247

INSCRIPTIONS AT PULASTIPURA.

SEPTEMBER, 1873.]

of a large artificial lake, which must have been

would thus have the lower officials behind him,

10 or 12 miles round, and can be

the great ones facing him, and the heir-apparent.

reached in

3} days from Kandy, there being a carriage

seated at his right hand; whereas in the posi

road for the first 59 miles, and a cart road

tion marked b, the members of the Chamber

for the remaining 20. Just at the end of this

of Commerce would have had the post of honour: now, although Parākrama Bâhu 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 heir apparent himself. The transliteration,” which is unusually cer

road, and on the bind 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 sculptured 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 in scribed 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 cere monial 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 skatch plan):— At pillar 8. Members At pillar 1. The Secre of the Chamber of Com- tary (Kiyastha) with the noerce. record-keepers. 7. The Police. 2. Prime Minister (pra 6. Members

of

dhaima). the 3. The Commander-in

council of wise men P Chief (senadhipati). Provincial governors. 4. The chiefs (adhipa),

tain, is as follows:–

On the great Lion.

Śri wira durija wira wesyābhujaga Nissanka Lañkeśwara Kälinga chakrawartti swāmin wa

hanse wada hun wira Siâhāsanayayi. Translation.

This is the mighty Lion-throne on which sat the glorious, powerful king, in whose arm is strength, the Lord Emperor Kálinga Nissanka Lañkeswara. First Pillar.

Siihāsanaye wede hun kale pot warana

aetulu-wā kāyasthayanta sthānayayi. When he is seated on his Lion-throne, this is

the place for the Secretary, amongſt the record keepers. Second Pillar.

Siâhāsanaye wada hun kalae pradhānayanta sthānayayi. When he is seated on the Lion-throne, this is

the place for the prime minister. Third Pillar.

Siiihāsanaye wasdae hun kalae senewiradunta . sthānayayi. |When he is seated on his Lion-throne, this is

the place for the commander-in-chief.

scated. Fourth Pillar.

5. The heir-apparent (yuwardija), seated. I am inclined to think that the king must have a

been seated in the position marked a, and not—

as has been supposed—in that marked b : for he

• In the transliteration w is used because the Siâhalese

always pronounce the ſo , corresponding to (and derived

from)

the Pāli

b,

as our English w, and not as v. It is cer

tainly probable, both from the traditions of the pandits, and from the collocations in which it occurs, that the Pāli

letter is also w, and not v. a. is pronounced like the English

Sińhāsanaye wada hun kalae hindina sthānayayi.

epi-warun

When he is seated on his Lion-throne, this is

the place where the chiefs sit. in hat, a being simply the lengthened form of the same sound (nearly the French 3 before r). Almost every word requiring some notice, and the number of the words being altogether so small, the notes on them are thrown into the form of an alphabetical vocabulary. + See actulu in the vocabulary.