Siddham. The Asian Inscription Database | IN03166 Gaḍalādeṇiya Rock-Inscription of Dharmmakīrtti Sthavira

This inscription is cut into the rock at the Gaḍalādeṇiya Vihārē, a fourteenth-century Buddhist shrine situated in Pilimathalawa, near Kandy. Rock-cut steps lead up the north-eastern side of the rock to reach the shrine. A number of inscriptions (including IN03154) are engraved, one above the other, to the right of the steps as one ascends. The present inscription is the earliest and also the longest of these inscriptions, covering more than half of the inscribed rock-surface. It is dated on the full-moon day of the month of Vesaga (Skt. Vaiśākha) in the third year of Bhuvanaikabāhu IV and also mentions the Śaka year 1266, expired. The part of the sentence which contains the date was interpreted by H. C. P. Bell (Report on the Kǟgalla District, p. 92, n. 1) and H. W. Codrington (A Short History of Ceylon, p. 88) to mean that the Śaka year given is the same as the year of accession of Bhuvanaikabāhu. However, Senarath Paranavitana argued that the sentence in fact indicated that the Śaka year in question was equivalent to the third year of the king. Hence the date of the inscription can be understood as the full-moon day of the month of Vesaga in Śaka 1266, which is equivalent to Wednesday 28 April 1344 A.D. The inscription is written in Sinhalese, except for the first line, which contains a Sanskrit śloka in the Indravajrā metre. The text records the foundation of the Buddhist shrine Gaḍalādeṇiya by the great sthavira Dharmmakīrtti. An account of the building of the temple, which comprises more than one-third of the record, is followed by a long list of lands dedicated to it by various personages. The inscription also gives certain details about the architectural features of the shrine and the images and paintings with which it was adorned. The shrine is said to have three storeys, the author of the inscription having apparently counted the terraced roof of the ardha-maṇḍapa and antarāla as the second storey and a cell on a higher level in the vimāna as the topmost storey. The name of the architect who designed the building is given as Gaṇeśvarācāri, which suggests that he was from South India, a supposition supported by the style of the architecture.

Diplomatic Edition
Critical Edition

[line 1] Svasti śubham⸗astu[I*]

Śrī-Dharmmakīrtti-sthavirādhi(kārai) ◠ ◠ – ◠ ◠ –

janān⸗vi ◠ ◠ [I*]

◠ ◠ – tu[ṁ] puṇyam⸗anaika-rūpaṁ kārāpayan Śrīghana-śrī-vihāraṁ[II*]

[line 2] Śrī-Śaka-varṣayen ek-vā-[dahas] de-siya sa-säṭa avuru-[ddak pi]ruṇu [sa]nda [me]-kal raja-pämiṇi Tri-Siṁha-

[line 3] ḷādhīśvara Bhuvanaikabā[hu na] rendraya-haṭa tun-vanu (Vesaga) [pura] pasaḷosvaka śrī-mahā-bodhi vaḍā

[line 4] Śrī-Laṁkadvīpaya-ṭa pämiṇi [Gaṇa]vä[si]-vaṁśābhijāta Dharmmakīrtti-sthavira-pādayan-vahanse Da-

[line 5] -mbadivät Śrī-Dhānyakaṭaye (demā)l piḷima-geyak .. .. .. .. boho [ra]n-[ruvan .. .. .. [Laṁ]kā-dvīpa-

[line 6] yehit [boho]-kālayak pavatnā lesä si[lāmaya piḷi]ma-ge(yak karavanu kä-mätivä raja) yuva-

[line 7] raja a[dhikāra se]nevirat (arttha)nāya[ka] .. .. .. nayaka .. .. .. nayaka .. .. liya-

[line 8] -nnan ā[di-vū pṛ]thuvīśvarayan da .. .. .. n da (kṣatriya) brā(hmaṇa vai)śya śūdr⸗ādi [utta]m⸗ā-

[line 9] -dhama janayan da Siṁhaḷa Demaḷa ādi-vū .. .. .. senā ke .. tta .. .. karavā paṇamin la[k]-

[line 10] -ṣayak vicarat vī tun-siyak yāḷa vicarat [dī] vāstu-śāstra-pratimā-ś[āstr⸗ādi]yehi vi .. .. .. .. ..

