Animated writings which capture the dynamics of the era

By Ranga CHANDRARATHNE

Rupa Sriyani Ekanayake

Rupa Sriyani Ekanayake’s writing captures the quintessential spirit, pattern and socio-economic condition of the era in which king Kassapa built the citadel of Sigiriya. A striking feature of the narration is that it reflects at different levels, the contemporary reality as well as historical dynamics. The plot is enriched with details not only pertaining to the ongoing royal family disputes, how the influential Buddhist clergy intervened in the governance and how the Buddhist monks of the Maha Vihara Chapter portrayed kings in the chronicles according to their whims and fancies but also the sentiments of the masses who were silent witnesses of the unfolding saga. Author Rupa Sriyani Ekanayake seems to have mastered the genre of historical novel drawing heavily on the material taken from the turbulent period and tragic characters in the history of Sri Lanka. Her books include 'Vijaya Kuveni', 'Senkadagala Maha Biso' and 'Tharu Bambasara'.

The historical novel is noted for its detailed description of the life in Kassapa's period. Given the sheer details, it is obvious that you have done intensive research into the history of Sri Lanka in general and that period in which Sigiriya was constructed in particular.

Q. How does the idea for a novel based on King Kassapa's period conceived?

A: I believe that the character of king Kassapa is a remarkable character distinguished from other Sinhalese kings. Even today when we recall the sheer beauty of Sigiriya, we have a great respect for the revolutionary thinking of king Kassapa. No one who appreciates the beauty of Sigiriya has explained king kassapa's thinking. King Dutugemunu's life story has been well documented and praised in the history. Accounts of Kings Devanam Piyatissa, Dhatusena and Mahasen have also been recorded in the history. No one has described the artistic aspects of the Kassapa's character. Though a large numbers of books has been written on Sigiriya and its artistic legacy, none of them has described elaborately how far king Kassapa's artistic thinking had influenced magnificent creations in Sigiriya.

I think that history has done injustice to this great king. This lapse in the history has done great injustice not only to king Kassapa but also to those who visit Sigiriya and appreciate its magnificent creations. If one wants to derive the pleasure of Sigiriya, one should look into the heart and soul of king Kassapa. It is highly unlikely that historians would undertake such a task. It is the artist and the literatus can appreciate such great creations. Therefore, I based my story on the character of king Kassapa.

The other reason is that I like to base my creative writings on historical figures such as Vijaya and Kuveni and Senkadagala Mahabiso. My two novels Vijaya Kuveni and Senkadagala Mahabiso have been based on Kuveni and princess Dona Katherina. The history has ill-treated these two characters. But Kuveni and Dona Katharina are powerful characters for a novelist. King Kassapa's character is also such a powerful character. Therefore, I based my novel on him.

Q. In the forward to the book, you have stated that Sri Lankan history is unkind to King Kassapa who was a lover of arts and portrays him as a cruel king who killed his father to obtain power and that you want to explore the artist and philosopher in king Kassapa. Isn't it the objective of the main character of the novel, Arjuna, a young enthusiastic archaeologist who is obsessed with Kassapa's legacy?

A: It is my belief that in most of the instances, those scribes who wrote chronicles had not done justice to kings. For whatever the reasons the chroniclers have painted black on the eras of some great kings which should have been written in golden letters. Mahavamsa describes king Kassapa as a king who suffered in the hell following his demise. But a creative writer can reinterpret these characters in a different light not as depicted them in history. Creative writers have attempted on some instances at reinterpreting great kings in different light contrary to the written history. Somapala Ranatunga has based his novel 'Shaila Kalyani' on the reigns of king Dhatusena and Kassapa. The novel grotesquely describes not only the life in those eras but also the material and labours that had been spent on artistic creations. No where in the novel has describes king Kassapa as a patricide. Prof. Siri Gunasinghe's latest book in English on Sigiriya sheds lights on the gloomy character of king Kassapa. Though the book is not a novel, the author sensitively deals with the character of Kassapa. A novelist should not base his or her creations entirely on history. Historian would only provide a report of events in chronological order. It is only the artist who can have insights into the characters.

