LEGEND OF DIYASEN KUMARA

Recently I had a conversation with one of my grandfather's about how this country is going on””. so, I asked him like this question. “What to do to develop Sri Lanka, what is your idea about it?” the answer he gave, pave the way to drafting this article.

“Son, if the country is going like this way, the only person who can save this country is Prince Diyasena.”

who is this prince diya sasena? where is he? when does he arrive? like these questions still have Sri Lankans ' minds.

the world also has like these legends. one of the famous legends is king Arthur and merlin. the legend says one day in the future king Arthur has arrived and will unite England. Rawana is also a Sri Lankan legend story like that. but this legend of prince diya sena is renewed repeatedly in people's minds because of politicians of sri lanka. so, we look about who is this say "prince Diyasena"?

We first hear the character of the prince from the sea during the Kotte era, Diyasena or "Diyana" is found in poem 116 of the Parakumba Siritha, a praise poem (a poem written by someone praising) written at that time.

Kiyaga magiya enu kohi sitâ – dadâ samanola gosinâ

Noya kiyamuthu edigâ – bamunâ suridu wisinâ

Giya kalâ dedahas pansiya rajaku etâi diyana

Kiyawini thanwâsiya pârakum raja medina

 

In this poem, which depicts a conversation between a Brahmin and a traveler who is worshiping the Sri Pada, when Brahmin asks the traveler where he is coming from, he says he is coms to worship the Samanôla (Sri Pada). When asked to tell the details of that direction, the traveler said that he was told by Lord Sumana Saman that a king of Diyana would come 2500 years after the extinction of the Buddha and that it was King Parakramabahu who would be ruling at that time. “The Diyana King” here means a leader who rules the world. That “Diya” is a word similar to the world and “Na” is a word similar to the word leader. Also, some scholars say that the word “Diyana” which came here later became “Diyasen” and became “Diyasena” for ease of pronunciation.

However, it is not yet known who wrote the Parakumba Siritha containing this poem and it is not certain when this Diyasen kumara concept originated. Scholars, however, believe that this may have been written to exaggerate the image of King Parakumba VI because it was a praise poem.

Also, another place where we find Prince Diyasen is the Sumana Sutta written by the monks of the Kandyan period.

To show it as a sutta that comes in the Sutta Pitaka, the following opening Pali text is used.

"Avan Mesuthan Ethan Samayan Bhagava Sumanakootan Divaguhan Bhagawantho Desithan Sumana Sutthanthi"

I was asked. At one time, the Buddha preached the Sumana Sutta in the Diva Guha of Sumana Koota.

But after that the rest of it was written using Sinhala instead of Pali and It is written until the Dutch invasion of Sri Lanka, this suggests that this was done by the monks of the time.

According to this Sumana Sutta, Diyasen is not a prince but a king. Also, he is not a Sri Lankan but an Indian. According to the Sumana Sutta, the king ruled over Dambadiva for 13 years and landed at Mahabatuthota in Sri Lanka with an army of thousands. He came to the throne of Sri Lanka and fell in love with Anuradhapura and made it his capital. It is said that he will renovate Anuradhapura and build dagobas, make the state prosperous and rule the country for 22 years and then die. According to some scholars, king Diyasen is a world leader.

Here, however, we feel that the Diyasena is an invader. Does not saying "come from India and rule here" mean invading Sri Lanka and gaining the throne? Also, here it comes king Diyasen. Not a prince Diyasen. It turns out that this later changed from a king to a prince. later, instead of someone coming from India has also changed someone born in Sri Lanka The character of Diyasen kumara changed in later books until the Auspicious time of Diyasenkumara's birth, the features that identify him, were even written.

Diyasen Kumara is also mentioned in a kadaim book found in the Nuwara kalawiya area. According to it, on the day the Mahiyanganaya Stupa is renovated and unveiled the top of the stupa, God will call Diyasen Kumara to that place from anywhere. However, it is not mentioned that Diyasen Kumara came to the Mahiyanganaya stupa on the day 1890 unveiled the top of the stupa. The rebuilding of the Mahiyanganaya stupa, which was damaged by a cyclone in 1907, began in 1929 under the leadership of D.S. Senanayake, Chairman of the Mahiyangana Vihara Vardhana Sabha, and Chairman of the Agriculture Committee of the 1931 State Council (Rajya Manthrana Sabha). The villagers of Mahiyanganaya at that time were concerned to introduce Don Steven as Diyasena by substituting the letter 'Diya' for the letter 'D' and the letter 'Sen' for the letter 'S'. However, he died in 1952 and there is no mention that God sent a diyasena kumara to the Mahiyangana Stupa which was rebuilt on September 21, 1961.

