Theraputtabhaya: Warrior of King Dutugemunu

In the epic history of Sri Lanka, the unification of the island under King Dutugemunu (r. 161–137 BCE) is often portrayed as a divinely supported mission carried out with the aid of the Dasa Mahā Yodhayo, the ten legendary giants. Among these formidable warriors, Theraputthābhaya occupies a distinctive place. Whereas the others are primarily renowned for their extraordinary martial strength, Theraputthābhaya symbolizes the spiritual dimension of the Sinhala army—a warrior of immense physical power who ultimately abandoned the battlefield to wage an inner struggle against human passions as a Buddhist monk.

Birth and Extraordinary Childhood

Theraputthābhaya was born in the mid-2nd century BCE in the village of Kitti (modern Kittigama), located near the Koṭa-mountain (Koṭagala) in the southern principality of Ruhuna. He was the son of a prominent regional headman named Rohana, a loyal devotee of the elder Thera Mahāsumma of the Koṭapabbata Vihāra.

At birth he was named Gothābhaya, after the ruler of Ruhuna. However, a profound transformation in his father’s life altered the course of his own identity. After listening to a sermon delivered by Mahāsumma, Rohana renounced worldly life and entered the Buddhist monastic order, eventually attaining the state of an Arahant. As a result, the boy came to be known as Theraputthābhaya , meaning “the son of the Thera.”

Accounts of his childhood attribute to him almost supernatural strength. By the age of ten or twelve, he was said to play with enormous stones that ordinarily required four or five men to lift, tossing them about as if they were balls. When he reached sixteen years of age, his father presented him with an astonishing weapon, a massive club measuring about 0.97 meters (38 inches) in circumference and sixteen cubits in length. With this formidable club, he reportedly felled mature tal (palmyra) and coconut palms with a single blow, feats that soon drew the attention of the royal court.

Joining the Army of Dutugemunu

The recruitment of Theraputthābhaya formed part of King Kākavaṇṇatissa’s broader strategy to defend the Kingdom of Ruhuna against the rule of Elāra in Anurādhapura. Anticipating that his sons, Prince Gāmaṇī (Duṭṭhagāmaṇī) and Tissa, would require an elite corps of champions, the king began identifying the strongest men throughout the land.

Reports of Theraputthābhaya remarkable feats eventually reached Magāma. Recognizing his potential, Kākavaṇṇatissa summoned the young giant and formally enlisted him in the service of Prince Gāmaṇī. As one of the ten principal champions, Theraputthābhaya was entrusted with recruiting ten additional warriors. Each of these men in turn enlisted others, creating a formidable nucleus of 11,110 fighters.

During this period, the ten champions were accorded the same honors as the king’s own sons. They lived in separate establishments and underwent training in the traditional sixty-four arts, which included philosophy, ethics, and advanced forms of weaponry.

Martial Exploits and the Siege of Vijitapura

Theraputthābhaya participated in twenty-eight major battles during the campaign to reunify the island. His most renowned contribution occurred during the four-month siege of Vijitapura, one of the most heavily fortified strongholds of Eelara. The city was protected by triple moats and massive gates reinforced with iron.

During the decisive assault, the ten giants were assigned the task of breaking through the city’s main gates. While Nandhimitta and Sūranimila led the attack against the South Gate alongside the royal war elephant Kandula, Theraputthābhaya was stationed at the East Gate with the giants Sēna and Gōdimbara.

As the Sinhala army breached the outer defenses, Theraputthābhaya wielded his enormous club to shatter the enemy’s fortifications. The chronicles describe the battle in dramatic terms, portraying the giants performing extraordinary feats of individual heroism that ultimately forced the defenders to retreat toward Anurādhapura.

The Great Transformation: From Warrior to Monk

The most remarkable episode of Theraputthābhaya‘s life occurred immediately after the final defeat of King Elāra and the subsequent destruction of the reinforcement army led by Bhalluka. When King Dutugemunu rewarded his champions with titles, honors, and material wealth, Theraputthābhaya declined them all.

Surprised by this refusal, the king asked him for an explanation. The giant responded: “It is war, O mighty King.” When the king argued that the war had ended and the island was now united under a single ruler, Theraputtābhaya replied that he intended to fight another battle—one against the rebellious forces of human passion, a struggle far more difficult to win.

Moved by this declaration, Dutugemunu eventually granted permission for the warrior to renounce worldly life. Theraputtābhaya entered the Buddhist order and devoted himself to meditation. He withdrew to Pañjali-mountain near the source of the Kirinda River, where he led a monastic community of five hundred monks who had overcome their āsavas, the defilements of the mind.

The Final Consolation

The story of Theraputtābhaya concludes with a poignant moment during the final hours of Dutugemunu in 137 BCE. As the king lay dying near the unfinished Ruvanveliseya (Mahā Thūpa), he expressed sorrow that his old companion was absent, fearing that the Thera had abandoned him in his last struggle against death.

Sensing the king’s approaching end, Theraputtābhaya appeared at the bedside to comfort his former commander. He reminded the monarch that even the most virtuous must face mortality and encouraged him to look upon the Puṇṇapotthaka, the “Book of Meritorious Deeds.” Listening to the record of his acts of piety brought peace to the king’s mind.

In his final words to the saint-warrior, Dutugemunu acknowledged the enduring bond between them, whispering: “In single combat, also thou art my help.”

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.