The inscription is engraved on a pillar which was found lying by the side of the pin-pāra, the village-road of Äṭavīragollǟva, about eleven miles from Madawacci in Kaḍawat Kōrale. It was first read by Dr. Goldschmidt and then by Dr. Müller, who published a rough transcript, with a translation of the first side only, in 1883. The Archaeological Commissioner, H. C. P. Bell, re-examined it in 1890. Engraved on four sides of a quadrangular pillar, the inscription is written in the Sinhalese alphabet of the 10th century A.D. The stone is split at the top, resulting in the obliteration of several lines of the inscription on the first and fourth sides of the pillar. The inscription is dated to the tenth year of the reign of king Abhā Salamevan and records a grant of immunities to the village Velangama belonging to the Sirisan̆gbo-rad-pirivena (possibly the Sirisaṅghabōdhi-parivēṇa built by Aggabōdhi I in the 7th century A.D.). From the inscription, we also learn that Abhā Salamevan was the son of the king Abhā Siri Saňg-bo, who ransacked the Pāṇḍya country and obtained a victory in the ninth year of his reign. Here, the biruda Abhā Siri San̆g-bo refers to Sēna II, whose son was Kassapa IV. However, Wickremasinghe identifies the Abhā Salamevan in this inscription with Dappula V, a grandson of Sēna II. Either Wickremasinghe is mistaken in this identification or the inscription should read ‘grandson’ instead of ‘son’.

Epigraphia Zeylanica
Wickremasinghe, Don Martino de Zilva. (1912-27). ‘No. 9. Äṭavīragollǟva Pillar-Inscription,’ Epigraphia Zeylanica 2, pp. 48-49.

. . . . . . in the tenth year since the elevation of the canopy of dominion by His Majesty Abhā Salamevan, son of the great king who obtained victory by ransacking the Pāṇ̆ḍya country in the ninth year after the raising of the canopy of dominion [by him, to wit] the great king Abhā Siri San̆gbo, lord, by hereditary succession of kings, of the Island of Laṅkā, descended from the line of kings of the Okkāka dynasty . . . . . .

 

Whereas it was decreed by the Supreme Council that a pillar of Council Warranty should be set up in the village Velangama attached to the Sirisan̆gboradpirivena of Denā-vehera, [and situated] in the district . . . ., we all of us together, namely, Mekāppar Tambu[ruga]mu Kitim of [the family of] Mekāppar-Vädǟrum Talā Aräk[ ]dǟrum, Ki(lin̆g-)bo Sa(ki)m of [the family of] Mekāppar Ti .. [ve]herä Sin̆gim .. .. , and Kuṇ̆ḍasalā (Sin̆gim) of the family of the Chief Secretary (Vaṭarak) Kasbāraksamaṇa, have come by Order of the Supreme Council [to grant the following immunities to this village]:—

 

Tramps, vagrants, coolies, melātsī, and servants of the royal family shall not enter this village; ulavāḍu and perenāṭṭiyam shall not enter; district headmen and keepers of district records shall not enter; the managers of two places of business shall not enter; aräkkan and peraläkkan shall not enter; officers of bowmen shall not enter; enforcers of customary laws, däli-gattan and (ya)mun̆guru(ga)tuvan shall not enter; milch cows and village oxen shall not be appropriated; carts, buffaloes, labourers, or rice belonging to labourers shall not be appropriated; tundise . . . . . . shall not enter . . . . . .

 

And we all of us [have set up] this pillar of Council Warranty, and [thus] instituting these rules, granted these Council immunities.

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