Pussadeva: Peerless Archer Warrior of Dutugemunu

Pussadeva: The Peerless Archer Warrior of King Dutugemunu

Introduction

In the heroic traditions surrounding King Dutugemunu (r. 161–137 BCE), the reunification of Sri Lanka was accomplished through the mobilization of an elite corps known as the Dasa Maha Yodhayo, the ten great warrior giants. Among these celebrated champions, Pussadeva (Phussadeva), often called Unmada-Pussadeva—stood apart. Unlike others who were renowned for immense strength or mastery of cavalry, he was famed for an extraordinary command of archery that appeared almost miraculous. Serving as the king’s personal marksman and final protector during the decisive battle for Anuradhapura, Pussadeva’s story blends folklore, historical chronicle, and epigraphical tradition.

Birth and the Origin of the Name Unmada

Pussadeva was born in the mid-2nd century BCE in the village of Gavita (also known as Kapitha), located in the southern principality of Ruhuna near the Cittalapabbata Vihara (modern Situlpawwa Viharaya). His father was a man named Uppala. A remarkable incident during his childhood earned him the title Unmada, meaning “maddening” or “bewildering.”

According to tradition, the young boy once visited Situlpawwa Viharaya with his companions. While there, he picked up one of the large conch shells placed as offerings before the sacred Bodhi tree. When he blew into it, the sound was so powerful that it was compared to the roar of a thunderbolt bursting in the sky. The unexpected blast frightened and stunned his playmates, and from that day the villagers began calling him Umada-Pussadeva.

Mastery of the Archer’s Art

Recognizing his son’s exceptional lung power and concentration, Uppala trained him in the art of archery, a skill traditionally practiced within their family. Over time, Pussadeva became widely acknowledged as the greatest marksman in the land. He was said to possess several extraordinary abilities: he could strike a target guided only by sound (saddavedhi), hit a mark illuminated momentarily by lightning (vijjuvedhi), and even pierce a single hair (valavedhi).

The Mahavamsa and other chronicles record numerous demonstrations of his skill. He could shoot an arrow through a wagon filled with sand or pierce a stack of one hundred hides bound together. His arrows were powerful enough to penetrate slabs of asana or udumbara wood measuring 20.3–40.6 centimeters thick (8–16 inches), and even pass through solid iron or copper plates 5.1–10.2 centimeters thick (2–4 inches). In terms of distance, his arrows were said to travel eight usabhas over land—approximately 341 meters (1,120 feet)—and one usabha through water, about 42.7 meters (140 feet).

Entry into Royal Service

News of Pussadeva’s remarkable skill eventually reached the royal court at Magama. The king summoned him and appointed him as one of the ten principal champions of the royal guard. Like the other giants, he was entrusted with recruiting additional warriors in a hierarchical structure: each champion enlisted ten men, who then recruited ten more each. This system ultimately produced an elite force of 11,110 soldiers who served as the king’s personal army. During this period, Pussadeva resided in a separate royal establishment, where he practiced martial exercises and refined the archery techniques that would later prove decisive in the war.

Martial Acts: The Siege of Vijitapura

Pussadeva took part in the entire northern campaign, which involved capturing thirty-two Tamil fortresses along the Mahaweli River. His first major recorded role occurred during the siege of Vijitapura, a formidable fortress located near the northern bank of the Kalaweva.

During the final assault, Pussadeva was assigned to attack the North and West Gates of the citadel together with the giants Bharana, Khanjadeva, and Labhiya Vasabha. While the elephant Kandula and the warrior Nandhimitta broke through the main gates, Pussadeva and his detachment used their superior range to suppress the Tamil archers positioned along the ramparts. The chronicles describe the giants performing “Homeric feats of valor” during the fierce fighting, which eventually led to the collapse of the defending garrison and opened the road to the capital.

The Duel with Bhalluka at Anuradhapura

The most decisive moment in Pussadeva’s career occurred during the final phase of the war. After the death of King Elara, his nephew Bhalluka arrived from South India with an army of 60,000 reinforcements. Bhalluka advanced to the village of Kolambahalaka near the North Gate of Anuradhapura, where he confronted the forces of Dutugemunu.

During the battle, Pussadeva sat directly behind the king on the royal elephant Kandula. In the heat of combat, Bhalluka challenged the king, boasting that he would shoot an arrow into his mouth. When Dutugemunu responded defiantly, Bhalluka released an arrow. The king reacted swiftly, striking the arrow with his sword so that it fell harmlessly to the ground.

Believing that his arrow had struck the king, Bhalluka shouted in triumph. At that exact moment, Pussadeva released an arrow that flew directly into the enemy commander’s mouth. To ensure that the defeated warrior did not fall in a position considered disrespectful toward the king, Pussadeva immediately shot a second arrow into Bhalluka’s knee as he collapsed. This forced the body to fall forward so that his head faced the king, in the submissive posture of a defeated enemy rather than falling backward with his feet toward the monarch. This remarkable display of skill ended the battle and triggered the final rout of the Tamil army.

The Incident of the Earring and Royal Gratitude

During the moment when Pussadeva killed Bhalluka, his arrow accidentally brushed the king’s earring, causing a few drops of blood to fall from Dutugemunu’s earlobe. Horrified that he had even unintentionally injured his sovereign, Pussadeva immediately cut off his own earlobe as a form of self-imposed punishment. The king was deeply moved by this act of loyalty but rebuked him for accepting blame where none was deserved.

In gratitude, Dutugemunu bestowed an extraordinary reward upon him. The king ordered the arrow used in the feat to be planted upright in the ground with the feathered end facing upward. He then commanded that kahapana—gold coins—be poured over it until the arrow was completely buried beneath a mound of gold. The entire treasure was presented to the archer.

Post-War Life and Epigraphical Evidence

The principal chronicles provide little information about Pussadeva’s life after the death of King Dutugemunu. However, the Sahassavatthu-ppakarana, a collection of ancient Buddhist stories, adds further details. According to this source, Pussadeva spent his later years possibly in the forest hermitage of Kudumbigala. It relates that the archer who once pierced distant targets guided only by sound eventually “pierced” the veil of ignorance through meditation.

Another widely held tradition suggests that Pussadeva entered the Buddhist monastic order and lived at Sri Sankapala Viharaya in Pallebedda. Near this temple stands a ruined stupa known as the Pussadeva Sohona, or the Tomb of Pussadeva.

The association between Sankapala Viharaya and Pussadeva Thero is also supported by inscriptions discovered in rock caves hidden within the jungles above the temple, which provide epigraphical evidence linking the site to the legendary archer.

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.