Although several liberation struggles failed after the conquest of Ceylon by the British through the Kandyan Pact signed on March 2, 1815, the then leaders of the people used the concept of Diyasen Kumara to address the minds of the Sri Lankan people for liberation from colonialism. Mr. Piyadasa Sirisena has recorded that the 1938 earthquake felt in Sri Lanka was due to the birth of Diyasen Kumara. Similarly, the Venerable Anagarika Dharmapala also used the concept of Diyasen Kumara in his discourses and spoke in a way that touched the hearts of the Sinhala villagers.

“You are waiting for Diyasena kumara to be born for you. Keep in mind that these black whites can kill the Diyasena kumara who is about to be born before the born” (um̆balā venuven diyasēna kumārayā ipadenakam balā innavā. ipadenna inna diyasēnalā upan tim̆birigeyima marā dānna mē kaḷu suddanṭa puḷuvan bava mataka tiyā ganillā”)

Various political figures in Sri Lanka have also been referred to by some as Diyasen Kumara. Sri Lanka's first Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake has been introduced as Diyasen Kumara. That is because he was at the forefront of renovating the Minipe Anicut area and the Mahiyanganaya Dagoba and gaining independence. Also, to C W Kannangara who gave the right to free education to every child in Sri Lanka, To Philip Gunawardena, the pioneer leader of left politics in Sri Lanka, and Arthur V Dias who worked to eradicate hunger in Sri Lanka, People had addressed as Diyasen Kumara. Mr. SWRD Bandaranaike, who came to power in 1956 during the 2500th Sambuddha Jayanthi, was also introduced as Diyasen Kumara. He stated at a meeting in Independence Square that Diyasen Kumara was not only himself but the entire people. Mahinda Rajapaksa, who provided political leadership to the Thirty Years Civil War, was also referred to by some as Diyasen Kumara, and the current President (2021) Gotabhaya Rajapaksa came to power using this concept of Diyasen Kumara. It is also clear from a closer look that the concept of diyasen Kumara in politics, was influenced by the actions of the monks close to those political leaderships.

Diyasen Kumara has emerged not only from the political leadership but also from the general public. The most famous example of this is Sinharaja Nandimitra Silva alias, Tiptop Silva. He was a toothpaste businessperson who lectured that he was a diyasen kumara, that state leaders should hand over the reins to him, and that he would uplift the state in seven days. He died at the age of eighty after a conflict.

Some groups have formed organizations believing that Diyasen kumara will be born. Shelton, a young man from Walasmulla who joined such an organization in Kalutara, thought he was Diyasen kumara and went to Siripadaya to develop his spirituality. But he died cause of pneumonia and his body was found near the Ehela Kanuwa.

UA Jayatilleke, also known as Diyasenkumara, was born in the village of Abakolawewa in Wekandawela, Middeniya, and a large number of his followers gathered around him. However, during 88-89, a bomb exploded near him, and he died. Also, some people consider the Thambuththegama Yodaya or Herath Banda, as Diyasen Kumara.

Even today, when surfing the internet, you can find various Diyasenkumaras. A monk by the name of Abhayaratanalankara mentions that he is Diyasenkumara and in another place a person named Priyantha Piyasena is also claiming to be Diyasenkumara.

Today, a robot named Diyasen has been developed by Arimac Lanka and is set to serve as the receptionist for the Colombo Lotus Tower in the near future.

However, Diyasen kumara is a popular legend among the people of Sri Lanka and has been rising and falling from time to time. Many are of the opinion that Sri Lanka is not moving towards development because of waiting for Diyasen kumara to arrive. Let us work for ourselves without waiting for Diyasen kumara. Because the Diyasen kumara is not just one person but all of us. When we all get together there will be Diyasen kumara.