An investigative study on language characteristics of “Dalada Siritha”

Abstract

“Dalada Siritha” is a text translated into Sinhala during Kurunagala era. The source for this literary work is “Pali Dhatawanshaya”. It is a creation of Dewradadampasangina. This text transformed to be a renowned magnum opus due to the alluring language characteristics used in its composition process. The law on fallacy of composition named “Vruththagandhi”, being one of the four fold prose styles of literature described in “Sahithya Darpanaya”, an objective correlation composed by “Vishvanatha Kaviraja”, has been used in this book. There is the evidence that “Vruththagandhi” law of composition analyzed in Sanskrit poetic style is not an adventitious term for Sinhala language. In ancient stone inscriptions and in prose texts such as “Amavathura”, “Buthsarana”, “Dharmapradeepikawa” composed during Polonnaruwa era, Vurthagandhi characteristics could be slightly observed to some extent. The term “Vurthagandhi” is defined in “Chandomanjari” as a prose inclusive of parts measure. These characteristics could be identified as mostly inherent to poetic literature, rather than to those of prose literature. “Daladasiritha” is the first ever prose whereas “Vruththagandhi” composition style has been used in length. Rhyming effects have been used at the opening, middle and at the ending as in the case of a poetic composition in “Daladasiritha” and followed the malformation of letterings. The objective of this study is to carry out a research study about the language characteristics of “Daladasiritha” paying special attention to the lengthy style of language features.