The inscription is engraved on the side of a fixed slab, which stands erect in a bed of brickwork, flanked by two monolithic pillars, within a few yards of the statues near the eastern altar of the Ruvanväli-dāgaba in Anurādhapura. It was discovered in 1874 by Nāranviṭa Thēra. The inscription consists of 35 lines in the Sinhalese alphabet of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. It dates from the reign of Kīrti-Niśśaṅka-Malla (1187-1196 A.D.) and gives a general account of his various philanthropic and religious acts, mostly in Poḷonnaruva, his state visit to Anurāpura in his fourth regnal year, the lavish manner in which he worshipped the Ruvanväli-dāgaba there, and the steps he took to restore the Mīrisaviṭiya and other vihāras.
[Lines 1-10.] The illustrious king, distinguished by [the possession of] a multitude of virtues, liberality, truthfulness, heroism, and the like, His Majesty Niśśaṁka–Malla Kāliṅga Parākrama–Bāhu, who was born in Siṁhapura as a tilaka ornament to the royal dynasty of Kāliṅga Cakravarti, descended from the line of kings of the Okkāka family, brought the Island of Ceylon, his family’s heritage, under one canopy of dominion. And [seeing that] many persons, oppressed by the excessive and illegal punishments inflicted by king Parākrama–Bāhu, the Great, in violation of the customs of former sovereigns, and being [thereby] impoverished, are eking out an existence by robbery, and [reflecting that] these men commit robberies, even at the risk of their lives, through their desire for wealth, he bestowed on them gifts of gold, silver, coins (masuran), pearls, precious stones, clothes, ornaments, and the like—[in fact] whatever [kind of] wealth each one desired, and also cattle, villages, and lands; and granting them security, he made them desist from stealing. He relieved a great number of other people also, each from his own misfortunes, and by similar manifold gifts of diverse kinds he gave them his patronage. Desiring that what he had given should not only be maintained but also be increased, he graciously remitted taxes for several years, and abolished the taxes on chena cultivation in the three kingdoms [of Ceylon] for all time.
[Lines 10-20.] [Expressing the hope] ‘may all live happily in my time without want’ and resolving to mount the scale-pans as no former kings have ever done, His Majesty, together with his own legitimate son Vīra–Bāhu, the heir-apparent, and the chief queen Kāliṅga Subhadrā, three persons in all, wearing the crown and the other royal insignia, mounted the scale-pans and caused great showers of gifts to fall by throwing down in the King’s street unlimited quantity [of wealth], including the seven kinds of jewels and silver tiram. In the three kingdoms he established very many alms-houses under the name of Niśśaṁka and maintained a continuous gift of food. Thus he dispelled all fear of poverty, fear of robbery, and fear of sedition, and brought happiness to all the inhabitants of the Island.
Perceiving that both those who lead impure lives, and those who are disappointed, do not leave the (Buddhist) Church through their greed for gain and through fear of having duties [to perform to Government as laymen], he graciously proclaimed that those who disrobed themselves without defiling the Church would not only have no [such] duties to perform, but also they would receive gold, cloth, iron, food, seed-paddy, cattle, and such other things. Further, [desiring that] there should be no obstacle in the way of the reverend and virtuous monks, His Majesty bestowed much wealth on their relatives, and made an abundant stream of gifts of the ‘four requisites’ to flow [for the benefit of the monks themselves]. Having thus promoted the welfare of the State and the Church, he was residing in Pulastipura.
[Lines 20-29.] Then in the fourth year of his reign he proceeded in royal splendour, surrounded by his fourfold army, to worship the relics at Ruvanväli-dāgaba [in Anurādhapura]. As soon as he came in sight of the dāgaba, he alighted from his chariot and walked on his royal feet to the Ruvanmäli terrace. Then, as if he were sprinkling sand on the terrace, he scattered pearls, and as if he were offering various flowers on a bed of sand, he offered flowers of gold and silver and the seven kinds of gems placed so as to fill up the whole space around. He shut off the [sun’s] rays from the dāgaba by [raising over it] flags of priceless silken cloth; he heaped up heaps of camphor all round with no intervening space and made an offering of their light; and for a week he offered lamps lit with oil such as taliyan oil, scented oil, &c. Likewise he made offerings of the incense of kaḷuväl and sweet-scented flowers, and he purified the whole place from the four kinds of odours and offered forty lacs of masuran (coins). Ordering by beat of drum that no animals should be killed within a radius of seven gav from the city [of Anurādhapura], he gave security to animals. He gave security also to the fish in the twelve great tanks, and bestowing on Kāmbodīn gold and cloth and whatever other kind of wealth they wished, he commanded them not to catch birds and so gave security to birds.
[Having done these acts of mercy], whilst His Majesty was engaged in worshipping the relics with great joy, the people, seeing the Buddhist devas holding converse with him, uttered shouts of joy. He heard the shouts, and from the joyous enthusiasm towards the Buddha, which then arose in him, he remitted to the people of Laṇkā taxes for another year.
[Lines 30-35.] Thereafter he placed in charge Lokē Arakmēnā, who was there present, and offered him also [to the Ruvanväli-dāgaba]. Enjoining on him to restore the Mirisaviṭi and other vihāras, he gave him unlimited wealth and hundreds of yālas of paddy, and thus beautified the city [of Anurādhapura], as it was in former times, like the city of gods.
Seeing the manner [in which these meritorious works were accomplished] and the fact that the protection of the Buddhist devas is likewise vouchsafed to those who with sincere heart have made contributions to these [works], other kings in time to come should also protect and maintain the Vihāras in this city, as well as those who dwell in them, the Church and the State.
[The Sanskrit stanza.] [The people] having seen the reverence paid by [the king], ‘the abode of prosperity’, to the Ratna–caitya (Ruvanväli-dāgaba) in a manner beyond comparison by means of [an outlay of] wealth amounting to full forty lacs, offered in ecstatic raptures many a praise [to him] in his very presence. Then this [king] Niśśaṁka–Malla Śri–Parākrānti–Bāhu, pleased at heart, made Laṅkā taxless for a year.