It is characteristic that someone who carries
in to effect something which is hard to perform in general becomes an important
individual in the history. The same holds true for queen Viharamahadevi to whom most scholars attribute the victory of the
war campaign undertaken by Dutugamunu
in his pursuit of freedom from the South Indian invasion. Viharamahadevi being the noble mother queen of her son made herself
extraordinary on account of her military performance in particular and due to
her noble character in general. She occupied herself in a military task which
was not something much heard of a woman of her contemporary time. In contrast, Viharamahadevi became well known for
her role as the military supervisor of her son while being noted for bravery
and endurance which enabled her to accompany her son to the battle field regardless
of the danger she becomes exposed to. Given that, her role shouldn’t let go
unrecognized considering her outstanding acts of bravery. All those who were
present at the war by the side of Dutugamunu
were males with the notable exception of Viharamahadevi. Saddaramalankaraya
mentions the manner the mother queen arrived at the battle field as, “at this
moment the king headed by the monks carrying his mother Viharamahadevi set forth in his war campaign.” Other primary sources
including Mahavamsa report this in
the same way. Consequently, it becomes evident that it was the king himself who
decided to take his mother to the battlefield which at first sight seems to be
something that can hardly be expected from a son.
The queen draws credit for various reasons
which made her an object of praise. First, she bore a son who is destined to be
great in the future. Secondly Viharamahadevi
is often characterized as a mother who provided her son moral stimulation
while nurturing his heroic Qualities understanding his future intentions through
her motherly instincts. Thirdly her role before the war and amidst the war was
of crucial importance which took on different roles which were equally significant.
To elaborate, besides her role as the supervisor of Dutugamunu prior to the war, once in the battle field her role
extended to such a degree that she let
herself to be employed in a war tactic to seize a Tamil general which otherwise
would have been a difficult task involving loss of lives. This performance of
the queen raises two possible questions. Why Dutugamunu placed his mother’s life at stake by allowing her to do
what she did? Secondly the other way around, why Viharamahadevi herself didn’t hesitate to take such a risk? The
most accurate answer would be the altruism commonly shared by the mother and
the son provided the strong sense of courage reflected through her character.
As a result of the commitment of both the mother and the son to the greater
good they felt obliged to work with no regard for their own lives.
As Saddarmalankaraya
mentions, Dutugamunu initiated
war with less resources when compared with the enemy army as the latter’s army
outnumbered them. Therefore, Dutugamunu had
to employ battle strategies to win the war with the minimum loss of human lives.
In this regard, Viharamahadevi’s advanced knowledge on battle techniques proved
to be an immense help in the most determining battles which took place between Dutugamunu and the enemy. Mahawamsa mentions that the king after
discussing with the mother built 32 strongholds by following his mother’s advice.
The importance of this ground plan devised by Viharamahadevi is implicit when regarding the fact that it had the
effect of killing the Tamil commander in the enemy army called Digajanthu. At the same time, it had
the immediate outcome of saving the life of Dutugamunu. However, these facts lead to the assumption that Viharamahadevi’s
military role was an immediate response to the prevailing political condition
of the time which required her to come forward as a mother who guided her son
throughout the war while lending her practical participation in war tactics as
well. Though such women who followed her son to the battle field were found occasionally
in Sri Lankan history, Viharamahadevi resembles
the patriotism of women in the face of any danger to the mother land.
Mrs. Karunarathne,
University of Peradeniya,
Sri Lanka
References
Pagngnaloka, M. Ven., (ed.),
Saddarmalankaraya, Buddhist cultural center, Dehiwala, 2011
Wimalajothi, Ven., (ed.), Mahavamsa,
Buddhist cultural center, Boralasgamuwa, 2003
Medananda, E. Ven., Kavanthissa Rajathuma
Saha Viharamahadeviya, Dayawansha
Jayakodi and company, Colombo, 2002
Medananda, E., Ven, Sinhalaye
wimukthidayakaya, Dayawansha Jayakodi and company, 2002
Wawwage, S., Duttagamini Abhya Maharaja,
Tharani prints, Maharagama, 2005
Alwis, Malathi De. “The Moral Mother
Syndrome.” Indian Journal of Gender Studies, vol. 11, no. 1, 2004, pp. 65–73.,
doi:10.1177/097152150401100105
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