Siddham. The Asian Inscription Database | IN03145 Velmilla Slab Inscription of Sena III

The inscription is engraved on all four faces of an irregularly shaped stone slab, which was discovered in April 1931 in a garden called Baṭatum̆bagahavatta in the village of Velmilla (Welmilla) in the Rayigam Kōraḷē of the Kalutara District. According to local tradition, the villagers long ago dug a large pit near the stone in the hope of finding buried treasure. Finding none, they buried the stone in the pit, where it remained until it was brought to the surface in the 1920s. The slab was broken in two before it was buried and it has since been further mutilated into four unequal parts, one of which is now missing. After visiting the village, Senarath Paranavitana felt that the inscription was of exceptional interest and had it removed to the Colombo Museum in order to preserve it from further damage.

The inscription is dated in the eighth year of king Mahasen Abhā (Mahāsena Abhaya) who, on palaeographic grounds, must be one of the three Senas who flourished in the tenth century. The regnal year precludes Sena IV, whose reign lasted for only three years, and the mention of the heir-apparent Udā (Udaya), son of Sirisaṅgboyi Kasub (Kassapa), rules out Sena V as, although named Udaya, the heir-apparent during his reign was a son of Mahinda IV. By process of elimination, the inscription may therefore by attributed to Sena III, whose reign according to the chronicles extended for nine years and whose mahapā (heir-apparent) was a prince named Udaya. The chronicles do not record this prince’s parentage but the present inscription suggests that his father was Kassapa IV, who was known by the title of Sirisaṅgbo and whose reign was close to that of Udaya III.

The purpose of the inscription was to grant the usual type of immunities to a pamuṇu land situated in Aruṅgam-peḷavaga and belonging to a person whose name is not completely preserved. It may of interest to note that there is a village called Aruggoḍa about four miles from the site where this inscription was found, which may be related to the place called Aruṅgam-peḷavaga in the record.

Diplomatic Edition
Critical Edition

Side A

[line 1] Siribar-kät-

[line 2] kulaṭ talāṭi-

[line 3] -k Okāvas-

[line 4] rada-parapuren ba-

[line 5] -ṭ ag-biso-

[line 6] -v-mundnen ve-

[line 7] -ses vū Mahase-

[line 8] -n Abhā maharad-

[line 9] -hu sat läṅgu -a-

[line 10] -ṭvana havuruduyehi

[line 11] Navāmas sand-hi

[line 12] pun-mas-hi dasa-[pa]-

[line 13] -k-davas Pahaṇ-

[line 14] bhunu-danaviyehi

[line 15] (ā)vu Aruṅgam-[p]e-

[line 16] -[ḷava]ga āvu (So)mi-

[line 17] .. .. ṇa-Kital-nā-

[line 18] .. .. (nda)nu pamaṇu-

Side B

[line 1] -(vaṭ)

[line 2] [Sirisa]-

[line 3] -ṅgbo [yi]

[line 4] Kasu[b ma]-

[line 5] -harad-[hu]

[line 6] put Udā

[line 7] mahapā[ṇa]-

[line 8] -n vahan-

[line 9] -se ek-

[line 10] tän-sa[mi]-

[line 11] -yen vadā-

[line 12] -ḷen ā Me-

[line 13] -kāppar

[line 14] vädǟru-

[line 15] -m Suḷuga-

[line 16] -lu Udānā-

[line 17] -[van va]rä

[line 18] vana Mekā-

[line 19] -par Tu[sä] ..

[line 20] Pähidim i-

[line 21] -sā Mekāp-

[line 22] -par Mi[vu]ga[m]

[line 23] Kitim isā

[line 24] (Ga)val Udāva-

[line 25] -n varä vana

[line 26] .. .. .. .. ..

[line 27] [Sa]ṅgs[e]ni-

[line 28] -[m] isā

[line 29] .. .. .. .. ..

[line 30] .. .. .. .. ..

Side C

[line 1] .. .. .. .. .. ..

[line 2] .. .. .. .. .. ..

[line 3] koṭ isā me-

[line 4] -[yaṭ] raṭ-himin pi-

[line 5] -ṭatä siṭä [ganu]t

[line 6] misä ra[d-ko]l-sa-

[line 7] -m-daruvan [meya]ṭ no

[line 8] vadnā koṭ [isā]

[line 9] [meya]ṭ mang-divä

[line 10] [pedivä] melātti

[line 11] rat-kol-[kämi]-

[line 12] -yan no vadnā ko-

[line 13] -ṭ isā .. .. .. ..

[line 14] .. .. .. (no vadnā)

[line 15] [ko]ṭ isā .. .. ..

[line 16] .. .. .. .. .. .. (ko)-

[line 17] -ṭ isā .. .. .. (no)

[line 18] vadnā ko(ṭ isā ga-

[line 19] -m) go(n no gannā ko)-

[line 20] -ṭ isā (de-ruvanä de-kam-tä-

[line 21] -n)-vässan (no) vadnā (ko)-

[line 22] -ṭ isā .. kuḍin (sora-kam)

[line 23] (no) karanu isā meyaṭ mini ko-

[line 24] -ṭā (sora)-kam koṭ vä-

[line 25] -(dä) gam väsnā kämiyan ..

[line 26] .. raṭin piṭ kara ganu [isā]

Side D

[line 1] koṭ di ba-

[line 2] -ḍoraṭ väl-

[line 3] mila ek-si-

[line 4] -ya-panäs

[line 5] kaḷandak ran ge-

[line 6] -nä havurudu-

[line 7] patā de-kara-

[line 8] -lin badu de-

[line 9] siya-panäs

[line 10] kaḷandak ran

[line 11] gannā i-

[line 12] -sā Armuṅgam

[line 13] (Aruṅgam)- pe-

[line 14] -ḷavaga āvu

[line 15] kä[mi]-kuḍiya-

[line 16] .. .. .. .. [ra-

[line 17] -d] kol sam-

[lines 18–23] Missing.

[line 24] .. .. [pe] rä-

[line 25] -[hä]r-ka-

[line 26] -[ṇu] hindva-

[line 27] -nu ladiyi [II*]