Balipattana Plates of Raṭṭarāja

Success! Hail!

Verse 1

May the fortune of living beings who perform the religious observances which are the most important in their worldly existence, be in abundance by the grace of their favourite deity!

Verse 2

There was the lord of the Vidyādharas, Jīmūtavāhana by name, a good son of Jīmūtaketu, who sacrificed his life to Garuḍa.

Verse 3

From him was descended the Silāra family, the best among the royal families of Siṃhala, which became extremely powerful as it had the good fortune of the blessings of abundant beings.

Verse 4

In that family there was the well-known king Saṇaphulla by name, who had the favour of Kṛṣṇarāja. He occupied the country stretching from the shore of the ocean to the Sahaya mountain.

Verse 5

He had a son, Dhammiyara by name, who was another Dharma incarnate.
Valorous as he was. He, the fortunate one, founded the great fort of Balipattana.

Verse 6

After him, there was king Aiyapa, who had the qualities of a conqueror, who was crowned with the water of the coconut trees growing near Candrapura.

Verse 7

From him was born Avasara I, who was conversant with the principles of the science of politics; who, being of terrible valour, burnt with his sole eye the bundle of sticks in the form of his enemies.

Verses 8-9

From him was born his son named Ādityavarman, whose splendour was like that of the Sun. From him was born Avasara II, a righteous king, who vanquished his enemies, and who rendered military assistance to the rulers of Cemūlya and Candrapura. From him was born Indrarāja, who appeared very splendid by his liberality as well as the enjoyment of pleasures.

Verse 10

From him was born Bhīma of abundant fortune, valorous like the Pāṇḍava Bhīma, who, brilliant as he was, annexed Candramaṇḍala by his valour even as Rāhu devours the moon by his lustre.

Verse 11

From him was descended king Avasara III, possessed of great discrimination. Wise as he himself was, he gave support to learned men. He was brave and had a very handsome form.

Verse 12

From him was born the king, Raṭṭa by name, the foremost among the meritorious, conversant with political wisdom, and self-controlled, who waits upon those who are proficient in the principles of political science.

Line 32

In prosperous Balipattana situated in the kingdom of mahāmāṇḍalika Raṭṭarāja, which is increasing and venerable like the Sun and the Moon—

Raṭṭarāja, having called together the residents of the five great maṭhas, guilds, artisans and the chief amātyas, informs them as follows:-

Be it known to you. On the occasion of the Uttarāyaṇa Saṅkrānti, on Sunday, the first tithi of the dark fortnight of Puṣya (i.e. Pauṣa) in the cyclic year Sādhāraṇa in the years nine hundred increased by thirty-two, which have elapsed by the era of the śaka King, in figures also 932, the illustrious Raṭṭarāja, adorned with all royal titles, has, by pouring water with his own hand on the hand of the donee, granted to Saṅkamaiya, son of the Brāhmaṇa Seṇāvai Nāgamaiya, a rice–field yielding two crops annually in the rice-village of Kalvāla, with……… an orchard of areca-nuts was also given to him as a means of livelihood of a Brāhmaṇa named Chāṭhavaiya, son of Kuṃvaraiya, grandson of the Brāhmaṇa Sañjhaiya, residing in the hamlet named Āvaḍi, situated to the west of the agrahāra village Palauree, for the religious merit of his grand-daughter Annaṇā, ………… the well-known boundaries of the orchard being as follows—on the east, a stone temple; on the south the river; on the west, the sea near Voribhāṭhā; on the north, the village Gāvoma.

Line 61

The sons and grandsons of the illustrious Raṭṭarāja, should preserve this gift as tax-free, with all the exemptions in favour of the sons and grandsons of this Brāhmaṇa. If this gift is confiscated, there would be a great sin. And it has been said by the sages –

         (Here follow three benedictory and imprecatory verses.)

Line 75

He who, though thus entreated, will confiscate this old religious gift, his mind being clouded by the Kali Age, will experience the effect of his action in a hell.

         (Here follow two similar verses.)

Line 84

Having understood these sayings of the sages, all future kings should covet only the religious reward of the preservation of this gift and should not incur any infamy due to its confiscation.

In confirmation of this gift, the illustrious Raṭṭarāja puts his hand to his signature.

“This is the signature of Me, the illustrious Raṭṭarāja.”

Verse 18

A charter becomes authoritative when it is faultless in regard to its seal, faultless in regard to the observance of rules, and faultless as regards possession, and has the requisite marks, and is faultless in respect of the king’s signature.

This has been written by the son, named Lokapārya, of the Sāndhivigrahika, the illustrious Devapāla.

May there be bliss and great prosperity!

Do not take away this gift-charter.