The inscription is written on two granite slabs, which stand near the old refectory, also called Bhōjana-sālā, on the left of the third set of steps (on four) on the western slope of the hill at Mihintale. The inscription is divided equally between the two slabs, each one bearing 58 lines of Sinhalese prose. They were installed by the king Mahinda IV (975-91 A.D.) and record rules and regulations for the administration of the monastery (the name of the monastery is not mentioned) and payments made to the service staff.
Slab A.
[Lines 1-5] On the 10th day of the waxing moon, in the [lunar] month of Vap, in the sixteenth year after the elevation of his regal canopy, the great king Siri San̆gboy Abahay, who was born unto the great king Abahay Salamevan, an eminent Kṣtriya, being descended from the royal line of the Okkāka dynasty, which is the pinnacle of the illustrious Kṣatriya race, having been conceived in the womb of the anointed queen Dev Gon of equal birth in the same [Kṣatriya] race—who enjoyed the dignities of Governor and Chief Governor, and who, having in due course become king, has been illumining the Island of Laṅkā with his majestic effulgence—convened an assembly of the great community of monks resident in Sey-giri-vehera and Abahay-giri-vehera.
[LI. 5-9] [At this assembly, His Majesty] conferred with competent persons as to the expediency of selecting such of the [monastic] rules as pleased him out of those [in force] at his own Abahay-giri-vehera and out of those formerly instituted at Sey-giri-vehera by his brother, the master of religious ceremonies, and of establishing the same at this vihāra also.
[Thus] in respect of the great community of monks living in this vihāra, as well as in respect of the employés, the serfs, [their respective] duties, and the receipts and disbursements. His Majesty passed these [following] regulations, rendering them explicit by means of comments.
[LI. 9-15] The monks residing in this vihāra shall rise at the time of early dawn and shall meditate on the four protective formulas, and having finished cleansing the teeth, shall put on and cover themselves with their [yellow] robes as prescribed in the Sikakaraṇī. They shall [then] go to the ‘check-room’ of Ät-vehera, and exercising a spirit of benevolence and reciting paritta formulas shall descend [into the refectory] and receive gruel and
boiled rice.
To the monks who are unable to attend the ‘check-room’ through illness, shall be granted a vasag each, when recommended by the physicians.
To the monks who reside in this vihāra and read the Vinaya-piṭaka, shall be assigned five vasag of food and raiment; to the monks who read the Sutta–piṭaka, seven vasag; and to the monks who read the Abhidhammapiṭaka, twelve vasag.
The necessaries [of life] assigned to monks by lay patrons’ after due calculation shall be given without causing any omission thereof.
[LI. 15-20] Those that reside permanently and grant the necessary things [for the maintenance of monks] here, shall enjoy the lands and villages attached to all the āvāsa [monks’ residences] connected with this vihāra, but they shall not enjoy the same conjointly with the āvāsa so attached.
Orders shall be issued to employés and employés shall be dismissed only by the monks in council; no orders shall be issued or any servant be dismissed by individuals acting alone.
The monks residing in this vihāra shall by no means possess the fields, orchards, &c., in any place belonging to Ät-vehera.
They shall not allow their dependants to exercise supremacy over any place connected with Ät-vehera.
Monks that infringe these regulations shall not live in this vihāra.
[LI. 20-25] The monk who looks after the Nakā, the lay warden of the vihāra, the administrator of rules, the steward, the almoner, the clerk of the vihāra, the registrar of caskets, including the keeper of caskets—all these persons shall hold sessions in the Ät–vehera in company with the monks from the two fraternities at Abhayagiri, who have come to assist [them in their deliberations]. They shall then fix places of business and shall attend to duties connected with receipts and disbursements, &c., both inside and outside [the vihāra].
For the purpose of compensating for whatever may be destroyed by those engaged in matters relating to receipts and disbursements, both inside and outside [the vihāra], security shall be taken from suitable householders and be deposited at the [respective] places of business.
If any of the dependants of the monks of this vihāra are appointed, they shall not be retained in service but be dismissed. Employés shall be dismissed after recovery of what has been entered [in their name] in the register.
[LI. 25-30] Caskets furnished with locks shall be deposited in the ‘relic-house’ in the presence of the officials of the ‘relic-house,’ with the seal of the officials at the place of business duly stamped on them.
Apart from the case of any one of the officials of this vihāra going, not far, on vihāra service, there shall [always] be in attendance not less than three persons from amongst those employed at [each of the following places, namely] the pay-office, the place where raw rice is received, and at the place where, in the forenoon, boiled rice and gruel are accepted [by monks].
