Image title: Sri Lanka through foreign eyes

English text:

[Transcription of images]
A map of Taprobane by Ptolamy (c. 284-194 BCE);
Strabo;
Pliny;
Ptolemy;
Alexander;

Sri Lanka through foreign eyes—Statements lauding the natural environment and the culture of Sri Lanka are found on records maintained by the sailors and the travelers who traversed the Indian Ocean in the Past. On the one hand these records reflect Sri Lanka's reputation in the ancient world and as important historic references on the other.

The description of the Greek Onesicritus (326-323 BCE), is one of the first of such records that describes the island known as Taprobane. The description mentions among other details several factors including the size of the Island, the duration to reach it from the Indian sub continent and the nature of her ships. Palesimundu (Skt. Parasamudra), Salike (Sinhala), Silediba (Sinhaldvipa) were some of the names used by the Greeks to identify Sri Lanka. Alexander of Ephasus (100 BCE) has described Sri Lanka as an island which is crowned by the sea and has elephants who bear long noses. According to Strabo (100 CE) Sri Lanka exported high quality ivory and tortoise shells.

Artimidorus, (104-101 BCE) quoted by Pliny records that the people of Taprobane were healthy and endowed with long life. The earliest Roman record about Sri Lanka could be ascribed to the period of Annius Plocamus (41-54 CE) and Sopothros. The names Serendevi or Serendib that were used during the Byzantine period are derivatives of the word Sinhaladvipa. This word has since then evolved and appeared as Ceylo, Seylan and Ceylon during later periods. In the annals of Ping Dynasty (1-6 CE) in China, Sri Lanka was designated as Sang-kia-lo, which was an attempt to write the word 'Sinhala' in the Chinese language. As an Island situated in the extreme south in south Asia, with an abundance of important natural and cultural resources and the geographical center of the ancient trade routes in the Indian Ocean that connected the East and the West, Sri Lanka received continuous attention of the foreigners through out the historical period.

Sinhala text (not proofread):

ටොලමි විසින් අඳින ලද ලංකා සිතියම (ක්‍රිස්තු පූර්ව 284-194)
ස්ට්‍රාබෝ
ප්ලිනි
ටොලමි
ඇලෙක්සැන්ඩර්

