On the Chronicles of Ceylon

III. Historical Position – 89
The royal line of Vijaya, better of Paṇḍuvāsa, became deflected
when the rulership of the island was seized by Pakuṇḍaka or
Paṇḍuka Abhaya after slaying seven of his maternal uncles, the
younger brothers of king Abhaya, who died after a successful reign
of twenty years. On his paternal side Paṇḍuka Abhaya is represented
as the grandson of the Śākya prince who figured in the island as
Dīghāvu the clever Gāmaṇī. 148 It is interesting to note how the
chroniclers availed themselves of the Indian legend of Devagabbhā,
Nandagopā, Vāsudeva and Kamsa as contained in the Ghata
Jātaka. 149
It is certain that Devānaṁpiya Tissa who was definitely a Ceylon
contemporary of Devānaṁpiya Asoka was preceded by a line of
kings, even if we prefer with Dr. Paranavitana to regard them as
elected leaders and not as properly consecrated rulers. The royal line
which commenced from the reign of Pakuṇḍaka or Paṇḍuka would
seem quite historical. The earlier framework of the political history
of Ceylon is more or less a got up thing. The true significance of the
Dīpavaṁsa name Paṇḍuvāsa is still a matter of speculation. I have
taken it so far to mean the pale-robed one, but it may as well be a
Pali or Prakrit equivalent of Pāṇḍyavarṣa meaning one from the
Pāṇḍya country, i.e. a Pāṇḍya by his nationality. The name Paṇḍuka
is apparently of the same iṁport. According to Megasthenes the
Pāṇḍyas were originally a people who maintained the tradition of a
matriarchal form of society. 150
148 Ibid., X, 8
149 Jātaka, No. 454.
150 McCrindle, Ancient India, p. 150.