Nothing whatever belonging to the ‘relic-house’ of Ät-vehera shall be lent out, or be purchased if offered for sale by the officials.
[LI. 30-33] The officials shall not exact services for themselves from the men engaged for [vihāra] service; nor shall such men be allowed out on other service in the neighbourhood.
The officials at Ät-vehera shall look after the payala [of land] granted from Damgamiya for the purpose of [executing] repairs at Katu–maha-sǟya and [with the income thereof] shall cause the works of the [said] dāgäba to be renovated.
They shall cause the taking care of Kiribaṇ̆ḍ-pavu dāgäba by granting the two kiriya [of land] set apart for the purpose from Äḷ-gamiya.
[LI. 33-37] The ‘relic-house,’ the house containing the auspicious colossal stone-image [of the Buddha], the house at the great Bōdhi-tree, [the shrine] Nayinda, the house of the goddess Miṇināl, the [afore-mentioned] Katumaha–sǟya, the Kiribaṇ̆ḍ-pavu dāgäba and the dāgäbas on the upper rock and and on the lower rock belonging to Ät-vehera:—the offerings made at all these places, as well as 100 kaḷan̆d [weight] of gold and 10 yahala of
paddy from Ät-vehera—all these shall be utilized and [by means of them] the repairs at the dāgäbas and at all other places within [the precincts of] this vihāra shall be executed every year.
[LI. 37-41] The share [due] out of the fines ge-daṇ̆ḍ and ko-daṇ̆ḍ [levied] on dummalassamun in the villages Gutǟ and Karandǟ belonging [respectively] to the ‘relic-house’ and to the ‘image-house,’ as well as the wages of those [servants] who are refractory shall be appropriated by the vihāira.
One-third of [the produce of] trees and plants on Kiribaṇ̆ḍ-pavu, the house rent of the san̆g-välla here, the tank Manuvǟssara, the two tanks in the upper-side and in the lower-side of Ḷahiṇiya-pavu (the Swallow-rock) together with the san̆g-välla thereof, the land around the pond Pahanǟ-vil and the land around the pond Porodenī-pokuṇa—the income derived from all these places shall be appropriated by the vihāra.
[LI. 41-45] From the householders who live on the vihāra lands, ground rent shall be levied in a fitting manner on behalf of the vihāra, but not from the vihāra serfs and employés.
Those who having put on yellow [robes] commit acts inconsistent with the dress they have assumed—acts such as buying, selling, &c., taking away animal life, shall not be permitted to dwell around the mount.
The property of well-conducted serfs shall not be appropriated by the employés except for the [use of the] vihāra.
All the villages and lands belonging to this vihāra shall be administered upon deeds of lease, but no [absolute] transfers [of the same] shall be executed.
Excepting the three days ‘service by turn’ no other ‘service by turn’ such as [that at] upōsatha festival shall be exacted.
[LI. 45-50] Unless it be a property given as ‘a living’ to the employés and the serfs of the vihāra, no paddy fields, orchards, &c., in any place belonging to Ät-vehera shall be held by them on mortgages or as gifts or on leases.
Officials who have gone out on vihāra service shall not receive means of subsistence from the inhabitants of the country, except the contribution of raw rice given by the cultivators in accordance with former custom.
They shall not accept presents from tenants, nor shall the officials take yokes of oxen from these [tenants] and have their own fields cultivated.
The leasehold fields which are held by cultivators in hereditary succession shall not be taken away unless they are not so held.
No trespass shall be committed on the gardens and thereby injustice be done.
Trees and shrubs shall not be cut down.
[LI. 50-54] In none of the villages and lands belonging to this vihara shall talipot, mī, and other fruit-bearing trees be allowed to be felled except by permission and consent of [the officials at] the place of business.
If any fault be committed by tenants, a fine shall be assessed according to village custom, and in lieu of the assessed fine, they shall be made to perform tank-work by undertaking portions [of work] 16 cubits in circumference and one cubit in depth at the side of Minä [tank]. If this be not done, the assessed fine shall be levied.
Except that which is given as means of subsistence for the collectors of revenue of the villages and lands belonging to this vihāra, all [other] affairs transacted bona fide with the concurrence of [officials at] all the respective places of business shall be entered in the register.
