Abstract:
As a general rule, interpretations, Brahmi potsherds, copper plates, seals and coins, among
others, provide reliable information to trace the beginning, development and evolution of a
language of a region or country. The Brahmi inscriptions play an important part in tracing the
history of Sri Lankan languages.
These Brahmi inscriptions which belong to the 3rd century B.C. to the 4th century A.D., tell
about the message relevant to Buddhism. Scholars like Professor Paranavithana who studied
the above inscriptions comment that they are evidences to show that the ancestors of the Sinhala
race and their culture came from the North India and the Prakrit language is the forerunner of
the old Sinhala language. Scholars like Professor Karunaratna who studied the above
inscriptions, considering the unique Tamil letters, names and words, are of the opinion that the
Brahmi letters and writing which were introduced from South India were in use in Sri Lanka,
before the introduction of Brahmi letters to Sri Lanka with the advent of Buddhism from North
India [1].
Recent Archaeological studies in South Sri Lanka and Northern Sri Lanka and the evidences
of Brahmi inscriptions and Brahmi potsherds, coins, seals and copper plates provide adequate
evidences to show that the use of Tamil language was prevalent in Sri Lanka, since the 3rd
century B.C. These evidences show the antiquity of the Tamil language. Among these
evidences, the discovery of the Brahmi inscribed pottery at Tisamarahama in the Hambantota
District in Southern Sri Lanka by the German Archaeological team need special mention. This
inscription which belongs to the 2nd century B.C. was written in the Tamil language with Tamil
scripts. However, there are differences of opinion among scholars about the reading and
interpretation of the above inscription. The objective of this research is too re-read and
scrutinizes the above inscription to derive a profound interpretation of it.
