A bilingual exposition of erudite scholar and diplomat, Malalasekera

By Randima Attygalle

The iconic Editor - D.B. Dhanapala once commented that Gunapala Malalasekera’s interests were ‘like the Haputale Gap - wide and opening on to a vast vista.’ The name synonymous with the Malalasekera English-Sinhala Dictionary - the most sought-after ‘household dictionary’ in the country, Prof. Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera, was a Titan of unassuming temperament.

One of the youngest Bachelors of Arts from the University of London, the Buddhist scholar who steered the Encyclopedia of Buddhism was the founder of the World Fellowship of Buddhists, founder Principal of Nalanda College and a diplomat who left his mark. Prof. Malalasekera was ‘one man who combined in his person personable pleasantness, diplomacy in dealings and charm of personality,’ wrote D.B. Dhanapala. ‘If there has been one man whose cleverness has not been questioned, whose ability has been unblemished and whose intelligence has been untarnished, it has been Malalasekera,’ the celebrated editor noted.

The recently launched Professor Gunapala Malalasekera- Pioneer of the Renaissance, an undertaking by the Malalasekera Foundation, is a commendable labour in revisiting the multiple roles played by this national figure. As the President, Malalasekera Foundation and the son of the great scholar, Vijaya Malalasekera notes in the acknowledgement, the objective of the publication is to ‘demonstrate to the younger generation and to remind the older generation that Prof. Malalasekera was one of the foremost academic scholars and a great intellectual with strong principles.’ He goes on to say: ‘Even to this date his thoughts and speeches reflect the kind of values that we as a society should pursue.’

Edited by Prof. Kusuma Karunaratne and Dr. W.A. Abeysinghe, the hefty volume is indeed an intellectual treat. A bilingual exposition of the erudite scholar and the diplomat, through some of his own scholarly writings on Buddhism and language as well as commentaries from several learned men and women including D.B. Dhanapala, Prof. Kusuma Karunaratne, Prof. N.A. Jayawickrama, Dr. W.A Abeysinghe, the publication is a response to many requests the Malalasekera Foundation had received from various quarters of society. The idea as Vijaya Malalasekera notes, had been first mooted by the Chief Incumbent of the Malalasekera Daham Pasala - the Ven. Bambaravane Thilakaratne Thera of Khimbi Ela, Baddegama.

Immortalised in the ever popular Malalasekera English-Sinhala Dictionary, first published in 1948, Prof. Malalasekera’s reflections in the preface to his watershed of a labour are best justified 70 years later in the globalised world we inhabit, telescoped further by digital advancements. “With the attainment of our independence, our national language must and will regain its rightful position, but it is very desirable that the Sinhalese should study at least one other language, in addition to their own. And, among modern languages, English is certainly the most useful. It is my hope that this Dictionary will in some small measure help my countrymen to acquire proficiency therein.”

Adding flavour to the publication are the reflections of Prof. Malalasekera’s eldest daughter Chitra Malalasekera Ranawake and grandson, Prashan Malalasekera. The opening statement of daughter Chitra, ‘my father was always the centre of my universe’ encapsulates the paternal side of the esteemed scholar and diplomat. She also recollects her times accompanying her diplomat father on his missions to Russia, UK and Canada. Her recollections of his labour of love - the dictionary work, offers insights to the mammoth national task it was. ‘My father’s work on his dictionary was a labour of love. He would begin every morning at 2 a.m. and over the years I watched him working endlessly, to get the exact equivalent, the accurate meaning, in all it nuances.’ Replete with anecdotes, the account enables the reader to fathom the ‘father’ in the learned scholar. ‘Once I asked him what I could do to show how much he meant to me, he said ‘Whenever you do any act of merit, share it with me,’ she documents.

Complete with selected photographs marking poignant moments of Prof. Malalasekera’s eventful life journey, the publication also serves as a guide to the mind of a Lankan whose footprint across the entire Sri Lankan fabric of art, culture, religion and diplomacy, is monumental. His parting words as he breathed his last on April 23, 1973- vipadidhairryamsampadikshama- ‘courage in times of adversity and compassion in prosperity’ resonates a timeless truth for anyone to embrace.