History describes king Kassapa as a patricide. However, literatus should analyse the character from a humane perspective.

Arjuna does this in the novel. Arjuna, who studies Archaeology in the University, respects Sigiri Kassapa's creative thinking. Sometimes he is obsessed with Kassapa's era. He is so obsessed with Kassapa's artistic legacy that wanted to bring out the artist in Kassapa even by changing the history. He reiterates this to his fiancé Subhani. I conveyed my awe and respect on graffiti in Sigiriya, Lion's entrance and fleet of steps, ponds and amazing architectural marvels through the character of Arjuna. It is up to the readers to decide how far I am successful in my attempt.

Q. Rudimentarily the novel 'Dutimi Nethin Kasup Nirind' is a historical novel. But you have used the concept of time travelling as a mode to explore the king Kassapa's reign. Arjuna travels into the past and meets king Kassapa as a result of an accident. Why do you come out with such a method?

A: I faced with a couple of challenges; how far Sinhalese readership welcomes scientific concepts like Time Machine in a historical novel and how practical it is to develop in parallel two themes , one scientific and another artistic in the same novel. However, I thought that Time Machine concept was ideal to describe the meeting of main character Arjuna with king Kassapa. The stories on Time Machine have been written by writers such as H.G Wells as far back as in 1895. They have been turned into films. Though this may be strange to Sinhalese readership, it helps the readers to take back to Kassapa's era and to keep them on tenterhooks. However, towards the end readers would wonder whether Arjuna had really gone into that era with the help of the Time Machine or whether Prof. Vinod had hypnotized him or had he been wandering in his own world of imagination. It is up to the readers to decide.

Another reason for the use of this concept was that I wanted to use third person narrative to explore the Kassapa's era. There are constraints in narrating a historical novel in third person. Because of the use of third person, I think I could depict turbulent emotional state of king Kassapa through the conversation with Arjuna, princess Bodhi's attitudes towards her father, aspirations of the masses, interaction between Migara and king, curiosity over the fate of king Dhatusena. Some readers have written to me that Time Machine has a negative effect on the plot.

Q. The story of Arjuna and Subhani runs as a subtext of the novel indicating that the girl had been a soul mate of Arjuna in his previous existences, thereby, bringing the Buddhist belief of reincarnation into the story. Have you intended to explore Buddhist themes such as rebirth and Samsara, never ending cycle of birth and death within the limited space of the novel?

A: Rebirth is not a new for a country which is predominantly Buddhist. Majority believe in it. One of the main concepts in Jataka stories is the belief that friends travelled together in Samsara, the ever ending cycle of births and deaths. Another reason for using rebirth is to convince the reader that the affair between Arjuna and Subhani is not merely a love at first sight but a longstanding affair throughout the Samsara and that they are soul mates. I tried to bring emotional aspect into the story through the bondage. This implies that the bondage has supra mundane aspect. I am sure this is not a new concept for readers who have read Jataka stories in their childhood.

Q. Looking at the Sinhalese literary scene, what are your views on the state of contemporary Sinhalese novel?

A: I think I need not go into the evolution of the Sinhalese novel. Since the beginning of the contemporary Sinhalese novel, thousands of different novels have been created. Most intellectuals are of the view that most of the contemporary novels are substandard which I think is true to a great extent. The situation is reaffirmed when contemporary Sinhalese novel with novels are compared with great writers such as Martin Wickremasinghe, Ediriweera Sarachchandra, Guandasa Amerasekara and K. Jayatilaka. Most of the contemporary novels do not have even a shadow of the elegant language used by these writers. I don't mean that language should always be insightful. For instance, Ediriweera Sarachchandra uses simple diction in his 'Malavunge Avurududa 'and 'Malagiya Aththo'. The language is musical.