විදේශීන් දුටු පුරාණ ශ්‍රී ලංකාව—ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ස්වභාව සෞන්දර්යය සහ එහි පැවති සංස්කෘතිය පිළිබඳ ප්‍රශංසා සහගත ලෙස කරන ලද ප්‍රකාශ පුරාණ කාලයේ ඉන්දිය සාගරයේ යාත්‍රා කළ ඇතැම් නාවිකයින් සහ දේශගවේෂකයින් විසින් තබන ලද වාර්තාවලට ඇතුළත් වී තිබේ. මෙම වාර්තා එක් අතකින් පුරාණ ලෝකයේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාව පිළිගැනීමට ලක් වූ ආකාරය පෙන්නුම් කරන සාධක ලෙස පිළිගැනෙන අතර තවත් අතකින් එම වාර්තා වැදගත් ඓතිහාසික ලේඛන ලෙසද සැලකේ.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාව පිළිබඳ පැරණිතම විදේශික වාර්තාව වන්නේ ක්‍රිස්තු පූර්ව 326 සහ 323 අතර කාලයේ විසූ ඔනෙසික්‍රිටස් නම් වූ ග්‍රීක ජාතිකයා විසින් කරනු ලබන විස්තරයයි. තැප්‍රොබේන් (සිං: තම්බපණ්ණි) නමින් ශ්‍රී ලංකාව හඳුන්වන ඔහු මෙරට විශාලත්වය, ඉන්දීය උපමහාද්වීපයේ සිට ඊට ලඟා වීමට ගතවන කාලය, ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට අයත් නැව්වල ස්වභාවය ආදී දෑ පිළිබඳ විස්තර කර තිබේ. ශ්‍රී ලංකාව හැඳින්වීම සඳහා ග්‍රීක් ජාතිකයින් විසින් භාවිත කළ නම් අතර පලෙසිමුන්දු (සංස්කෘත පාරසමුද්‍ර), සලිකේ (සිංහල) සහ සිලෙදිබා (සිංහලද්වීප) යන යෙදුම්ද වේ. එෆසස් හි ඇලෙක්සැන්ඩර් (ක්‍රිස්තු පූර්ව පළමුවන සියවස) විසින් ශ්‍රී ලංකාව හඳුන්වා දී තිබෙන්නේ මුහුදින් ඔටුනු පැලඳි, දිගැති මනා වූ හොඬ සහිත හස්තීන් ගැවසෙන දිවයිනක් ලෙසය. ස්ට්‍රාබෝ (ක්‍රිස්තු වර්ෂ  පළමුවන සියවස) විසින් ශ්‍රී ලංකාව හඳුන්වා දී තිබෙන්නේ අනර්ඝ ඇත්දළ සහ කැස්බෑ කටු අපනයනය කරන රටක් වශයෙනි. එෆසස් හි ආටිමිඩොරස් (ක්‍රි. පූ. 104-101) උපුටා දක්වන ප්ලිනි සඳහන් කරන්නේ මෙරට ජනතාව දිගු කලක් ජීවත් වන නිරෝගී පිරිසක් බවයි. ශ්‍රී ලංකාව පිළිබඳ පැරණි රෝමානු වාර්තා මෙරටට අහඹු ලෙස පැමිණි අනියස් ප්ලොකාමුස් (ක්‍රිස්තු වර්ෂ 41-54) සහ ඔහුගේ සමකාලීනයෙකු වූ සොපාත්‍රොස්ගේ සමයට අයත් වෙයි. බයිසෙන්තියානු සමයේදී ශ්‍රී ලංකාව හැඳින්වීමට යොදන 'සෙරෙන්දේවි' හෝ 'සෙරෙන්දිබ්' යන පද 'සිංහල ද්වීප' යන පදයේම ස්වරූපයකි. එය පසුකාලයක 'සෙයිලෝල‍් , 'සේලාන්' සහ 'සිලෝන්' වශයෙන් පරිණාමයට පත් වේ. චීනයේ පින්ග් අධිරාජ සමයට (ක්‍රිස්තු වර්ෂ 1-6) අයත් ලේඛනවල ශ්‍රී ලංකාව හඳුන්වා දී තිබෙන්නේ 'සන්ග්-කියා-ලෝ' යන නමිනි. එය එවක මෙරට හැඳින්වූ 'සිංහල' යන පදය චීන  භාෂාවෙන් ලිවීමට ගත් උත්සාහයකි. දකුණු ආසියාවේ වඩාත්ම දකුණින් වූ ස්වභාවික සහ සංස්කෘතික සම්පත්වලින් සරු දූපතක් ලෙසත් නැගෙනහිර සහ බටහිර යා කරමින් ඉන්දීය සාගරයේ පැවති පුරාණ වෙළඳ මාර්ගවල භූගෝලීය කේන්ද්‍රය ලෙසත් පැවතීම හේතු කොට ගෙන ශ්‍රී ලංකාව ඉතා පැරණි වකවානුවක සිට විදේශිකයින්ගේ නොමඳ අවධානයට ලක්ව පැවතිණි.

Transcription:

ṭolami visin andina lada laṅkā sitiyama (kristu pūrva 284-194)
sṭrābō
plini
ṭolami
æleksænḍar

vidēśīn duṭu purāṇa śrī laṅkāva—śrī laṅkāvē svabhāva saundaryaya saha ehi pævati saṅskrutiya piḷibanda praśaṅsā sahagata lesa karana lada prakāśa purāṇa kālayē indiya sāgarayē yātrā kaḷa ætæm nāvikayin saha dēśagavēṣakayin visin tabana lada vārtāvalaṭa ætuḷat vī tibē. mema vārtā ek atakin purāṇa lōkayē śrī laṅkāva piḷigænīmaṭa lak vū ākāraya pennum karana sādhaka lesa piḷigænena atara tavat atakin ema vārtā vædagat aitihāsika lēkhana lesada sælakē.

