THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
330
temple, a broad road, overshadowed by cocoanut trees, leads to a group of plain stone pillars near the sea-shore ; but from these my attention was attract ed by a single pillar, situated on a low rocky point, over which the sea breaks amidst hewn stones, the remains of some ancient building.
If Rāma's expedition and conquest of Lanka ex isted in any form, or had any foundation more material than a poet's fancy, this lone pillar may be considered as an index which has resisted the waste
of ages, and now battles with the waves of ocean to maintain its position, and mark the utmost limit which remains of Vishnu's conquest and religion.
The pillar is of a form alternately octagonal and square, and exactly resembles columns” that are to be seen on the sacred promontory of Trinkomali. Near the temple of Vishnu stand a Buddhist
wihara and dagoba ; and a quarter of a mile farther inland is situated a stone building called Galgana,
consisting of two rooms; the roof as well as the walls are of the hewn stone, and exhibit excellent specimens of masonry. On the top there appears formerly to have been a dāgoba ; but the ruin is now covered with shrubs and creeping plants that find root in the interstices of the building. These remains of Buddhism were completed or restored in the reign of Dapuloo the Second, A.D. 686. A stone, which had been rescued from the rubbish near one of the ruins, was pointed out to me at the house of my friend, Mr. B , the collector of the district, with whom I was residing. It owes its preservation and present place of safety to Mrs. B—, to whom I am indebted for much informa tion regarding the antiquities in this part of the island. In the inscription on this slab I recognised the name and sounding titles of the King Prākrama Bahu, a zealous restorer of religious buildings, and a most persevering recorder of his own virtues and power : he reigned from A.D. 1153 to 1186.
On an upright stone, near the temple of Vishnu, is cut an inscription in the ancient Cingalese cha racter: although considerably decayed, by persever ance it might probably be deciphered.
The inscription on the latter stone I have succeeded in completely deciphering with the exception of one linet and the one engraved on the front and two sides of the former I would transliterate thus— -
Śrī.
[Nov. 1, 1872.
minisu
10 warusha tinen
lautan
Bhūmi-mahā-wihārayata mp at sé
era tun bo ranata gaprayojana tu etikala da pol waekkote ttayi pilima geta Nila sela gas 200yi Dew rasiya yu juru-sāmintat
mehi
warddhanakalawunta ta
tu
mok
sa
dhiyayutu megas pra yojana wi ndinawun matumatu
pela
i
yi me lese mekun- nduwa which written continuously is “ Siri Sanga Bo Sri Parākrama Båhu Chakrawartti swamin wahanseta 10 warusha tinen Bhūmi-mahā-wihā
rayata era tun-bo ranata gatu etikala da pol wat tayi pilima-geta gas 200 (desiyayi) Dew-rajuru sāmintat warrddhana-kalawanta tayi me lese mekunge paramparāwen pawat wi saga mok sampat sédhiya yutu. Me gas prayojana win dinawun matu matu pela induwa yutuyi minisu (? minissu) lautan mehi prayojana ekkote Nila selasiya yutu.” The words in italics are doubtful and give no sense: (and though unfortunately the gramma tical construction is not clear without them) yet their being so scarcely impairs the value of the inscription whose importance lies in the name of the king, the name of the god, and the numerals used.
I would translate:—
“In the tenth year of the overlord (Chakrawarti) siri Sanga Bo Sri Parākrama Bāhu ... near to the Bhūmi-mahā wibära and
COCOanut
tope to the image house, and 200 cocoanut trees to the lord Déwa Rāja (Vishnu). Let those who increase these gifts, and maintain their unbroken succession obtain the bliss of release in heaven (swarga moksha-sampatti). Those who enjoy the fruit (prayojana) of these trees ought from time to time to plant seedlings. People who pick up the fruits ought to present them to Nila (Vishnu).”
First as to the name of the king: Sanga-Bo (for Bodhi) and Parākrama Båhu (for Bhoja) are both common epithets of Ceylon kings. The first came into use after the martyrdom, 248 A.D. of the first king and Buddhist devotee of that name, and nine kings are given by Turnour with the name of Parākrama Båhu: but no king is given with the name mentioned in the text.
Siri sanga
ge
para
Forbes states that the temples were com
Bo Sri Parākrama Bāhu chakrawartti swä-
mparãwe n pawat
min wahanseta
wi
saga
pleted or restored by Dāpulu the second A. D. 686, and Tennentt has copied the statement, but I find nothing to support this in the books. The
- There is only one column, on which is an inscription.—
published in July 1871. [See Ind. Antiquary, p. 59.-Ed.]
yutuyi T. W. R. D.
- It is published with text translation and notes in the
last number of the Ceylon Asiatic Society; and the fac simile will be found in the Proceedings of the C. A. S.
Note p. 113 loc. citat.
§ Turnour gives in his list two kings under the name of The second one began to reign 686 and the other
º 793 A.