On the other hand, who would appreciate even a good novel? How would anyone commence a discourse on a good novel? Is there a culture of criticism which appreciates contemporary novel instead of harping on Gamperaliya or Viragaya? How far time has been spent on this exercise by academics and veterans in the field? In his autobiography 'Upanda Sita' Martin Wickremasinghe has mentioned that some of his novels became popular among readers because of reviews. When we were studying literature, there were books and magazines on literary criticism. Now the authors organised book launches to market them. Thereafter, they get friends to write reviews on them. How tragic the situation is?

I have written four books. Prof. Wimal Dissanayake made an analysis on my novel 'Vijaya Kuveni' in an English newspaper. He has pointed out both strengths and weaknesses of the novel. No review has appeared on the novels 'Senkadagala Mahabiso' and 'Tharu Bambasara'.

Since you asked about contemporary Sinhalese novel, I would like to point out that one of the criteria in appreciating a novel is language. We have a rich written language and idiom. I don't recommend, at all, using colloquial language and idiom in writing novels. Some critics say that if one can read anything written in one go, that is a good creation. But what we want is not cheap fiction which can be read in one go but those which we can read over and over again. It is my personal opinion.

Q. From time to time, you raise the issues of objectivity on the part of Buddhist monks of the Maha Vihara Chapter who wrote the chronicle Mahavamsa. It is obvious that kings who were not in the good books of Buddhist monks of Maha Vihara Chapter, had been portrayed as cruel rulers. Has the history done justice to king Kassapa despite he was a great lover of art?

A: It is obvious that aspects that should be highlighted in Kassapa's character have been covered in history. Buddhist order has always been acted as king makers. It is because of this factor that the chronicler has mentioned Kassapa as a king who was suffering in hell because he and Migara killed king Dhatusena overlooking his remarkable artistic creations. Buddhist clergy had not supported king Kassapa as his mother was from a low caste.

History says that though Kassapa was the elder son of king Dhatusena, clergy advised the king not to give throne to Kassapa. It would have been the reason that king Kassapa focused his attention on Sigiriya distancing himself from king Dhatusena and Buddhist monks of Maha Vihara chapter who wrote the chronicles. In the novel, I tried to highlight king Kassapa's mother Princess Prutha.

Buddhist clergy believed that royalty should come from high cast. Kassapa's period in the history was marked by personal issues which negatively affected the rule; King Dhatusena burnt his sister to death, Migara avenged the killing of his mother by killing Dhatusena, negative influence of his mother's caste on king Kassapa's kingship. Buddhist clergy intervened in the affairs of the ruler.

Through the evolution of characters of Migara, princess Prutha and Kassapa's daughter princess Bodhi, I tried to convince the reader of gradual distancing of king Kassapa from the Buddhist clergy.

Q. Most of the readers find it hard to read some of the so called award winning novels. The criteria adapted by the literary panels seem to be dubious and ambiguous. Persons of questionable reputation such as former waiters, pseudo literati have occupied positions in apex bodies of literary panels. Some of the awards have become mock awards.

In this light, what are your views on literary awards and how far readers can depend on them in selecting literary productions?

A:This is a sensitive question. Presenting awards for artistic creation or a novel means recognising it at national level. Therefore, there should be a clear cut and transparent criteria in selecting literary productions for awards. Writers should know about them.

The experts in relevant fields should occupy the award panels. When people don't believe in the decisions by award panels, they opposed these decisions. It is observed that when the financial awards increase, the literary quality of the books seems to be decreasing, virtually reducing literary production to mere trading goods. Though there is criticism following award ceremonies, criticism by those who are not involved in the award ceremonies should be counted. For, there cannot be a smoke without a fire.

I wish not to comment on whether the award winning novels are readable or not since I am also a novelist. But it is the responsibility of the artist to raise public taste and if they fail to do so, then it is a crime.