Mahasona: Strongest Warrior of Dutugemunu

Mahasona: Strongest Warrior of King Dutugemunu

The unification of Sri Lanka under Dutugemunu (Duṭṭhagāmaṇī, r. 161–137 BCE) is one of the most celebrated epics in the island’s history. This achievement was made possible with the assistance of the Dasa Maha Yodhayo, the ten great warrior giants. Among these champions, Mahāsona (also known as Soṇa) was renowned for his immense physical power. Although his name later became associated with folk legends and demonology, the early historical chronicles portray him as an important military commander whose extraordinary strength helped bring down the Tamil fortresses along the Mahāveli River.

Lineage and a Prodigious Childhood

Mahāsona was born in the mid-2nd century BCE in the village of Hundarivāpi (Sinhala: Hundari-veva), situated in the Kulumbarikannikā district. He was the youngest of eight sons born to a man named Tissa. From an early age, it was clear that the child possessed a physical strength far beyond that of ordinary boys.

Chronicles describe his growth through a series of remarkable feats. By the age of seven he was already capable of uprooting young palm trees with his bare hands. By the time he reached ten years of age, his strength had increased to such an extent that he could tear fully grown trees from the ground as if they were small shrubs. Because of this enormous strength and his ability to uproot large palm trees, he came to be known as Mahā Sona, meaning “Sona the Great.”

Recruitment into Royal Service

When reports about the remarkable youth of Hundarivāpi reached the royal court, the king summoned him. Mahāsona was formally enlisted into the service of Prince Gamani (Duṭṭhagāmaṇī) and was granted an “honorable guerdon,” a royal stipend recognizing his abilities. As one of the ten principal champions, he was also assigned a leadership responsibility: he was required to recruit ten additional warriors. Each of those recruits was tasked with bringing ten more men, eventually creating an elite core force of 11,110 soldiers.

Mahāsona resided within Dutugemunu’s own military establishment and took part in daily martial training alongside the princes, practicing archery, swordsmanship, and other disciplines of warfare.

Feats of Valour in the War of Liberation

The most significant military contributions of Mahāsona occurred during the advance toward Anurādhapura, particularly in the four-month siege of the powerful Tamil fortress of Vijitapura. This stronghold formed a crucial defensive barrier and was protected by three moats and massive iron gates.

During the final assault on the fortress, the ten warrior giants were assigned to different gates to lead the attack. While Nandhimitta and Sūranimila launched their assault on the southern gate alongside the royal war elephant Kandula, Mahāsona was positioned at one of the remaining gates—either the northern, eastern, or western entrance.

The chronicles record that Mahāsona, together with the giants Gothaimbara and Theraputtābhaya, performed “Homeric feats of valor” during the fierce fighting. Using his extraordinary strength, Mahāsona helped breach the fortress walls and break through the Tamil defenses. This decisive breakthrough allowed the army of Duṭṭhagāmaṇī to surge into the city and scatter the garrison of Elāra.

The Duel with Gothaimbara and the “Eventual End”

Accounts of Mahāsona’s later life differ between the historical chronicles and later Sinhalese folklore. According to the Mahāvamsa, the warriors who survived the war were honored and remained important figures in the kingdom during the reign of Duṭṭhagāmaṇī. Unlike Theraputtābhaya, who eventually renounced worldly life and became a monk, Mahāsona is generally regarded as having continued his service as a respected military commander.

However, popular folklore presents a far more dramatic ending. In this tradition, a dispute arises between Mahāsona and his fellow giant Gothaimbara during a celebration held to mark the completion of a new house built by Gothaimbara. Some versions claim that Mahāsona insulted Gothaimbara’s wife. The quarrel escalated into a duel, during which Gothaimbara, despite being smaller in stature, delivered a powerful kick that severed Mahāsona’s head.

The legend continues that the planet Śani (Saturn), seeing the fallen hero, attempted to restore him to life. Acting hastily, Śani attached the head of a wild boar to Mahāsona’s body but fixed it facing backward. This supernatural transformation marks the end of the mortal warrior Mahāsona and the mythical birth of the demon Mahā Sohaṇa, a prominent figure in Sri Lanka’s traditional spiritual folklore.

References

Gunasekara, B. (1900). The Rajavaliya or a historical narrative of Sinhalese kings from Vijaya to Vimala Dharma Suriya II. George J. A. Skeen.
Mahanama, Geiger, W., & Bode, M. H. (1912). The Mahavamsa or the Great Chronicle of Ceylon. Translated into English by Wilhelm Geiger. For the Pali Text Society by Henry Frowde.
Nicholas, C. W., & Paranavitana, S. (1961). A Concise History of Ceylon : From the Earliest Times to the Arrival of the Portuguese in 1505. University of Ceylon.
Senaveratna, J. M. (1946). Dutugemunu: His Life and Times. Sinha Publications.
Wijesekera, N. (1990). The Sinhalese. M. D. Gunasena & Co Ltd.