The story of Prince Vijaya’s arrival in Sri Lanka stands as one of the most foundational narratives in the island’s history. According to the Mahavamsa, the great chronicle of Sri Lankan history, Vijaya landed on the shores of Lanka on the very day that Gautama Buddha attained parinirvana (final passing) in northern India—traditionally dated to 543 BCE. This convergence of events is presented as no mere coincidence, but as a cosmic alignment that would determine the spiritual and cultural destiny of the island for millennia to come.
The Prince of Sinhapura
The tale begins not in Lanka, but in the legendary kingdom of Sinhapura in northern India, located in the region that is now Bengal or possibly Gujarat. Prince Vijaya was the grandson of a most unusual union: his grandfather, Sinhabahu, was said to be the son of a princess and a lion who had abducted her to his cave. When Sinhabahu escaped with his mother and siblings, he eventually killed his lion-father and established the kingdom of Sinhapura—“the city of the lion.”
Vijaya was the eldest son of Sinhabahu and inherited more than just a kingdom from his lion-blooded lineage. According to the chronicles, he was bold, adventurous, and undisciplined—qualities that served him both well and poorly. Along with 700 followers, equally unruly and violent, Vijaya terrorized the countryside, committing acts of robbery and violence that ultimately exhausted his father’s patience.
The Exile
Unable to execute his own son, King Sinhabahu chose exile instead. He had Vijaya’s hair shaved on one side—a mark of disgrace—and banished him along with his 700 followers. They were placed on a ship and cast out to sea, expected never to return.
The exiles wandered the ocean for some time, first landing at a place they called Supparaka (possibly modern-day Sopara near Mumbai), and then at Bharukaccha (modern Bharuch in Gujarat). Finally, their vessel carried them southward across the sea, and on the day of the Buddha’s parinirvana, they arrived at the island that would become their new home.
Landing at Tambapanni
Vijaya and his men made landfall on the northwestern coast of Lanka, at a place near modern-day Mannar or Puttalam. As the prince stepped onto the shore, his hand touched the copper-red earth, staining it. From this event, he named the land “Tambapanni”—the land of copper-colored palms or earth. This would be the island’s first name in the Sinhalese tradition.
The landing was accompanied by auspicious signs. The chronicles tell that as Vijaya’s foot touched the sand, the Buddha, lying on his deathbed in distant Kushinagar, spoke to the god Sakra (Indra), instructing him to protect Vijaya, for the prince and his descendants would establish the Dhamma (Buddhism) in Lanka and cause it to shine for centuries.
The Encounter with Kuveni
The island Vijaya discovered was not uninhabited. It was home to the Yakkhas (also called Yakkas or Yaksas)—beings described in the chronicles as demons or spirits, though modern scholars interpret them as indigenous tribes who inhabited the island before the Indo-Aryan migration. The most significant of these inhabitants was Kuveni (also known as Kuvanna), a Yakkhini princess who lived near a lake in the area where Vijaya’s men had landed.
When Vijaya’s followers went searching for water, they encountered Kuveni at her dwelling near a tank. She appeared to them as a beautiful young woman, sitting and spinning thread. But this was deception—Kuveni was a powerful sorceress who used her magical abilities to lure the men into a pit, planning to devour them.
When Vijaya discovered his men were missing, he set out to find them, armed with his sword and bow. He encountered Kuveni and, recognizing her supernatural nature, drew a protective circle around himself using a charmed thread. When Kuveni attempted to seize him as she had his followers, she found herself powerless against his magic.
Vijaya overpowered the Yakkhini and held his sword to her throat, demanding she release his men. Kuveni, recognizing strength greater than her own, submitted. She pleaded for her life and made a proposal: if Vijaya would spare her, she would free his followers and help him conquer the island by betraying her own people.
The Conquest and the Kingdom
With Kuveni’s assistance, Vijaya learned the secrets of the Yakkhas and their settlements. The most important of these was Sirisavatthu, the royal city where Kuveni’s uncle ruled as king of the Yakkhas. Using cunning and military force, aided by Kuveni’s inside knowledge, Vijaya and his men attacked during a Yakkha festival when the spirits were gathered and vulnerable.
The chronicles describe how Vijaya’s forces defeated the Yakkhas, scattering some and subjugating others. Kuveni herself was placed at the city gates to perform a magical ritual, creating fear among her own people. With the conquest complete, Vijaya established himself as the first king of the island, founding his capital at Tambapanni.
Vijaya and Kuveni lived together as king and queen, and she bore him two children—a son and a daughter. For some years, this arrangement continued, and Vijaya’s settlement grew stronger. His followers married Yakkhini women, beginning the process of cultural and genetic mixing between the newcomers and the indigenous inhabitants.
The Betrayal of Kuveni
As Vijaya’s power grew, his followers urged him to seek a princess bride from India to secure his dynasty’s legitimacy and royal status. Messages were sent to the Pandyan kingdom in South India, and arrangements were made for Vijaya to marry a Pandyan princess. With this new marriage imminent, Kuveni became an inconvenience.