[line 11] sthapati-gaṇādhipati Ga[ṇe]śvarācārīn pradhāna koṭa äti ācārivarun lavā Si[ṅguru]vāṇā-de-

[line 12] nuvara maddhaye Dikgala-ataḷe tun-māl piḷima-geya karavanasek palle māle Śakra Brahma

[line 13] Suyāma Santuṣita Nātha Mayitrī ādi deviyan visin pirivarana-lada vajrāsan⸗ārūḍha-vä Bodhīn-vaha-

[line 14] -nse-ṭa piṭa lā väḍä hun sadhātuka maha-piḷima-sāmī[nut] anu-piḷima de-denā-vahanset [no]-

[line 15] -yek citra-karmmāntayen vicitra koṭa karavā mudun-māle caitya-garbbha-yehi pā[rijāta] -vṛ-

[line 16] -kṣa-mūlayehi pāṇḍu-kambalā[san⸗ārū]ḍha-vä Mātṛ-devaputra-pramukha Śakra-Brahm⸗ādi de[viyan pi]ri-

[line 17] -varā vijam-deśanāva-ṭa väḍa hun [Buddha]-rūpaya karavā vi[hāra]ya-ṭa ārakṣāvak-ut uva mänävä yi .. .. .. .. .. de-

[line 18] -viraja-geyak-ut karavā bodhi caitya puṣpārāma phalārām⸗ā[dīn] sarahā taman-vahanse .. .. .. .. ya-

[line 19] -n karavana-lada .. .. .. .. .. Dharmmakīrtti nam me-vihā[raya däkä] samādhi-vä .. .. deṇi .. .. .. .. i-

[line 20] -miyä e .. .. [karm]māntaya-ṭa paṇam tun-dāsak vi[carat] .. .. gevaḷa di(vel vaha)l

[line 21] sarak sa .. .. .. nara-batgamin pidū biju .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. se[nevi]-radu-

[line 22] -n hā Vīrasiriṁa Patirājayan (hā) dennā . e .. .. .. .. Ilupä(ndeṇiye)n pidū mul-biju

[line 23] sāmuṇek Senā Lamkādhikārayan tama (n-ṭa) (divelaṭa) siṭi Saṁ[desse]n pidū kuburu bi-

[line 24] -ju ek-yāḷa dasāmuṇek Kesava Vaṇṇakkan hā Dan(gamu) .. .. .. .. man hā dennā

[line 25] satu sa .. (Gaḍi)lādeṇi-gam de-bhāgayen mul-biju .. .. muṇak mūlā-rambha[yehi pi]-

[line 26] -dūya (D)evagiri Patirāja[yan] taman-ṭa divelaṭa siṭi .. .. .. .. lpiṭi-gamin biju sāmuṇak

[line 27] pudā .. .. .. .. .. sarak-rū dasayek Bisovaḷa De Patirājayan Eḷiraṭa Uturāli-

[line 28] -len [pidū kumbu]ru biju yāḷek Kaḷu Siṭāṇan Māyatgamu batgamin pidū ku-

[line 29] -mburu [biju] .. .. .. k hā ge-vattek Niśśaṁkha Patirājayan Pamu-ṇuven

[line 30] pidū bi[ju amuṇe]k Vijayā Patirājayan Rangamin pidū kumburu biju dǟmuṇak hā

[line 31] vahal-rū tuṇek Vīrasundara (kumāra) Kumārayange Nāraṁriya[nin] pidū kumburu biju

[line 32] amuṇek Anurā Attarun Gannoru-gamin (gamin) aya otu dī ban[dhūnu]t

[line 33] prayojana vindinā lesaṭa pidū kumburu biju pas⸗amuṇek (desima deke)k Jīvasiṁ[ha] Kumārayan

[line 34] Miṅginiyāpotten pidū kumburu biju das⸗āmuṇek Suva Kumārayan Saṁdes[sen pidū] kumburu

[line 35] biju .. .. .. muṇak hā gam-kaḍavara ekek Suva [Patirā]jayan Uḍuvelin pidū gam-kaḍavarak hā ku-

[line 36] -mburu [biju a]mu[ṇe]k mese-ma Däliveli[n kumburu] biju dǟmuṇek Aḷudeṇiye Gattara-di-

[line 37] -velin amuṇek Piḷimatalavuve[n amuṇek] Kirivavulen amuṇek Sǟpāṇin a-

[line 38] -muṇek Iddavelin amuṇek A .. .. .. .. n amuṇek Ämbulmigamin tun-päḷe-

[line 39] -k Uṇapatāngen tun-päḷek Maṅgala[ga]min tun-päḷek Piligamin de-päḷek Digi-

[line 40] -ḷi Senānāyakayan Ambäkke Bokē-kumburen pidū biju dǟmuṇek

[line 41] Min Dahampasak-nāvan Kirivavulen pidū biju [amuṇek] .. .. .. .. .. .. de-päḷe-

[line 42] -k vaṭanā-pasa de-päḷek yaṭi-mīgon de-ruve[k*] kumbu[ru biju] .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. k

[line 43] (Seṭṭi) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. k (Be)regamin paṇam .. .. .. k dī ga[t] .. .. .. k

[line 44] Peragama [Se]nānāya[kayan] a .. .. .. .. .. .. (viḷi-yāya) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

[line 45] .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. koṭa Nāra .. .. .. .. n uḍa tänu kumburu biju na[va] .. .. ..