śrī laṅkāva piḷibanda pæraṇitama vidēśika vārtāva vannē kristu pūrva 326 saha 323 atara kālayē visū onesikriṭas nam vū grīka jātikayā visin karanu labana vistarayayi. tæpraොbēn (siṅ: tambapaṇṇi) namin śrī laṅkāva handunvana ohu meraṭa viśālatvaya, indīya upamahādvīpayē siṭa īṭa laṅgā vīmaṭa gatavana kālaya, śrī laṅkāvaṭa ayat nævvala svabhāvaya ādī dǣ piḷibanda vistara kara tibē. śrī laṅkāva hændinvīma sandahā grīk jātikayin visin bhāvita kaḷa nam atara palesimundu (saṅskruta pārasamudra), salikē (siṅhala) saha siledibā (siṅhaladvīpa) yana yedumda vē. efasas hi æleksænḍar (kristu pūrva paḷamuvana siyavasa) visin śrī laṅkāva handunvā dī tibennē muhudin oṭunu pælandi, digæti manā vū hoṇḍa sahita hastīn gævasena divayinak lesaya. sṭrābō (kristu varṣa  paḷamuvana siyavasa) visin śrī laṅkāva handunvā dī tibennē anargha ætdaḷa saha kæsbǣ kaṭu apanayanaya karana raṭak vaśayeni. efasas hi āṭimiḍoras (kri. pū. 104-101) upuṭā dakvana plini sandahan karannē meraṭa janatāva digu kalak jīvat vana nirōgī pirisak bavayi. śrī laṅkāva piḷibanda pæraṇi rōmānu vārtā meraṭaṭa ahaḅu lesa pæmiṇi aniyas plokāmus (kristu varṣa 41-54) saha ohugē samakālīnayeku vū sopātraොsgē samayaṭa ayat veyi. bayisentiyānu samayēdī śrī laṅkāva hændinvīmaṭa yodana 'serendēvi' hō 'serendib' yana pada 'siṅhala dvīpa' yana padayēma svarūpayaki. eya pasukālayaka 'seyilōla් , 'sēlān' saha 'silōn' vaśayen pariṇāmayaṭa pat vē. chīnayē ping adhirāja samayaṭa (kristu varṣa 1-6) ayat lēkhanavala śrī laṅkāva handunvā dī tibennē 'sang-kiyā-lō' yana namini. eya evaka meraṭa hændinvū 'siṅhala' yana padaya chīna  bhāṣāven livīmaṭa gat utsāhayaki. dakuṇu āsiyāvē vaḍātma dakuṇin vū svabhāvika saha saṅskrutika sampatvalin saru dūpatak lesat nægenahira saha baṭahira yā karamin indīya sāgarayē pævati purāṇa veḷanda mārgavala bhūgōlīya kēndraya lesat pævatīma hētu koṭa gena śrī laṅkāva itā pæraṇi vakavānuvaka siṭa vidēśikayingē nomanda avadhānayaṭa lakva pævatiṇi.

Transcription:

tolami visin andina lada lanka sitiyama (kristu purva 284-194)
strabo
plini
tolami
æleksændar

videshin dutu purana shri lankava—shri lankave svabhava saundaryaya saha ehi pævati sanskrutiya pilibanda prashansa sahagata lesa karana lada prakasha purana kalaye indiya sagaraye yatra kala ætæm navikayin saha deshagaveshakayin visin tabana lada vartavalata ætulat vi tibe. mema varta ek atakin purana lokaye shri lankava piligænimata lak vu akaraya pennum karana sadhaka lesa piligænena atara tavat atakin ema varta vædagat aitihasika lekhana lesada sælake.

