Reminisences - going down memory lane:

Nalanda and the wit of Principal Jayaratne

Premasara EPASINGHE

Nalanda Vidyalaya, Colombo, is one of the leading Buddhist schools in Sri Lanka. It was an off-shoot of Ananda Vidyalaya, the Premier Buddhist School - which was started as a Buddhist Theosophical Society, school, 125 years ago in memory of 'Dharmabandagarika', the Great Treasurer of the Buddha, Ven Ananda Thera.

In 1924, the great educationist P De S Kularatne who was the Principal of Ananda, transferred some of his students to a new premises in Campbell Place and started a new school. The Most Venerable Balangoda Ananda Maithriya Nayake Thera, who was a staff member of Ananda, named the new school - Nalanda Vidyalaya. He gave 'Apadana Sobhini Panna' as their college motto which means 'character illumines life'.

In the early times, the Principals of Nalanda, were Dr G P Malalasekera, G K W Perera, Jinendradasa popularly known as 'Jimpappa', great mathematician D C Lauris and classics scholar M De S Jayaratne or Kota Jayaratne. Principal Jayendra was equally good at Mathematics. He was quite short, about five feet or less in height. He was a Human Dynamo. As a scholar and disciplinarian, he was a giant.

University days

Principal Jayaratne was a legend at Nalanda. He was a man with a mission and vision.

An Oxford graduate, Jayaratne joined Nalanda Vidyalaya, Colombo, in order to mould Nalanda on the lines of an English Public School like Eton or Harrow. He greatly succeeded in this venture.

I was fortunate to study under this great teacher cum Principal M De S Jayaratne.

Who is a teacher? Where ignorance is darkness teacher is the light, where journey is through, teacher is the guide, where the vision is hazy, teacher is the light. Jayaratne provided us all these ingredients, to mould our characters.

He was educated at the school by the sea - S Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, which produced four Prime Ministers - D S Senanayake, Dudley Senanayake, S W R D Bandaranaike and Dr W Dahanayake, first Speaker Sir Francis Molamure in 1946 and the first Leader of the Opposition Dr N M Perera, who was a product of Warden Stone, and later joined Ananda College. M De S Jayaratne was a contemporary of such men of high erudition as S W R D Bandaranaike, the great Warden of S Thomas’ College, R S De Saram, Mark Obeysekera, I H Wijesinghe, H A J Hulugalle, L J De S Seneviratne, S J V Chelvanayakam, E B Wickramanayake, S P Wickramasinghe to name a few..

One day, Jayaratne in our General English class HSC, University Entrance class posed a question. 'Can anyone tell me the “Motto of Royal College?”'

In a class of 30, I put up my hand.
“Yes, young man.”
“Sir, Disce Aut Discede” - Learn or Depart.

Promptly Jayaratne said “Good, only one fellow knew it.” Then, he asked “can anyone tell me the motto of S Thomas’ College?”

Nalanda Vidyalaya, Colombo

“I replied Esto Perpetua” - young man, you are smart. For others I say “Apita Motto Oya Motto.” Very proudly, he related an incident that happened in his university days.

“Chaps, I was doing a three hour Maths paper. I had a splitting headache. I called the Invigilator and told him, Sir, I have a severe headache. I kept my head on the table and slept. Sir, wake me up in half an hour. I woke up in about forty minutes did the paper in half of the given time. If you'll slept, still you will be sleeping. Chaps, take challenges. Face it. Always be positive, do the correct thing in life. Be honest. Love your country,” stated Jayaratne. Think that we Sri Lankans are not second to anyone.

Greek quotations

His English classes were so interesting, fascinating and educative. His Latin and Greek quotations are fantastic.

One day in our class he said “young men, today, I begin the class with a Greek quotation. I will tell that in English. I quoted this a few minutes ago in your parallel class pin pointing a certain fellow in the class. Although, I repeat this, in English, for many it will be Greek.

Quote: “Intrinsically worthless, harem - scarum dame astunder.”

The Nalanda Cricket Captain was in our class. He questioned the skipper - “Mister, what is one, minus half.”

The cricketer was non-plussed. “My friend this is why I say, when you touch the 'Bloody Bat,' your Brain gets wooded. Go to England and play professional cricket mister.”

My best friend is Sarath Rajapathirana, Economist and Advisor in the World Bank. He was with me from Grade Five to the university entrance class. He left and joined St Joseph's College, Maradana and entered the University of Peradeniya. Sarath and I separately maintained Exercise Books and wrote down some of Jayaratne's wit.

It supplied valuable information in penning these few lines about this wonderful man, the brilliant scholar and pedagogue to whom we are ever grateful. He moulded our character.

One day a boy in our class who had the initials RV, was caught playing truant.

A strict disciplinarian Jayaratne, told the errant student in front of the class, “You have been caught cutting school. Mister, do you know what your initials stand for Roving Vagabond ..... come for my special English classes daily for two weeks in the evening. Those teachers at that time, dedicated their whole life to mould the characters of their students without any financial gains. Nalanda, this great crest jewel of education, produced many distinguished outstanding old boys, thanks to these great teachers of the calibre of Kota Jayaratne. T Kandasamy - Latin and English - Poli and Master-in-charge of cricket, our Geography and English teacher W D E Perera are two outstanding members.

Great Buddhist institution

The year that we sat for our SSC Exam in 1957, only four out of about 250 students passed. Generally, this year's results were poor in the whole island.

A reporter from Daily News contacted the witty principal.

The Principal took the Department to task. The banner headline, 'Massacre of the innocents - M De S Jayaratne - Principal - Nalanda'.

He was very particular about the English pronunciation. We were the last batch in English medium in Sri Lanka. One day a boy mis-pronounced 'Ischool' for school. Immediately Jayaratne shot at him.

“Mister, if I had the authority, I would award you “As” - “As” “CEE” (SSC) right here now, and with a bride for good measure.”

The beauty with this great Principal of Nalanda, even in later life, is that he remembered each and every old boy by name.

One of my classmates, was serving as an accountant in a government venture, which was nationalised later. One day, he went to YMCA salon in Fort, for a hair cut.

When he was getting out of his car, Principal Jayaratne was about to get into his famous Volksvagen, which was parked next to my friend's car. My friend seeing the Principal said “Good Morning Sir.”

“Good Morning, young man, where are you?”

He said that he is at work at such and such a place as an accountant.

Jayaratne was so sharp, he remembered that he was a poor Maths student. Promptly Jayaratne uttered smilingly.

“No wonder young man, that blooming place is running at a loss.”

Nalanda was a great seat of learning. We Nalandians are all grateful to this great Buddhist institution in moulding so many productive citizens to this country.

One day, when a Buddhist monk was conducting the Buddhism class, some students were playing with 'Madatiya' seeds.

In the crossfire of ‘Madatiya’ seeds, unfortunately, a seed stuck on the monk - a stray shot.

The students never meant it. The monk reported the matter to Principal Jayaratne. He was so angry that we treated a 'Buddhaputra' disrespectfully.

He caned the entire class. After caning all the students, he called the monitor of the class, “young man, as I have caned these dirty rascals including you, I don't want to touch this 'unclean cane' again. Go down, throw it to the dustbin.”

Dear Sir, you moulded our characters to live in this society as gentlemen. We are ever grateful to all our teachers.

Apadana SOBHINI PANNA