[LI. 54-58] Whatever is spent daily on the maintenance of the Maha–pā, on revenue-collectors and on the renovation of works shall be entered in the register. [From the particulars contained therein] a statement of accounts shall be made with the concurrence of [those at the respective] places of business, and such entries as are found false shall be expunged from the account. The sheet of accounts shall [then] be placed in a casket under lock [and key]. Every month the sheets of accounts [so deposited] shall be made public, and a [fresh] statement of accounts be prepared from them. From the twelve statements of accounts [so made] during the year, there shall be compiled a balance sheet at the end of [each] year, which shall be read out in the midst of the community of monks and be [thus finally] disposed of. The employés who infringe these rules shall be made to pay ge–daṇḍ fines and be dismissed from the service.
Slab B.
[LI. 1-3] To the monk who looks after the Nakā, [there shall be assigned] daily one näḷiya of raw rice; for [expenses of] the opening ceremony of the vassa season, one kaḷan̆da and four aka [weight] of gold; for the closing festival of the vassa season, a similar quantity; to an administrator of [monastic] regulations, five kiriya [of land] for maintenance, as well as one näḷiya of raw rice daily; for cost of whitewashing and of flowers, fifteen kaḷan̆d [of gold] yearly.
[LI. 3-6] The steward, the clerk of the vihāra, the registrar of caskets, the keeper of caskets, the almoner—to each of these [shall be assigned] five kiriya [of land]; to the lay warden one kiriya and two paya [of land] together with two aḍmanā of raw rice [daily]; to the one who makes his rounds [as a watchman], two paya [of land] and one aḍmanā of raw rice [daily]; to the master of festivals, one kiriya [of land] and a vasag from Damiya.
[LI. 7-15] For cost of whitewashing and flowers [shall be given] three kaḷan̆d and two aka [of gold] a year; to a servant that attends to the rearing of calves one kiriya [of land] and a vasag from Damiya; for cloths [used] for the merry festival of the great Bōdhi-tree, one kaḷan̆da [of gold]; to a [supplier of] earthen alms-bowls, one paya [of land] and [daily] two pata of raw rice; to one who arranges outside affairs and to a servant that attends to matters arising in [connexion with] the royal house—to each of these, one kiriya and two paya [of land] together with two aḍmanā of raw rice [daily]; to an oḷ-kämiya, two paya [of land] and one aḍmanā and two pata of raw rice [daily]; to a pereväḷiya of the Piyangal [monastery], two paya [of land] and a vasag from Damiya; for [cost of] cloths used at the Ruvanasun festival of the great Bōdhi-tree, one kaḷan̆da [of gold]; to a pereväḷiya of the
[Salamevan-]Pavu [monastery], two paya [of land] and a vasag from Damiya; to the head painter, two paya [of land] and one aḍmanā and one pata of raw rice [daily]; to each of the eleven painters, two paya [of land] and a vasag from Damiya; to each of the four servants of the paymaster, one aḍmanā of raw rice [daily] and two paya [of land] for life.
[LI. 15-16] The servants who accept the robes received by each one of the community of monks in this vihāra, that accepts robes at the close of the Vassa season, shall divide the same among themselves.
[LI. 16-25] To each of the two atsam of the vihāra [there shall be granted] two paya [of land] with one aḍmanā and one pata of raw rice [daily]; to the head caretaker of the granary, two paya [of land] with one aḍmanā and two pata of raw rice [daily]; to a caretaker of the granary, two paya [of land] with one aḍmanā of raw rice [daily]; to a jeṭ-mava, one paya [of land] with one aḍmanā and two pata of raw rice [daily]; to the warder of the refectory, one paya [of land] with one aḍmanā and two pata of raw rice [daily]; to one who issues orders to mīṇ̆ḍi, two paya [of land]; to each of the twenty-four hired mīṇ̆ḍi servants, one paya [of land] and yearly one kaḷan̆da [of gold] for cloths; to a servant that attends to affairs arising in the san̆g-välla, one kiriya [of land] and one aḍmanā of raw rice [daily]; to each of the twelve servants that do the cooking, one kiriya and two paya [of land] from the village Taḷola–gama; to the head of these servants, one aḍmanā and one pata of rice [daily in addition]; to a servant who procures firewood and cooks food, three aḍmanā of rice [daily]; to a servant who brings firewood but does not cook, and to a servant who goes on errands, two aḍmanā of rice each [daily]; to a servant who [only] cooks on firewood fetched [by others], one aḍmanā of rice.
[LI. 26-30] To the chief of the thatchers of the monastery [shall be assigned] two paya [of land] with one aḍmanā and one pata of rice [daily]; to each of the eleven thatchers of the monastery, two paya [of land] and one aḍmanā of rice [daily]; to each of the five potters who supply daily five earthen pots (yalā), one kiriya [of land]; to an alms-bowl-maker who supplies every month ten alms-bowls and ten water-pots, two kiriya [of land] and two aḍmanā of rice [daily]; to one who supplies a water-strainer every month, one kiriya and two paya [of land].
