The inscription is engraved around four sides of the smoothed upper surface of a stone seat (āsana). It was found outside the ruin of king Niśśaṇka-Malla’s Council Chamber on the promontory overlooking the Tōpa-väva tank in Poḷonnaruva. Consisting of eight lines and dating from the reign of Niśśaṅka-Malla (1187-1196 A.D.), the inscription begins with a panegyrical account of the king’s munificence and some of his acts. This account is similar to that given in Niśśaṅka-Malla’s Dambulla inscription (IN03032) and in the Häṭa-dā-gē Portico slab (IN03078). The inscription then proceeds to state that the ‘lion-seat’ is the one on which His Majesty sat whenever he witnessed the musical performances in the Kāliṅga Park. It also asserts that the stone itself was brought for this purpose from Eṇ̆ḍera-galla, which Wickremasinghe identifies with the village Eṇ̆ḍēru-gala (7.915035, 80.679343), situated about five miles west of the famous rock-fortress Sīgiri and half a mile from Inamalawa on the Dambulla-Trincomalee high road. The exact locality of the Kāliṅga Park, mentioned in this inscription and reputedly formed by Niśśaṅka-Malla, is uncertain. However, if the original site of the present ‘lion-seat’ was somewhere near the spot outside the ruin of the ‘Council Chamber’ where it was unearthed, then the Park must have occupied open ground on the eastern side of the structure.
Hail! Prosperity! His Majesty Siri–San̆gabo Vīra–rāja Niśśaṅka–Malla Aprati–Malla Kālin̆ga–Cakravartin–vahanse freed the whole Island of Laṅkā from the thorns of disorder, and restored peace to living beings. By remitting taxation for five years, by giving away five tulābhāras every year, and by bestowing titles, [divel-]lands, serfs, cattle, permanent grants, heritages, gold and gems, clothes and ornaments, and such other wealth in abundance, he relieved the people of Laṅkā who had been distressed by the inordinate exactions of former kings. He abolished for all times the taxes on chēna cultivation, and gave security to living beings in forests and in great tanks. In his own country and in other lands he established many alms-houses and maintained the giving of abundant alms. He toured through the three kingdoms [of Ceylon], and having visited all places difficult of access owing to water, mountains, forests or marshes, he inspected the whole land.
With the object that perpetual grants made to those who have performed loyal services to kings might not be made impermanent, like lines drawn on water, by being written on [palm] leaves which white ants and mice [as a rule] eat up; but in order that they might last a long time in the family lines of the donees, and that the donees’ names as well as those of the kings who made the grants might remain for five thousand years, His Majesty introduced copper-plate grants into Laṅkā. And he made many [such] grants to those who rendered loyal service.
Having [thus] promoted the interests of the Church and the State, he, longing for war, proceeded to Dambadiva, surrounded by his fourfold army. There having in vain sought single combats and army contests, but seeing the presents consisting of ‘golden fingers’ and royal maidens sent by the Cōḍa and the Pāṇḍya kings with their supplications, he raised columns of victory and returned to Ceylon, where he is now ruling in accordance with the ten principles of regal duty. And this ‘lion-seat’ does His Majesty occupy for the purpose of [witnessing] artistic performances, such as dancing, singing, &c., in the Kāliṅga Park. His Majesty was pleased to have this stone brought from Eṇ̆ḍeragalla.