shri lankava pilibanda pæranitama videshika vartava vanne kristu purva 326 saha 323 atara kalaye visu onesikritas nam vu grika jatikaya visin karanu labana vistarayayi. tæpraොben (sin: tambapanni) namin shri lankava handunvana ohu merata vishalatvaya, indiya upamahadvipaye sita ita langa vimata gatavana kalaya, shri lankavata ayat nævvala svabhavaya adi dǣ pilibanda vistara kara tibe. shri lankava hændinvima sandaha grik jatikayin visin bhavita kala nam atara palesimundu (sanskruta parasamudra), salike (sinhala) saha silediba (sinhaladvipa) yana yedumda ve. efasas hi æleksændar (kristu purva palamuvana siyavasa) visin shri lankava handunva di tibenne muhudin otunu pælandi, digæti mana vu honda sahita hastin gævasena divayinak lesaya. strabo (kristu varsha palamuvana siyavasa) visin shri lankava handunva di tibenne anargha ætdala saha kæsbǣ katu apanayanaya karana ratak vashayeni. efasas hi atimidoras (kri. pu. 104-101) uputa dakvana plini sandahan karanne merata janatava digu kalak jivat vana nirogi pirisak bavayi. shri lankava pilibanda pærani romanu varta meratata ahaḅu lesa pæmini aniyas plokamus (kristu varsha 41-54) saha ohuge samakalinayeku vu sopatraොsge samayata ayat veyi. bayisentiyanu samayedi shri lankava hændinvimata yodana 'serendevi' ho 'serendib' yana pada 'sinhala dvipa' yana padayema svarupayaki. eya pasukalayaka 'seyilola් , 'selan' saha 'silon' vashayen parinamayata pat ve. chinaye ping adhiraja samayata (kristu varsha 1-6) ayat lekhanavala shri lankava handunva di tibenne 'sang-kiya-lo' yana namini. eya evaka merata hændinvu 'sinhala' yana padaya china bhashaven livimata gat utsahayaki. dakunu asiyave vadatma dakunin vu svabhavika saha sanskrutika sampatvalin saru dupatak lesat nægenahira saha batahira ya karamin indiya sagaraye pævati purana velanda margavala bhugoliya kendraya lesat pævatima hetu kota gena shri lankava ita pærani vakavanuvaka sita videshikayinge nomanda avadhanayata lakva pævatini.

Automated translation (not verified):

Ptolemy's Map of Sri Lanka (284-194 BC)
Stra Bo
Pliny
Ptolemy
Alexander

Ancient Sri Lanka as Seen by Foreigners—The accounts of some ancient sailors and explorers who sailed the Indian Ocean contain glowing accounts of Sri Lanka's natural beauty and culture. These accounts are considered to be both evidence of the way Sri Lanka was perceived in the ancient world and important historical documents.

The earliest foreign account of Sri Lanka is that of Onesicritus, a Greek who lived between 326 and 323 BC. He called Sri Lanka by the name Thaprobene (Singh: तमबपण्नी) and described the size of the country, the time it took to reach it from the Indian subcontinent, the nature of the ships belonging to Sri Lanka, etc. Among the names used by the Greeks to describe Sri Lanka are Palaesimundu (Sanskrit Parasamudra), Salike (Sinhala) and Silediba (Sinhala Islands). Alexander of Ephesus (1st century BC) described Sri Lanka as an island crowned by the sea, inhabited by elephants with long, beautiful trunks. Strabo (1st century AD) described Sri Lanka as a country that exported valuable ivory and tortoise shells. Pliny, quoting Artimidorus of Ephesus (104-101 BC), states that the people of this country are a healthy people who live long. The earliest Roman records of Sri Lanka date back to the time of Annius Plokamus (41-54 AD) who accidentally visited the country and his contemporary Sopater. The term 'Serendevi' or 'Serendib' used to refer to Sri Lanka during the Byzantine period is a form of the term 'Sinhala Island'. It later evolved into 'Ceylon', 'Ceylon' and 'Ceylon'. In documents belonging to the Ping Dynasty of China (1-6 AD), Sri Lanka is introduced by the name 'Sang-Kia-Lo'. It is an attempt to write the term 'Sinhala' as the country was known at that time in Chinese. As the southernmost island in South Asia, rich in natural and cultural resources, and as the geographical center of ancient trade routes in the Indian Ocean connecting the East and the West, Sri Lanka has been the focus of intense foreign attention since ancient times.

Tamil text (not proofread):

ரொலமியினால் வரையப்பட்ட தாப்பிரொபேனின் (இலங்கை) வரைப்படம் (2.284?194 )

வெளிநாட்டவர்கள் கண்ட புராதன இலங்கை—இலங்கையின் இயற்கை அழகு மற்றும் கலாசாரம் வர்ணித்து எழுதப்பட்ட கருத்துக்கள் புராதன காலத்தில் இந்து சமுத்திரத்தில் பயணித்த பல கடற்பயணிகளின் அறிக்கைகளில் அடங்கியுள்ளது. இந்த அறிக்கைள் ஒருபுறம் புராதன உலகில் இலங்கைக்குள்ள வரவேற்பை வெளிப்படுத்தும் காரணியாக ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளப்படுவதுடன் மற்றையபுறம் அவை முக்கியமான வரலாற்று ரீதியான ஆவணமாகவும் எண்ணப்படுகின்றது.

