A study of the hidden secrets of Saliya - Ashokamala's love story

Abstract

As lovers Saliya and Ashokamala are a unique pair of characters rooted in folklore, literature and history. Further, Saliya-Mala is the Sri Lankan symbol of immortal lovers of world literature like Rama- Sita, Radha-Krishna, Romeo-Juliet and Shah Jahan-Mumtaz, who are revered in the world history. This becomes the most interesting royal story because Saliya is the son of King Dutugemunu, the hero of this country's history, and his lover Mala (Ashoka Mala) belongs to the lowest caste called Rodi (Sadol/Chandala). These two are also prominent figures in local art. In addition, this story has a significant place in the folklore of this country in terms of religion, social background, ancient irrigation system, agriculture, beliefs, ancient social system, medical system, governance and monarchy. According to the introductory story of the Mahavamsa, the most significant historical source in the country, Saliya and Mala were rejected by the royal family. Therefore, Mala is rooted in the society as a low caste woman. There are many legends about them in Mihintale, Maradankadawala, Vijithapura, Kalawewa, Rajanganaya, Kala-Oya, Puttalam, Nochchiyagama, Wilachchiya and Tantirimale areas, outside the Anuradhapura city. According to these stories, and other historical sources, there was another reason why Prince Saliya did not receive the kingship. It is a struggle regarding the acquisition of state power. The Indian Shakya clans who have taken over the power in the history of this country starting from King Vijaya, prevented the possibility of local ethnic groups coming to power in this country. And they don't even allow another group of Aryans to gain power. The main secret hidden here is that Saliya's mother belongs to the local Yakkha tribe. On the other hand, Prince Saliya is not greedy for state power because he is a Bodhisathva figure. According to some factors, Mala is not a low-caste woman. In the historical book Saddharmalankaraya, which mentions this legend in more detail, the name of Ashokamala's mother is Kammaradhitha, which means that she belongs to the industrial caste. According to the ancient Indian caste system, industrialists belong to the Vishwa Brahmin caste. But the standard story says that Prince Saliya lost his kingship because of the image of a Chandala girl named Ashokamala. Due to the underestimation given to them by history, a valuable love story belonging to Sri Lankan literature has been distorted. This paper studies this aspect about their background. Data collection and analysis were done through interviews, observations and inter-analysis methods, within the North Central and North Western Provinces. This shows that Saliya-Mala are two characters who are revered and admired by the public. Although it is well known that Prince Saliya was fascinated by Mala because of her beauty, she was known for her intelligence and foresight beyond the series. This study attempts to bring to life two characters who were killed by history.