The earliest complete Sinhala prose translation of the Mahabharata is credited to Pandit W. F. Gunawardhana (also known as Mahagama Sekara’s predecessor in some lineages), but the most celebrated and accessible version for modern readers is the work of Prof. J. B. Disanayaka and the government-sponsored translation project under the Cultural Department in the 1960s–80s. However, the definitive Sinhala rendition for the general public remains the work of Martin Wickremasinghe (abridged) and P. B. Sannasgala.
If you are a Sinhala reader looking to explore this epic, here is a recommended path:
Sri Lanka’s state television (Rupavahini) and private channels have aired dubbed versions of the popular Hindi TV series Mahabharat (1988 and 2013) in Sinhala. More recently, animated Sinhala versions of Bhagavad Gita dialogues have appeared on YouTube channels targeting Sinhala Buddhists, focusing on Arjuna’s despondency as a metaphor for mental defilements (kilesa). mahabharata sinhala
In the modern era, several simplified versions have been published to cater to younger audiences.
The Sinhala newspaper Lankadeepa and Divaina regularly publish cartoon strips retelling the Mahabharata in one-panel gags. During the Sri Lankan civil war (1980s–2009), editorials often invoked the Shanti Parva (the book of peace) as a template for reconciliation. The earliest complete Sinhala prose translation of the
One might ask: "We have the Dhammapada and the Jataka Tales. Why read the Mahabharata?"
The answer lies in shared heritage. The Mahabharata is a mirror of the human condition. Sinhala Buddhists recognize the Lobha (greed), Dvesha (hatred), and Moha (delusion) in Duryodhana. They see the Dharma (though defined differently) in Yudhishthira's insistence on truth. However, the definitive Sinhala rendition for the general
Reading the Mahabharata in Sinhala allows a Sri Lankan to: