Guruge was educated at Dharmaraja College, and went on to graduate from the University of Ceylon in 1947 with a Bachelor first class honors in Sanskrit special. Thereafter he gained a Government Scholarship to do a Doctor of Philosophy at the University of London.
Guruge was the former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sri Lanka to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, France, and the United States (with non-resident accreditation to Spain, Algeria and Mexico) during the period from 1985 to 1994. Guruge was adjunct professor of Religious Studies at Cal State Fullerton and was the dean of academic affairs at University of the West. He joined the Ceylon Civil Service, taking the civil service exam at the age of 23 and was posted to the Jaffna Kachcheri as a cadet.
During his career he served as the Head of the Dehiwala Zoo and the Colombo Kachcheri.
Eventually he was transferred to the Treasury and from there to the Prime Minister’ General’ s Office. Bradman Weerakoon, who was the assistant secretary to the Prime Minister at the time, succeeded Doctor Guruge as senior Assistant Secretary and later Secretary to the Prime Minister.
Guruge was appointed as the Additional Secretary at the Ministry of and Cultural Affairs in 1965. Guruge died in Rosemead, California at the age of 85.
Guruge reportedly died on a flight returning to the United States after assisting with school accreditation in Australia.
