Lost in the history of translations

Remembering Louis Corneille Wijesinha, the first national scholar to translate the world famous Mahavansa from Pali to English prose

The 172nd birth anniversary of “Mudaliyar L. C. Wijesinha, the great Pali scholar – fell on September 19, this year. More than a hundred years after his death most people in this country hardly know who this scholar was and what he achieved. Louis Corneille Wjesinha was the first national scholar to translate the world famous Mahavansa from Pali to English prose, which was first published in 1889. This was several years before Geiger translated the Mahavansa in 1912. Sadly little is known or said today about the pioneers who brought the Mahavansa to world attention.

George Turner, an English officer in the Ceylon Civil Service translated the first 38 chapters of the Mahavansa (termed the Great Dynasty ending with King Mahasen) from Pali to English prose. This was published in 1837. The translation of the balance of the Mahavansa fell into abeyance with his death at the age of 44. The monumental task of revising Turner’s chapters and translating the balance chapters 38 to 100 - by far the greater portion of the translation - fell on Mudaliyar Louis Corneille Wjesinha.

Sir Arthur Gordon, the then Governor of Ceylon himself had personally invited the Mudaliyar to take up this challenge in recognition of the fact that only he could undertake this gigantic literary work at the time.

The work was accomplished during the allotted time and received wide acclaim from his peers - both locally and overseas. Mr. Wijesinha’s edition of the Mahavansa comprises his revision of the chapters previously translated by George Turner, as well as the balance chapters translated solely by him. In effect, this makes him the first person to translate the entire document known as the Mahavansa from Pali to English. He later translated the Vyasakkara (book of good counsel) at the request of the Buddhist Theosophical Society which was published posthumously in 1917.

Mudaliyar Wijesinha was not only well recognized in Ceylon during his time. He was well known and respected for his scholarship and originality in Europe among ‘Orientalists’ after the publication of his paper on the origin of the Buddhist ‘Arthakathas’. They include Rhys David, and Prof. Childers who compiled the Pali dictionary and was recognized as one of the ablest Pali Scholars of his day. Both refer to Mr. Wijesinha as having been of great assistance to them in their work.

A member of the Wijesinha family hailing from Vehalla in the Southern Province, Louis Corneille Wjesinha was born on September 19, 1834 at Panadura, his father’s parish at the time. He was the eldest son of Reverend Cornelius Wijesinha – the first Sinhalese Wesleyan Methodist Minister. He received his schooling at the Colombo Academy (now Royal College). Owing to his early eloquence and brilliance, young Louis was removed from school at the age of 15 and placed directly under the tutelage of Dr. Hill, Dr. Kessen and Rev. Dr. Gogerly, renowned men in the Wesleyan Mission of Ceylon. Under them the young scholar devoted much time to English literature and theology in preparation for a career in the church.

Young Wijesinha also furthered his Sinhala and Pali education under two of the foremost oriental scholars at the time - Pundit Batuwantudawe and Pundit Tudave. He was barely 20 years of age when Pundit Batuwantudawe sent him a complimentary letter in the form of a Pali stanza, to which he was able to reply in the same vein.

Later on Mr. Wijesinha was admitted to the Wesleyan Mission as a probationary minister. He served at Moratuwa, Dondra and Matara where he preached with great eloquence in English, Sinhala and Portuguese. He showed excellent oratorical and debating skills. However, his growing interest in Buddhism led to a difference of opinion on religion with the Wesleyan clergy. As a result he severed connections with the Wesleyan Ministry and went on to become a practising Buddhist and an accomplished Buddhist scholar.

Given the social climate at the time, this created consternation among his deeply devout family and those who had nurtured his theological education. Even so, he is reputed to have maintained cordial relations with the Wesleyan Church.

Once out of orders, Mr. Wijesinha entered Government Service in 1864. He served variously as Kachcheri Mudaliyar of Ratnapura and Nuwara Eliya, and as the Court Interpreter Mudaliyar at Matale and Matara. He also got involved with several patriotic initiatives with the same zeal that he had applied to his ministerial work. His government duties in the Kandyan provinces enabled him to expose the oppression of the service tenures of tenants of various devales and nindagamas, which led to the introduction of the Service Tenures Ordinance.

He edited the Buddhist - the journal of the Buddhist Theosophical Society - for over a year, and his purity and style of language as editor was much admired by his colleagues. As President of the Buddhist Defence Committee Mudaliyar Wijesinha helped to “obtain relief to the Buddhists in the matter of the Anuradapura church site”. He was a close associate of Venerable Hikkaduwe Sumangala Maha Nayake Thera, and a friend of Colonel Olcott; and in this capacity frequently served as interpreter during long discourses between the two.

Mudaliyar Wijesinha was one of the ablest Oriental Scholars of his day and was recognized as such at the time. His controversial nature, patriotic leanings and intolerance of injustice appear, however, to have prevented the promotion he deserved in office. The Buddhist of March 29, 1995 laments the “poor rewards he received in return for devoting the best years of his life and his ripe abilities to a task at the request of the government”, and ponders whether the shabby treatment was because of his being a native and his religious leanings! Notwithstanding the absence of worldly rewards, it is evident that his abilities were greatly respected and admired by the colonial administration as well as by many great national oriental scholars of the day. A letter written by Sir Arthur Gordon in March 1892 gives an interesting insight. In what appears to be a personal note after he returned to England he states “ My dear sir, It will always afford me great pleasure to bear testimony to your merits as the translator of the Mahavansa, . . .”

In August 1892 the Colonial Secretary for Ceylon wrote: “Now that you have finished your great translation of the Mahavansa, would you give the scientific world the benefit of your scholarship by a translation for the government of Buddhagosa’s famous work the Visuddhi Magga”. This recognition of the merits of a national scholar by the colonial administration at that time and the document in question is interesting. However, the strain of translating the Mahavansa and other literary works had taken a heavy toll on the scholar’s health, and the Mudaliyar declined the offer to translate the Visuddhi Magga.

To do justice to the British government, the translator’s family states that his only request had been for his sons and daughters to be educated free of charge in the premier state schools at the time. This was honoured. If the then government was seen to be remiss in their treatment of the translator of the Mahavansa by his friends at his death, his own countrymen have done less to recognize this great scholar since gaining independence.

It is still not too late, however, for us to show some appreciation by at least creating a permanent exhibit (e.g. using a bust, a photograph and other memorabilia) at the Colombo National Museum to perpetuate his memory. This can be done at no great expense to the state.

As it is, there is no doubt that by the time of his 200th birth anniversary, Mudaliyar Louis Corneille Wjesinha will be another national hero whose name has been swept away with the winds of time.