The inscription is engraved on the rock wall of a cave situated about 400 feet to the south-west of the stupa in the ruined monastery at Kalupokuṇa or Kaludiyapokuṇa, which lies on the slopes of a range of hills known as Eravalagala, about a mile and a half to the south-east of Kum̆bukkan̆danvaḷa, in the Vagapaṇaha Pallēsiya Pattu of the Mātaḷē District. The text contains sixty-seven lines, divided into five columns of unequal dimensions. It is dated on the fifth day of the bright half of the lunar month Poson in the eighth year of King Sirisaṅgbo. This biruda was used by a number of kings and it is not possible to identify definitively which one is intended here. However, on palaeographic grounds, Senarath Paranavitana suggests that the monarch in question may be Sena II (r. 866–901) or Kassapa IV (r. 912–929), more probably the former.

 

The inscription records the gifts made by different individuals for providing food to the inmates of the Dakiṇigiri monastery. The major part of the record is concerned with the gift of a person named Daḷanā, who invested twenty-three kaḷan̆das of gold for the daily supply of two aḍmanā of rice and one aḍmanā of curd and who stipulated that, in the event of dissension among the inmates of the of the monastery, the food intended for them should be thrown to crows and dogs. Evidently, Daḷanā was of opinion that if the members of the saṅgha quarrelled amongst themselves, they were less worthy of the offerings of the pious than such animals.

Epigraphia Zeylanica
Paranavitana, S. (1928-33). ‘No. 27. Kaludiyapokuṇa Inscriptions,’ Epigraphia Zeylanica 3, pp. 259–260.

[Lines A 1–18] On the fifth day of the waxing moon of [the month of] Poson in the twelfth [year] of His Majesty Sirisaṅgboy, I, Daḷanā, gave twenty-three kaḷandas of gold for ‘ticket-meals’ to the great community of monks at the Dakiṇigiri monastery so that meals cooked of two aḍmana of rice from Mahabundna and one aḍmanā of curd from Mutpanin pere bundna shall continue to be supplied till the sun and moon last.

 

[Lines A 18–B 14] Raw rice shall not be given; but meals shall be given having had (the same) cooked in the kitchen. If there be any dissension in the monastery, this food shall be thrown to crows and dogs. Any one who shall discontinue this [charity] may not be able to raise his hands [in adoration] even if the Perfect Buddha, the Great Mete, were to pass by [his] door. I, Daḷanā, gave these meals (as stated above).

 

[Lines B 15–E 5] I, , too, having acquiesced in this matter, gave one meal. And one ‘ticket meal’ [was given] by Koṭgam Sīsen Vathimi who acquiesced in this matter. And one meal [was given] by Kaḷi Māḍabi who acquiesced in this matter. And one meal [was given] by Sumeyur Vathimi who acquiesced in this matter. And one meal [was given] by Kalaväli Udahi. And one ticket meal [was given] by the mother of Vadurā Araksamaṇa. And one meal [was given] by Ädur Vathimi who acquiesced in this matter.

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