all what they need still go behind gods and goddesses and extensively worshipped for the advent of better fortune. When they realized results are practically nil they will give up their crazy imaginations on unattainable opulence. In time to come when educational and intellectual levels become more advanced; technological and scientific explorations more widespread they are most likely to give up the binding that their elders embedded with the brunt of orthodox faiths. The pace of development today in this material world is so rapid, perhaps prior to the end of this century; mythical conceptions on religious rituals will become a dead subject. Only the philosophical and metaphysical contents will remain. That is also among the intelligentsia only. I forecast this mildly in my recent novel, Blessing in Disguise.

When the present generations get educated properly, mythical religious embellishments will become extinct phenomena. Taking this into deep consideration the renowned historians, archaeologists and academics should utilize their full energy with the assistance of respective governments and Associations to eradicate misconceptions embedded in religious and historical compositions and excavate realistic eventualities.

Albert Einstein remarked in his autobiography, if there is any religion that would come up with modern scientific needs, it would be Buddhism. Buddhism requires no revision to keep it up date with recent scientific finding. Buddhism need not surrender its views to science because it embraces science as well as goes beyond science. Buddhism is the bridge between religious and scientific thoughts by stimulating man to discover the latent potentialities within himself and his environment.

Taking on going into deep consideration I firmly believe a collective attempt is highly indispensable to look into the myths and fallacies in the reputed Mahavansa. The Epic, Mahabharata is also a glorified legend until whatever that have been depicted ascertained as events with evidence and there are lot more to trace. In the similar manner if Mahavansa embedded with mythical embellishments as historical information should be treated as a legend until conduct a collective investigation to ascertain all the eventualities are truth and nothing but truth. If all the facts are accurate and authentic only it should be treated as a Chronicle. Otherwise it could be treated as a legend or a great Epic, similar to Mahabharata or Ramayana. It is left to the 21st century historians to analyze further and contemplate whether it could be applauded a Chronicle as primitive intelligentsia have branded or treat it as a great legend, something even greater than epic of Gilgamesh or Mahabharata consists of 18 books or Ramayana where prominence have been attributed to our little Island which was ruled by the mighty King Ravana.

Rev. Mahanama of Deegasanda Senapathi pirivena, who has illustrated Mahavansa with glorified events could be treated as an historical document only if the events elaborated are truth and nothing beyond truth. But it is not so.

I highlighted the Vijaya episode in Mahavansa in my previous article where a lion impregnated Suppadevi and procreated a boy and a girl who were in a cave with the mother but the cave door was closed daily by the father lion. When the boy became strong enough to carry the mother and sister on his shoulders, he opened up the gate and evacuated. This yarn is beyond comprehension. Let’s consider one or two more similar events that are beyond reality.

In this Wesak month, the high profile 2600 Sambuddha Jayanthi was commemorated, we Buddhist pay greater attention to what Buddha preached during the 45 years of his Buddhahood. In his preaching there were no myths, no falsifications, but truth and nothing but truth. As such we must give higher place to reality and gradually shun all the false embellishments added by primitive disciples as environment and existing culture may have forced them to do so. This is a task left to archaeologists and historians to reconstruct the history in authentic form minus myths. Now let’s take Buddha’s first trip to Lanka as elaborated in the Mahavansa.

Rev.Mahanama has portrayed how Buddha visited Mahanaga Vanoddyanaya while Yakka community had an assembly. Yakko samagamo as mentioned in Mahavansa. Yakkas were one of the major tribes that were in ancient Lanka. Other four were Raksa, Deva and Naga (the Sivu + Hela) Yakkas were supposed to be industrial people of yore as Dr.Saligman in his ‘Steinzeit auf Zeylon’ remotely indicated. To gathered into an assembly to discuss something they must have been in fairly high intellectual level. However, the compiler subsequently rapaciously illustrated and depicted them as ferocious demons with protruded two teeth and pot bellies.

