GothakÄbhaya
1. GothakÄbhaya, GothÄbhaya.- A king of the Rohaṇa dynasty; son of YatthÄlayakatissa and father of KÄkavaṇṇatissa (Mhv.xv.170; xxii.11). He is sometimes called Abhaya. e.g., Mhv.xxiii.10, 56.
2. GothakÄbhaya.- King of Sri Lanka (302-15 A.C.). He was a Lambakaṇṇa of Mahiyaá¹…gana, and having gone to AnurÄdhapura with Saá¹…ghatissa and Saá¹…ghabodhi, he, with their help, slew the reigning king, Vijaya, and they reigned in succession (Mhv.xxxvi.58). GothakÄbhaya became Saá¹…ghabodhi’s treasurer but, seeing the king’s weakness, he led a rebellion against him and captured the throne (vv.91, 98-117; for details see Saá¹…ghabodhi). In addition to other religious works, he built the MeghavaṇṇÄbhaya-VihÄra. He banished from Abhayagiri sixty monks who had accepted the Vetulla heresy, but a Cola monk, Saá¹…ghamitta, defeated in discussion the thera GothÄbhaya, the king’s uncle, and became the king’s favourite, obtaining the position of tutor to the king’s two sons, Jetthatissa and MahÄsena. The king was also known as MeghavaṇṇÄbhaya (v.98).
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