Indian Antiquary Vol 02

SR No.: 032494
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 428
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 20 MB

Page 273

SEPTEMBER, 1873.]
INSCRIPTIONS AT PULASTIPURA.
247
of a large artificial lake, which must have been 10 or 12 miles round, and can be reached in 81 days from Kandy,-there being a carriage road for the first 59 miles, and a cart road for the remaining, 20. Just at the end of this road, and on the bănd of the lake itself, once stood the hall in which these inscriptions were found, which has been renamed "the Audience Hall." All that remains now are 48 large stone pillars with carved capitals supported on a stone platform, round the base of which are sculptared a row of lions; there are also several fine stone slabs, a flight of entrance steps with handsomely carved balustrades, and the splendid Lion on which the inscription was found. This was lying almost entirely buried at some distance from the Hall, and was set up with great diffi. culty; it had probably been thrown out of the Hall by the Tamils when they took Pulastipura, and may formerly have stood between the inscribed pillars : search has been made for a second one, but as yet unsuccessfully.
"The inscriptions have only lately been noticed, Sir E. Tennant making no mention of either the ruin or its letters; but they are very interesting, as affording a reliable glimpse at the state ceremonial of that place and time, from which conclusions, with a large degree of certainty, may be drawn regarding others in more distant places and in more ancient times.
According to the writing on the Lion and eight of the pillars, the high officials stand near the king in the following order (see the sketch plan) :
At pillar 8. Members At pillar 1. The Secreof the Chamber of Com- tary (Kdyastha) with the merce.
record-keepers. 7. The Police.
2. Prime Minister (pra
dhdna). 6. Members of the 3. The Commander-in council of wise men ? Chief (senadhipati). Provincial governors.
4. The chiefs (adhipa), seated.
5. The heir-apparent
(yuwaraja), seated. I am inclined to think that the king must have been seated in the position marked a, and notas has been supposed-in that marked b: for he
would thus have the lower officials behind him, the great ones facing him, and the heir-apparent seated at his right hand; whereas in the position marked b, the members of the Chamber of Commerce would have had the post of honour: pow, although Paråkrama Bahu was perhaps a very enlightened despot, and seems to have given the merchants or boutique (kada) keepers of the day a place in his Council of State, it is scarcely possible that they were nearer to his august person than the heirapparent himself.
The transliteration, which is unusually certain, is as follows:
On the great Lion. Ári wira durâja wîra wesydbhujaga Nissanka Latikeswara Kalinga chakrawartti swamin wahanse wædæ hon wira Sinhâsanayayi.
Translation. This is the mighty Lion-throne on tokich sat the glorious, powerful keing, in whose arm is strength, the Lord Emperor Kalinga Nissanka Lankeswara.
First Pitlar.. Siñhasanaye wedm hun kalæ pot warana mtula-wa kayasthayanta sthanayayi.
When he is seated on his Lion-throne, this is the place for the Secretary, amongt the recordkeepers.
Second Pillar. Siñhasanaye wædæ huin kalæ pradhanayanta sthanayayi.
When he is seated on the Lion-throne, this is the place for the prime minister.
Third Pillar. Siñhâsanaye wode hun kalæ senewiradanta sthånayayi.
When he is seated on his Lion-throne, this is the place for the commander-in-chief.
Fourth Pillar. Siñhâsanaye wædæ hun kalæ æpå-warun hindina sthanayayi.
When he is seated on his Lion-throne, this is the place where the chiefs sit.
• In the transliteration is wed because the Sifhalese always pronounce the corresponding to (and derived from) thọ PAli O, as oar English w, and not as v. It is cer. tainly probable, both from the traditions of the pandita, und from the collocations in which it occurs, that the Pali letter is also w, and not v. ais pronounced like the English
in hat, being simply the lengthened form of the same sound (nearly the French & before r). Almost every word. requiring some notice, and the number of the words being altogether so kmall, the notes on them are thrown into the form of an alphabetical vocabulary.
+ See ætuhi in the vocabulary,