Compiler says Gauthama Buddha visited the Island thrice although there are no visible evidence. In this first occasion in the 9th month of his Buddhahood, at the full moon of Phussa, in an auspicious time, a Nekath time, rose up to the sky and came over to Mahiyangana, remains up in the sky. I just can’t believe the great philosopher, who exhorted in the Nakkatha Jathakaya those who observe nekkath are fools; had followed an auspicious time as such. He had no faith on astrology. He commented Aththo aththassa nakkaththang king karissathi Taraka. In the Nakkatha Jathakaya. However if he had visited and hovering in the sky over their heads, it may have been a sort of a miracle. He had no faith either on miracles and warned his pupils not to perform miracles although it was possible for him to perform in a Wap Magul in an early stage of his life. So he had asked Yakkas a space for him to get down and sit, may be to preach his Dhamma to them. When they were not responded he created a storm, darkness and a fire. Then Yakkas got terribly afraid. Subsequently he descended, caught each and every one of them, and banished them to the Giri Island. The compassionate Sammasam Buddha would have never ever stooped down to such a low level of a terrorist if he had actually visited. (Oh reverend Mahanama! Isn’t it a degrading reflection on the Compassionate Buddha? If he banished the people to whom he has preached his Dhamma?) However if he has preached his Dhamma to who ever present, Compiler says Devas including Sumana Saman of Samonala mountain. Devas were an agricultural tribe living in the Sabaragamuwa region where Saman was one of their leaders and he was treated as a deity after his demise. According to Internet Echo Team has already discovered 19 caves where they have been living in the hilly terrain of Sabaragomuwa District. However if the Buddha has arrived here and preached his doctrine he himself has introduced Buddhism to the country. Then why the Compiler subsequently elaborated it was Rev. Maha Mahinda who introduced Tri Pitaka Dhamma to the Island during the king Devanampiyatissa? It is a gross contradiction. If he has banished all the Yakkas how was that Prince Vijaya with 700 men landed on the day that the Buddha attained Parinirvana, met a Yakka Queen, Kuveni or Kuvanna. Who was spinning thread to weave cloths that indicates they were civilized people. There was a Yakka kingdom, Sirasawasthu, where the king was Mahakalasen. These are all contradictions in his fertile creations! These falsifications suggest that Mahavansa is not a historical document with evidence, data and acceptable facts to be respected so high. It contains far too much of exaggerations and falsifications, may be because of that the Compiler of the Tika changed what Rev.Mahanama’s apology as- Serene joy and emotion of the pious. This little bit of awkward hint made tremendous misconceptions on the imaginative creations in the Mahavansa by devotees including those who were in the Royal category. Those misconceptions hitherto continue without any investigations and they have been deep rooted in the minds of the less knowledgeable devotees. However everyone knows intellectual analysis does not have the same power as emotional packed myths. But myths are not history. Mythical embellishments and exaggerations are far too high in Mahavansa and it deserves the term, legend instead of Chronicle. We may call it an Epic. An Epic is a long narration of serious subjects, related in an elevation style and centered on heroic figures, whose actions depends the fate of a tribe, nation or human race. The traditional Epic shape by a literary artist for historical and legendry matters. So this could be treated without any hesitation as a well recognized Epic. However we can’t possibly blame Rev.Mahanama in any manner, because he has not composed a historical document altogether, although the great personalities such as Dr. Ananada W.P. Guruge, Panditha Batuanthudawe, H.Sumangala, Rhys Davids and host of others have highly praised it as a Chronicle. What he has done was an imaginative adventure interspersed with actualities here and there, somewhat similar to Martin Wickramasingha’s Rohini or Shakespere’s world acclaimed love story. Historians, academics and archaeologists of yesteryear should take the blame for making Mahavansa a Chronicle.

They may have named it as a glorified epic on the same basis as Mahabaratha or Ramayana. 

At the introduction of Tri Pitaka Dhamma to Sri Lanka by Maha Mahinda, Rev.Mahanama built up a story quite inappropriate, where he made the weary monks who travelled from Dhambakola Patuna to Anuradhapura to climb a lofty mountain peak in the jungle and led to meet the king Devanampiyatissa while he was chasing an innocent deer to commit the very first precept of the compassionate Buddha. Even the mango question was absolutely redundant. Asoka had notified Devanampiyatissa, the unseen friend that he is planning to send a mission with the Tri Pitaka revised and codified by him at the Third Sangayana conducted at his kingdom. All these up to a competent panel of erudite scholars to extensively discuss and arrive at conclusions for the sake of educated students who have absolutely no faith on myths. The President had directed the Director of Archaeological Dept. to rewrite the history of the Island in correct perspective.

Wilhelm Geiger who did a yeoman service to the history of Sri Lanka comments Mahavansa is considered to be a work of art, written in epic or kavya style. He further commented in his ‘The culture of Ceylon in medieval times’, It would be too rash simply to set aside these ancient legend which contain a kernel of history wrapped up in the tales and invention of a pious tradition. (preface XX11)

Prof. Hema Ellawala, who made an extensive research on this chronicle affirmed, as a historical document the Mahavansa’s failings are many and it contains much is myth and legend. Moreover from its accounts of the period before 250 BC. Even a satisfactory chronology cannot be established. (Social History of Ancient Sri Lanka.by Prof.Hema Ellwala.)

British historian, Vincent Smith on Asoka in the Ceylon Chronicle-Ceylon chronology prior to B.C. 160 is absolutely and completely rejected, as being not merely of doubtful authority but positively false in its principal propositions.

The late Mr.Vernon L.B.Mendis has interpreted that the Mahavansa like most of the early history books are full of exaggerations, but it forms most valuable and fascinating historical documents in the world. (Current of Asian History.)

Rhys Davids commenting on Deepavansa and Mahavansa says it is self evident, the Chronicles contains no pure history. But they report the traditions of their times and permit us to draw retrospective conclusions as to earlier periods.

So we have to leave it to other historians in the country to analyze and decide whether it is appropriate to call it a legend and thereby make it an Epic. Because he explicitly recorded in his tremendous adventure, which were originated in his fertile mind is for the satisfaction of the readers, Ithi sujanath PASANDA Sanvegaththaya Kathey Mahavansa. Just for the satisfaction for those who peruse it and not to stress on any authentic events. All what he elaborated as in a novel are not history. His imaginations based on some historical information that he coined from here and there and earlier compositions such as Deepavansa and Attahkatha, added up to his own imaginations. In an era where sources were not available to search for accurate information his volume is highly commendable. Although in some places it reminds me Baron Munchausen’s incredible adventure, Mahavansa is a great literary work of the past. It was in the same vain William Shakespeare or our literati, Martin Wickramasinge gave an historical outlook to their masterpieces. Such types of creations are not something uncommon in the world literature. In that respect Rev. Mahanama has done a marvelous creation in his masterpiece and to my inference it is not a systematic chronology therefore with due respect to the author, could be treated it as a glorified Epic, Similar to Mahabarathha or Ramayana or the Epic of Gilgamesh.