Nandhimitta: The First Worrior of Dutugemunu

Nandhimitta: The First Worrior of King Dutugemunu

In the annals of Sri Lankan history, the reign of King Dutugemunu (r. 161–137 BCE) is inseparable from the bravery of his Dasa Maha Yodhayo, the ten great warrior champions. Foremost among them was Nandhimitta, a figure celebrated for immense strength, who evolved from a lone vigilante in an occupied capital of Anuradhapura into a principal defender of Dutugemunu during the unification of Lanka. His memory endures not only in the narrative traditions of the Mahavamsa and Rajavaliya but also in contemporaneous stone inscriptions that lend historical anchor to his legend.

Lineage and a Miraculous Childhood

Nandhimitta was born in the mid-second century BCE in the village of Kadaroda (also known as Khandaraji), located in the eastern district near Citta mountain. He was the nephew of Mitta, a Sinhalese general serving under the Tamil ruler Elara (205-161 BCE). The chronicles record that he was born with a physical peculiarity—his genitals concealed within his body—a feature interpreted in ancient lore as an omen of extraordinary destiny (Mahanama et al., 1912).

His name derived from an incident in early childhood. Prone to wandering, he was secured by his mother with a leather strap (nandi) fastened to a heavy stone mill. While she was away at the well, the child dragged the mill across the floor. When it became lodged at the threshold, he pulled with such force that the leather thong snapped. Astonished by this display of strength, his parents named him Nandhimitta, meaning “Mitta of the leather strap.” In maturity, he was said to possess the strength of ten elephants (Mahanama et al., 1912).

Vigilantism and Allegiance to Dutugemunu

As a young man, Nandhimitta journeyed to Anuradhapura to serve under his uncle. At the time, the city was ruled by Elara. A devout Buddhist, he was troubled by reports of Tamil soldiers showing disrespect toward sacred sites, including the Sacred Bo-tree and the Thuparama.

In response, he undertook a solitary campaign of nocturnal retribution. Entering the city by night, he is said to have seized offending soldiers and killed them with his immense strength, casting their bodies beyond the city walls. Although Elara grew alarmed at the unexplained loss of troops, the perpetrator eluded capture.

Eventually, Nandhimitta concluded that isolated acts of vengeance would not secure lasting benefit for the Buddhist Sasana. He resolved to dedicate his strength to the princes of Ruhuna, who upheld the Three Gems and possessed the capacity to liberate the island. He departed Anuradhapura and presented himself to Prince Gamani (Dutthagamani) at Mahagama. Following consultation with Queen Vihara Maha Devi, the prince received him with honor and appointed him the foremost of the ten great warriors.

Rivalry with Kandula and Feats of Strength

A notable aspect of his service was his relationship with the royal elephant Kandula. To test the warrior’s prowess, King Dutugemunu once ordered the elephant to be enraged and driven against him. As Kandula charged, Nandhimitta stood firm, seized the tusks, and forced the elephant back onto its haunches. Though the army rejoiced, the elephant retained resentment for years.

The Siege of Vijitapura

The most detailed account of his exploits appears during the four-month siege of Vijitapura, a fortress defended by triple moats and formidable iron gates. Nandhimitta was stationed at the southern gate with Kandula and the warrior Suranimila.

In the final assault, defenders poured molten metal upon the elephant as it battered the gates. After treatment and protection with buffalo hides, Kandula renewed the attack. When the gate tower collapsed inward, threatening to crush the elephant, Nandhimitta deflected the falling debris with his bare arms, saving the animal. This act ended their long-standing animosity.

Refusing to enter through the breach created by Kandula, he instead demolished a separate section of the city wall measuring approximately 8.23 metres high (eighteen cubits) and 32 metres long (eight usabhas), thereby marking his own entrance into the city.

The Fall of Elara and Later Life

In the final battle for Anuradhapura, Nandhimitta occupied the place of honor at the right hand of King Dutugemunu. After the death of Elara and the defeat of reinforcements led by Bhalluka, the king rewarded his champions. Unlike Theraputtabhaya, who renounced worldly life to pursue monastic discipline, Nandhimitta remained a leading general and pillar of the state.

The Mahavamsa further prophesies that in the era of the future Buddha Metteyya, Nandhimitta will be reborn to serve him, underscoring the religious dimension of his legacy.

Epigraphical Evidence

Beyond literary tradition, epigraphical sources provide tangible historical testimony. Nandhimitta is identified in early Brahmi inscriptions as Parumaka Mita (“Chief Mitta”). A significant cave inscription at Koravakgala (Situlpavuva) records:

“Devanapiya-rajha-Abayasa senapati parumaka-M[i]tasa lene agata-anagata-catudiśa-sagasa dine.”

This translates as: “The cave of the chief Mita, general of King Abhaya, Beloved of the Gods, is granted to the Sangha…” The “King Abhaya” referenced is King Dutthagamani Abhaya. The inscription concludes with a distinctive symbol interpreted by scholars as the personal sign-manual of Nandhimitta (Nicholas & Paranavitana, 1961).

A weathered inscription at Mihintale similarly records a cave donation by Parumaka Mita, son of Parumaka—often reconstructed as Nandhi in light of the Situlpavuva formula. Additional cave donations attributed to Parumaka Mita, son of Nandika, are recorded at Kudumbigala, Erupothana, and Nattukanda, and are widely believed to pertain to the same warrior (Paranavitana, 1970).

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.
Paranavitana, S. (1970). Inscriptions of Ceylon : Volume I Containing Cave Inscriptions From 3rd Century B.C. To 1st Century A.C. and Other Inscriptions in the Early Brahmi Script: Vol. I. Department of Archaeology, Ceylon.