S. Mahinda thero arrived in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) at a young age and was ordained as a Buddhist monk by Ven.

Having learned the Sinhala language, he became a poet, creating several literary works inspiring patriotism among the Sinhalese and urging them to fight for their freedom during the Sri Lankan Independence movement.

He is now considered a national hero of Sri Lanka and one among the greatest of Sinhalese poetry figures of all time.

He had three brothers; the first would later become a lecturer of the University of Calcutta, the second would be the prime minister of the king, and the third would join the Buddhist priesthood who was known as Punnaji thero.

[1] Serky received a scholarship, with an annual allowance of six rupees, to study Buddhism in Ceylon and arrived there in 1912 or 1914.

[2] The two brothers stayed at the Island Hermitage in Polgasduwa, southern Ceylon, and learned Buddhism under the German monk Nyanatiloka.

[4] His most famous works include Nidahase Dehena, Nidahase Manthraya, Lanka Matha, Jathika Thotilla, Ada Lak Mawage Puttu, Nidahasa, Videshikayakugen Lak Mawata Namaskarayak and Sinhala Jathiya.