The inscription is engraved on the front wall of the vestibule or pro-naos of the so-called Häṭa-dā-gē, ‘the Shrine of Sixty Relics’, at Poḷonnaruva. It was discovered by S. M. Burrows in 1885, along with another inscription inside the shrine (IN03080) and one in the adjoining portico (IN03078). The inscription dates from the reign of Kīrti-Niśśaṅka-Malla (1187-1196 A.D.), whom it refers to as Siṁhapureśvara Laṁk󠅛eśvara Kāliṅga-Cakravartī. The text consists of 17 lines engraved within a double border featuring a band of haṁsas (swans) and another of foliate ornament. It describes some of Niśśaṅka-Malla’s administrative and charitable acts.

Epigraphia Zeylanica
Wickremasinghe, Don Martino de Zilva. (1912-27). ‘No. 15. Poḷonnaruva: Häṭa-dā-gē Vestibule Wall-Inscription,’ Epigraphia Zeylanica 2, pp. 95-96.

[Lines 1-4.] Hail! His Illustrious Majesty Siṁhapureśvara Laṅkeśvara KāliṅgaCakravartī, from the second year of his accession to the sovereignty, toured round Laṅkā, thoroughly inspecting, like a nelli fruit on the palm [of his hand], villages, market towns, capital towns, and many other localities of note, as well as those places difficult of access either on account of water, marshes, forests or mountains such as Samanoḷa (Adam’s Peak). And he freed the kingdom from the thorns of lawlessness so thoroughly, that a woman might even carry a casket filled with the nine [kinds of] gems and not be asked, ‘What is it?’ Thus did he keep [Laṅkā] in a peaceful state.

 

[Lines 4-9.] Thereafter having beheld a palace which had been erected in the capital formerly in seven years and seven months, and thinking ‘it befits us to sit only in a palace built by a king like ourselves’, he erected within forty-five days a palace of seven storeys. He built also a magnificent maṇḍapa (pavilion) from which to watch fights, and he watched the elephant-fights (from it). Including the strong . . . . hall, he erected three thrones and furnished them with gates, ramparts, &c. He built of stone three maṇḍapas (pavilions) so that they might last a long time, and formed the Kāliṅga Park like another Veḷuvana. He got him queens from various countries, such as Kāliṅga, Vengi, Karṇāṭa, Gurjara, &c., and building for them separate palaces of various kinds within the premises of the harem gave them much wealth.

 

[Lines 9-17.] In the three kingdoms he erected palaces and almshouses at several places; to numberless beggars he gave much treasure, such as gold, gems, silver vessels, &c., and at different places he formed parks and built of stone thrones (naming them) Vīrasiṁhāsana. He suppressed various administrative injustices. In the course of thus inspecting the three kingdoms in various ways he fixed [the distance of] a gavu and calling it a Niśśaṅkagavu, he caused inscribed mile-posts to be set up [each in its place]. Thereafter His Majesty together with Queen Kāliṅga Subhadrā, the sub-queen Kalyāṇa, the sub-king [ViraBāhu], the minister VikramaBāhu, Queen Candrā, and Their Highnesses Pārvatī and SarvāṅgaSundarī—eight persons in all, ascended the scale-pan and in this manner made annual donations [of their weight of wealth]. To the inhabitants of Laṅkā who were impoverished by the inordinate taxes collected in former times, he gave gold, gems, silver vessels, and such other wealth in abundance. He abolished for all time the tax on lands cultivated by clearing the jungle as this is a hard means of livelihood, as well as the pisamburu-vatu . . . . . . . . . . from great tanks.

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