Siddham. The Asian Inscription Database | IN03148 Devanagala Rock Inscription of Parākramabāhu I

The inscription is engraved at the bottom of the rock-cut steps on the south-western side of Devanagala, a rock situated about three miles to the south-east of Māvanälla in the Galboḍa Kōraḷē of the Kǟgalla District. These steps lead to the summit of the rock, upon which are the ruins of a massive stone building called Paraṇa Vihāra, an old dāgäba, and an image house of Kandyan style. The inscription was first noticed by Edward Müller in his Ancient Inscriptions in Ceylon (1883: 60, 87, 120, no. 135), although he did not recognise the text’s historical significance, which was subsequently highlighted by H. C. P. Bell in his Report on the Kegalla District of the Province of Sabaragamuwa (1904: 73–76).

The inscription is dated to the twelfth year of Parākramabāhu I. This king ascended to the throne in 1153 A.D., hence the inscription must have been engraved in 1164–1165 A.D. It registers a grant of certain lands by the king to the general Kit Nuvaragal (Kitti Nagaragiri) in recognition of the latter’s services in an expedition against the Rāmañña country in the Pagan kingdom (modern-day Burma/Myanmar). The inscription provides valuable information about this expedition. It indicates that the campaign took place in or shortly before the twelfth year of Parākramabāhu’s reign and enables us to identify the Pagan monarch at the time of the conflict Alaungsithu (r. 1112–1167 A.D.). These details are not mentioned in the account of the expedition in the Mahāvaṁsa. Alaungsithu is referred to in the inscription as ‘Bhuvanāditta’, a title which, although applied to several Pagan kings, was particularly associated with him.

Diplomatic Edition
Critical Edition

[line 1] Sirivat apirivat levu-ikut-guṇa-muḷin⸗uturat muḷu-[Damba]-

[line 2] divahi an-kät-kula pā-mili kaḷa Okāvas-rada-parapuren baṭa

[line 3] kät-osabanaṭa aga-mehesun vū Lag-divu-poḷo-yohon parapuren himi

[line 4] tumā saraṇa-niya-räsin an-raja-mudun bises vū sāha-tedin hiru

[line 5] päḷakevin mehesuru daḷa-däpin uvindu raja-viritin surindu pabanda-denen di-

[line 6] -nisuru sat-setin kitisiru päna-sarin suraguru somi-guṇen nisa-

[line 7] yuru ru-sarin kadavu kuḷuṇu-sarin bohosat dinū saha-voṭunu-raja-ba-

[line 8] -raṇa-kiraṇa vūdū rudu-tulā-tala arā tumā tunu-kapturumen nomin nan-

[line 9] ruvan-dhana-vaturen nan-desen osaḷa muḷu-diḷindu-sit-sayura puramin

[line 10] muḷu-lohi pataḷa yasa-pambanda äti rupu-raja-taṅga-kumamba-danala-yehi si[ṁ*]

[line 11] -ha-parākrama äti Parākramabāhu vat-himiyan vahanse taman mu-

[line 12] -tun Vijaya-raja-pā svarggastha-bhū[ta*] tänä siṭä de-sālis havu-

[line 13] -ruddak näsi tubū lo-sasun äti karavami yana sitin Gajabāhu

[line 14] [Mānā]bhara[ṇa] dede[nā*] hā yuddha koṭa La[ṁ]kā-jīpayehi ekaccatra koṭa

[line 15] Pula[sti-pura-va]rehi raja-śrī vaḷandana samāhi doḷosvanu Posonä pura dasa-

[line 16] vakä Aramaṇā[dhipa]ti Bhuvanāditta nam kenekun rajakarana kalä Lak-divu

[line 17] santāna no karamha yi kī he[yi]n nävu dahas-gaṇanakaṭa piris naṅgā

[line 18] yavā Aramaṇaya pāranē vadāḷa kalä Kit Nuvaragalun Kusumīya yäyi yana nuvarak

[line 19] päharä pas-masak ra .. .. .. .. [gat] kalä Aramaṇayan santān karamha yi dūtaya-

[line 20] -n evū heyin Kit Nuvaragalunṭa hiri-sanda pavatnā (tek siṭina) paridde-

[line 21] -n me ga(lä) koṭā dun Malabaṭuva hā .. .. .. .. hā (Ki)t-sen-pavuye-

[line 22] -n bijuvata doḷos⸗amuṇu de-pǟḷak ätuḷu vä de-yāḷak pamuṇu koṭä dunnēyi[II*]