In one of the most tragic passages of the chronicle, Vijaya ordered Kuveni to leave, taking only their two children. He offered her wealth and jewels, but insisted she could not remain in his kingdom, as his people—the Aryan settlers—feared her supernatural powers and her Yakkha heritage.
Heartbroken and betrayed, Kuveni took their children and fled to the Yakkha city of Lankapura. But the Yakkhas, remembering her betrayal of their people to assist Vijaya, showed no mercy. They killed her, despite her pleas that she had acted out of love. According to legend, Kuveni’s children escaped into the Malaya mountain region (the central highlands), where they became the ancestors of the Veddas, the indigenous people of Sri Lanka who maintain a distinct identity to this day.
The Foundation of the Sinhala Dynasty
With his marriage to the Pandyan princess, Vijaya established a legitimate royal court. He sent for families from India—craftsmen, merchants, Brahmins, and administrators—to build a proper kingdom. These immigrants, along with Vijaya’s original 700 followers and their mixed offspring with Yakkha women, formed the nucleus of what would become the Sinhala people.
The name “Sinhala” itself derives from Vijaya’s grandfather Sinhabahu—the “lion-armed” son of a lion. Thus, the Sinhalese see themselves as descendants of the lion lineage, an identity that persists in Sri Lanka’s national symbols, including the lion on the national flag.
Vijaya ruled for 38 years, dying in 505 BCE according to the traditional chronology. Having produced no legitimate heirs, he was succeeded by his nephew Panduvasudeva, who arrived from India with 32 followers. These settlers, including families of various castes and professions, further strengthened the Indo-Aryan presence on the island.
Historical vs. Legendary Perspectives
Modern scholarship treats the Vijaya legend with careful nuance. The Mahavamsa, our primary source for this story, was composed in the 5th or 6th century CE—nearly a millennium after the events it describes. The chroniclers were Buddhist monks writing to promote and legitimize Buddhism’s role in Sri Lankan history, which naturally shaped their narrative.
Archaeological Evidence
Critically, there is no archaeological evidence for the Vijaya narrative as described. No inscriptions, coins, or material culture from the 6th century BCE can be definitively linked to a king named Vijaya or the founding of Tambapanni. However, archaeological evidence does suggest:
- Indo-Aryan migration to Sri Lanka occurred gradually between approximately 1000-500 BCE
- The appearance of Iron Age settlements, pottery with North Indian affinities, and Brahmi script around 600-500 BCE
- Evidence of megalithic culture and indigenous populations predating the Indo-Aryan arrival
- The existence of advanced irrigation systems and agriculture before the supposed Vijaya migration
Scholarly Interpretations
Most historians view the Vijaya legend as a mythologized account of the actual Indo-Aryan colonization of Sri Lanka. The story may represent:
- Collective Memory: A poetic compression of centuries of gradual migration into a single dramatic narrative
- Foundation Myth: A nation-building story designed to create a unified Sinhala-Buddhist identity
- Political Symbolism: The date of 543 BCE (Buddha’s parinirvana) was likely chosen symbolically rather than historically, linking the founding of the Sinhala nation to Buddhism’s origin
- Cultural Syncretism: The Kuveni story may preserve memory of intermarriage between Indo-Aryan settlers and indigenous populations
The Yakkhas and Nagas
The Yakkhas and Nagas (serpent beings) mentioned in the chronicles are now generally understood to represent pre-Indo-Aryan populations. The Veddas, who retain distinct genetic and cultural characteristics, may indeed be descendants of these original inhabitants, as the legend of Kuveni’s children suggests.
Cultural and Political Legacy
Regardless of its historical accuracy, the Vijaya legend has profoundly shaped Sri Lankan identity for over two millennia:
- It established the Sinhala people’s connection to North India and Aryan heritage
- It provided a foundational narrative for Sinhala-Buddhist nationalism
- It linked the island’s destiny to Buddhism from its very beginning
- It has been used politically to assert Sinhala primacy and Buddhist predominance
- It created a heroic founding narrative comparable to Rome’s Aeneas or Britain’s King Arthur
In modern Sri Lanka, the legend remains both celebrated and contested. Some embrace it as sacred history; others view it as mythology; still others critique its use to marginalize Tamil and other minority communities who have equally ancient claims to the island.
Conclusion
The arrival of Prince Vijaya—whether historical fact, poetic legend, or some combination of both—marks the beginning of recorded Sri Lankan history. The story encapsulates themes that would echo through the island’s long history: migration and settlement, cultural fusion and conflict, the relationship between indigenous and immigrant populations, and the central role of Buddhism in national identity.
What is certain is that around the middle of the first millennium BCE, Indo-Aryan peoples established themselves in Sri Lanka, bringing with them their language, culture, and social structures. Over time, they mixed with indigenous populations to create the distinctive Sinhala civilization. Whether this process was initiated by a lion-descended prince and 700 exiled companions, or occurred through more gradual migration, the result was the same: the birth of a new people on an ancient island, beginning a story that continues to unfold today.
The legend of Vijaya and Kuveni, with its elements of adventure, romance, betrayal, and nation-building, remains one of the most compelling foundation myths in world history—a story that shaped not just the past, but the present and future of Sri Lanka.