EDITING OF THE OLDEST KARMMAVIBHĀGA MANUSCRIPT WRITTEN IN SINHALESE

Abstract

The Sa-skaya Codex: "Karmmavibhaga," is the oldest Sinhala manuscript with enormous historical and cultural significance. It offers insights into the early Sri Lankan religious, linguistic, and cultural landscape. As the codex is written in an archaic form of Sinhala which poses significant challenges for modern-day scholars attempting to translate and understand it due to the manuscript's archaic language, unique script style, and deteriorated condition. The objective of this study is to accurately translate the Sa-skya Codex into modern Sinhala, while preserving the nuances and subtleties of the original text. Multi-disciplinary approach, integrating paleography, philology, and digital humanities techniques were used for this. Paleographic analysis is used to understand the script and writing conventions of the period, while philological methods help in interpreting the archaic language and identifying contextual meanings. Digital tools, including high-resolution imaging and machine learning algorithms, assist in deciphering faded or damaged portions of the manuscript. The study results reveal the complexity of the codex's language and script, highlighting the evolution of Sinhala over centuries. The study also identifies key historical and cultural elements embedded within the text that have been previously overlooked. It is concluded that this study not only offers a reliable method for translating ancient manuscripts but also underscores the importance of preserving and studying historical texts to enrich our knowledge of linguistic and cultural heritage and offers a model for translating other ancient texts.