[LI. 30-35] To a physician [shall be assigned] a niya-päliyā from Detisǟseṇa and a vasag from Damiya; to a physician who applies leeches, two paya [of land] and a vasag from Damiya; to a maṇ̆ḍovuva, one kiriya and two paya [of land] and a vasag from Damiya; to an astrologer, two kiriya [of land] and a vasag from Damiya; to a barber, one kiriya [of land] and a vasag from Damiya; to the keeper of the ‘relic-house,’ the chief of the retinue [of attendants], the registrar of shrines, the three superintendents of service by turns—to these [servants], the village Karandǟgama for their maintenance; to those dum-mal-assam who serve by turns, four vasag from Damiya; for wicks and oil [used for lights] in the ‘relic-house,’ one payala [of land] from this village [Karandǟgama].
[LI. 35-41] To the two florists who place white [lotus] flowers in the ‘relic-house’ [shall be assigned] two kiriya [of land] from this village [Karandǟgama] and a vasag each from Damiya; to a keeper of blue water-lilies who supplies flowers at the rate of 120 a month, two kiriya [of land] from Sapugamiya; to a painter, two kiriya; to the district headman who takes care of the ‘relic-house,’ one naḷiya of rice [daily]; to six dum-mal-assam of the temple containing the colossal statue of the Buddha, to the devotee who preaches the Buddhist doctrine, to the devotee who is a teacher, and to six [other] devotees—to [all] these, the village Gutǟgama; to the florist of the temple containing the colossal statue of the Buddha, two paya [of land] from this village and a vasag from Damiya; to the dum-mal-assam of this village, two vasag from Damiya.
[LI. 41-45] To a pūṇā-kämiya of the temple of the auspicious colossal stone-statue [of the Buddha] and to one who officiates [there]—to each of them [shall be assigned] two paya [of land] with one aḍmanā and two pata of rice [daily]; to an official at the place of business [who provides] a cup in which to take oil for the unction of [the statue of] the Buddha in the
‘relic-house,’ and an unbleached cloth for filtering water and the same [articles] for the image-house also, [there shall be granted] one kiriya and two paya [of land] with two aḍmanā of rice [daily]; to the chief master-artisan, all that belongs to the guild of artisans at Boṇ̆ḍ-vehera; to two master-artisans, to eight carvers and to two brick-layers—to [all of] these, the village Vaḍu-devǟgama.
[LI. 46-50] To each of the two workers in wood [shall be assigned] one kiriya [of land]; to each of the two master-lapidaries, three kiriya [of land]; to each of the two blacksmiths, one kiriya [of land]; to the limeburners, the village Sunuboḷ-devǟgama; to the six cartmen, the village Dunumugama; to the overseer of ‘workers by the piece’ in the reparation of works, one kiriya [of land] with one aḍmanā and one pata of rice [daily]; to the twelve ‘workers by the piece,’ one aḍmanā of rice each [daily] with two paya [of land] for maintenance.
[LI. 50-54] To each of the three warders of the dāgäbas Navaguṇa-maha-sǟya, Näṭeviya-maha-sǟya, and Ambulu–dāgäba, [respectively shall be assigned] two paya [of land]; to each of those who sweep, go repeatedly round and take care of the dāgäbas, &c. which belong to Ät-vehera [and are] on the upper and on the lower rock of this vihāra shall be granted one vasag from Damiya; to the men who perform service in the ‘relic-house,’ in the ‘image-house’ and in the refectory, as well as to the two laundrymen who wash clothes, yellow robes for covering the body with, and head-vestments—to [all] these [servants], three kiriya [of land] in the village Man̆guläva.
[LI. 54-58] The roads, high-roads, the hired labourers, and the melāṭsī in all the villages and lands belonging to this vihāra shall be taken over as the sole property of this very vihāra. Neither wayfarers nor tramps shall commit trespass. In all the places irrigated by the water of the Kaṇä-väva tank, the distribution of water shall be utilized for this vihāra only, in accordance with ancient customs in vogue formerly during the Tamil period [of rule]. No villages or lands belonging to this vihāra shall in any manner be mortgaged or gifted away. The money of [i.e. paid by] those who have acquired [lands] shall be forfeited and be held by the vihāra itself; while those who transferred [the lands] shall be banished to a foreign country.
By Order, these regulations were thus established and they shall be observed without transgression.