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AUGUST, 1879.) INSCRIPTIONS IN THE HAMBANTOȚA DISTRICT, CEYLON
223
16 g
and was taken from Abhayawaewa (now called by its Tamil name Bassawa Kulam) near Anuradhapura. It runs as follows: A. Siri
sang boy ma purmu. : [ka
dasana* wanne Maendi di
nae pura teles6 wak dawas Ba
yaê waew mawa! 8 karwanukot wat
himiyan wahan10 se
wadáleyi. in waewae satar ka18 nae satar. pabanak 13 hinwê me waew14 hi mas maerů 15 kenekun raekae 18 genae no pae17twu wa nuwar 19 laddA atin da10 sa hanak ran ma90 [haweher piri]91 wahana midae. bi21 ya tama newe
*9 he [r] awu [d] miyan B. 1 wâ........................
................. lawå ges nae me waew• hi mehe [ka]s rawå re (P) kas wa * me waewhi mas
marana ta......... raekae & hat
o usu I give a literal translation, although I am aware that it will be very deficient, especially as the inscription seems to have occupied more than one pillar originally :
His Majesty Sri Sang Boy in the 19th year (of his reign) on the 13th day in the bright half of Maendindina (March-April) at the Abhaya-tank having made ......... the lord having ordered to put at the four corners of the tank four pillars, that whoever might kill fishes in this tank may be taken into custody, not to be concealed, but to be taken to the town........... by the overseer of the Mahawihara, may be made to work at this tank' .............................
Kana is Sanskrit kona 'corner,' not as Goldschmidt believed = skanda embankment, pahın is = páshána, kewu! = kaiwarta.
This inscription belongs most probably to Kassapo V. (A.D. 937—954 according to Turnour; 914–931 according to the editors of
the 2nd Part of the Mahawanso), although he is said to have reigned in his 19th year, as such inaccuracies occur frequently enough. The following one belongs to his son-in-law and successor, Kassapo VI., and is to be found on a pillar in the jungle near Mihintale. I give the transcript from a photograph and squeeze:
A. : Swast [i bri]
Abhay Sisri sa[ng]boyi
ma Purmuk& na• wawanne Hio mate mashi
dasa wak da8 was
Sae. giri weheri10 n pere dunumand11 lan ganna k[o]19t isa manga 18 mahawaris[a] 16 melåt 15 wadnå
i
mang17 diwa pediwa
No wadná • is&............ .......... r[a]d ko. 1 kaemiyaon no wadna . ist
Sad'girigal 8 wadatalan
pulapan mi10 wan
sini. 11 balân 18 no kapanu i 18 så
kaepu 1 ......... kamtaen
genae da10 t (P)
ganna 17 isa
pawu 18 sangwael. 18 la piriwen
10 sangwaelc. La kuli mahawar
sad akkalam * aeti no kiyal * weherat ga* nn iså me 6 tuwak ayat
rad kolat ga8 nmin sitiya . weherat me 10 wad & la mhayi 11 Arogya 11 sidhi
.
kewu!