King of Ceylon (101-77 B.C.) He was the son of Kákavannatissa (ruler of Mahágáma) and of Viháradeví, and was called Gámani-Abhaya. The antenatal cravings of his mother showed that he would be a great warrior, and his father gathered at his court the most famous warriors of the land skilled in various ways. Chief among them were Nandhimitta, Súranimila, Mahásona, Gothaimbara, Theraputtábhaya, Bharana, Velusumana, Khañjadeva, Phussadeva and Labhiyavasabha. Abhaya early showed signs of an adventurous disposition, and resented the confined limits of his father's kingdom, bounded on the north by the Maháváluka-nadí, on the further bank of which lay the Sinhalese country ruled by the Damilas. Abhaya was constantly refused permission by his father to fight the Damilas and fled in anger to the hills, whence he sent his royal father a woman's garment, to indicate that he was no man. This earned for him the nickname of Duttha, which always stuck to him. At his father's death he had to fight with his brother Tissa (afterwards Saddhá-Tissa) for the possession of the throne. He was first defeated at Cúlanganiyapitthi, but later he was victorious, and the Sangha brought about a reconciliation between the brothers. When fully prepared, Dutthagámani marched against the Damila king, Elára. He rode his state elephant, Kandula, born on the same day as himself. He commenced operations at Mahlyangana, capturing fort after fort, manned by Elára's followers, and fought his way down to Maháváluka-nadí, where he pitched his camp at Kandhávárapitthi, near Vijitapura, where were concentrated the Damilas. After a siege of four months Vijitapura fell, and Dutthagámani advanced through Girilaka and Mahelanagara to Kásapabbata near Anurádhapura, the capital. (Mhv.xxv.75. It is said that in the course of his journey from Mahágáma to Anurádhapura he captured thirty-two fortresses manned by the Damilas). There he waited for the onset of Elára and, in the battle that ensued, Elára was defeated and fled towards the capital, but he was pursued by Dutthagámani and slain by him in single combat close to the southern gate of the city. Elára's body was burnt with royal honours, and Dutthagámani built a tomb over the ashes and decreed that no music should be played by people passing it, a decree that was for long honoured. This act of chivalry, so much in contrast with the usual conduct of victors, earned for Dutthagámani great honour. Later, he defeated reinforcements from India under Bhalluka, nephew of Elára, and thus became sole monarch of Lanka.
On the seventh day after his final victory, he celebrated a water festival at the Tissavápi and, at its conclusion, built the Maricavatthi-thúpa (q.v.) on the spot where his spear, containing the relic of the Buddha, given by the monks at Tissamaháráma, remained firmly embedded, no one being able to remove it. From now onwards, consoled by the arahants of Piyangudípa, who absolved him from blame for the slaughter of his enemies, he began his great works of piety, after having distributed largesse to his generals and soldiers. He first built the Lohapásáda (q.v.) of nine stories, resembling the palace of Bíraní, the plan of which was brought to him from Tusita by arahants. He then began his greatest achievement, the Mahá Thúpa, erected on a site visited by the Buddha during his third visit to Ceylon. The devas, led by Sakka, provided the necessary materials, discovered in various parts of the island, and he began work immediately, on the full-moon day of Vesákha. Great celebrations marked the inauguration of the mighty task, plans of various builders were inspected before the final choice and no free work was allowed to be done. After the relics, obtained by the arahant Sonuttara from the Nága-world, had been enshrined in unparalleled splendour and with great feasting, but before the chatta of the cetiya and the plaster work could be finished, Dutthagámani fell ill. Saddhá-Tissa was summoned from Díghavápi, and he covered the cetiya with white cloth and crowned it with a spire of bamboo, that the king, before his death, might visualize his great work in its complete form. Theraputtábhaya, a former general, now become an arahant, and living in the Pañjalipabbata, was at the king's side at the time of his death and consoled him with reminders of the great merit he had accumulated during his life. A record of the king's good deeds was read by his secretary, from which it would appear that the king had erected ninety-nine other viháras, besides the buildings already mentioned. He had once tried to preach in the Lohapásada, but was so overcome by nervousness that, realizing how difficult was the task of the preacher, he ordered special benefactions for those who preached the Doctrine. Two gifts made by him are recorded as of very special merit - one was the sale of his special earrings to procure food for five theras during the Akkhakkháyika famine, the other was his gift of food during his flight from Cúlanganiya-pitthi (For details see Mhv.xxxii.49ff; also AA.i.365f). He was starving, and his minister Tissa procured a meal for him, but as he never ate without offering some of the food to the monks, he wished for a monk to appear before him. When a thera did so appear, he gave him all he had. He was told later, on his death bed, by Theraputtábhaya, that this food was divided among many thousands of arahants so that the merits of the donor might increase manifold.
It is said that after death Dutthagámani was born in the Tusita-world, there to await the appearance of Metteyya Buddha. He will then become the chief disciple of that Buddha, and his parents will be the parents of Metteyya. Before his birth, as the son of Kákavannatissa, he was a sámanera of Kotapabbata-vihára. He fell ill through his hard work on behalf of the Sangha at the Akása-cetiya near Cittalapabbata, and as he lay dying in the Sílápassaya-parivena, Viháradeví visited him at the suggestion of an arahant thera, and after much difficulty persuaded him to be reborn in this world as her son. (These particulars relating to Dutthagámaní are summarised from Mhv. chaps.xxii.-xxxii; Dpv.xviii.53; xix.1ff; Sp.i.102).
Dutthagámaní is regarded as the hero of the Mahávamsa epic. His son was Sáliya, who, however, did not succeed him, preferring to marry a candála maiden, Asokamálá. Dutthagámaní's successor, therefore, was Saddhátissa.
The Dhammapada Commentary (DhA.iv.50) mentions a minister of Dutthagámani called Lakuntaka-atimbara, whose wife was Sumaná.
Dutthagámaní lived to the age of sixty-eight (Mhv.xxiv.47).
Once, after his conquest of the Damilas, he was unable to sleep for a whole month, then, at the suggestion of the monks, he took the fast of the eight vows and eight monks chanted to him the Cittayamaka. He fell asleep during the chanting.