கி.மு 326 மற்றும் 323 இற்கு இடைப்பட்ட காலப்பகுதியில் வாழ்ந்த ஒனேசிகிறிட்டஸ் என்ற கிரேக்க நாட்டவர் இலங்கை தொடர்பாக கூறிய கருத்துக்களே புராதன இலங்கையை பற்றிய முதன் முதலாக கண்டு பிடிக்கப்படும் வெளிநாட்டு அறிக்கையாக உள்ளது. தெப்ரோபேன்(சிங்தம்பபன்னி) என்ற பெயரில் இலங்கையை அறிமுகப்படுத்திய அவர் இலங்கையின் அளவை, இந்திய சிறுகண்டத்திலிருந்து இலங்கைக்கு வருவதற்கு செல்லும் காலம், இலங்கைக்கு சொந்தமான கப்பல்களின் தன்மை தொடர்பாக விளக்கப்படுத்தியுள்ளார்.இலங்கையை அழைப்பதற்கு கிறீக் நாட்டவர் பயன்படுத்திய பெயர்களில் பலேசிமுந்து (சமஸ்கிருத: பாரசமுத்திர) சலிகே (சிங்களம்) சிலேதிபா (சிங்களதிவீப) என்பவையாகும். இலங்கையை கடலால் மகுடம் சூடப்பட்ட நாடென்றும் நீண்ட தும்பிக்கைகளுள்ள யானைகள் உள்ள நாடென்றும் எபஸஸ்ஸில் எலெக்ஸ்சான்டர் (கி.மு முதலாம் நூற்றாண்டு) தெரிவித்துள்ளார். உயர்த்தரமான யானைத்தந்தங்கள் மற்றும் ஆமையின் மேல் ஓடுகண் ஏற்றுமதி செய்யும் நாடென இலங்கையை ஸ்ரோபோ (கி.மு முதலாம் நூற்றாண்டு) அறிமுகப்படுத்தியுள்ளார்.

இலங்கை மக்கள் நீண்டகாலம் வாழும் நோயற்ற மக்கள் என ஆட்டிமிடோரஸ் (கி.மு 104-101) மேற்கோள்காட்டி ப்ளினி தெரிவித்துள்ளார். இலங்கை தொடர்பாக ஆகப்புராதன ரோம அறிக்கைகள் இலங்கைக்கு வந்த அனியஸ் ப்ளோகாமுஸ் (கி.மு41-54) மற்றும் அவரது சமகாலத்தவரான சொபொத்துரொஸ்ஸின் காலத்துக்குரியதாகும். பைசென்தியானு காலகட்டத்தில் இலங்கையை அழைக்க பயன்படுத்திய “ செரென்தேவி” “ செரென்திப;” ஆகியவைகள் “சிங்கள திவீப” என்ற வார்தையின் சொல்லிலக்கன மூலத்தில் சொரூபமாகும். அது பிற்காலத்தில் “செய்லோ” “சேலான்” மற்றும் “சிலோன்” என்று பரிணாமம் அடைந்தது. சீனாவ-பின் பின்ங் காலகட்டத்திற்கு (கி.பி 1-6) சம்பந்தப்பட்ட அறிக்கைகளில் இலங்கையை “சங்க்-கியா-லோ” என்ற பெயரில் அறிமுகப்படுத்தியுள்ளது. அது “சிங்கள” என்ற சொல்லை சீன பாஷையில் எழுதுவதற்கு மேற்கொண்ட ஒரு முயற்சியாகும். தெற்கு ஆசியாவின் தென்திசையில் எல்லையில்உள்ள இலங்கைத்தீவு மிகவும் அதிக இயற்கை வளங்களையும் கலாசார வளங்களையும் கொண்ட தீவாகவும், கிழக்கையும் மேற்கையும் இணைக்கும் இந்து சமுத்திரத்தின் புராதன வர்த்தக பூகோள கேந்திர நிலையமாகவும் காணப்பட்டமையால் இலங்கைக்கு புராதன காலமிருந்து வெளிநாட்டவர்களின் நிரந்தரமான கவனத்தை கிடைக்கப்பட்டது.

Transcription:

rolamiyiṉāl varaiyappaṭṭa tāppiropēṉiṉ (ilaṅkai) varaippaṭam (2.284?194 )

veḷināṭṭavarkaḷ kaṇṭa purātaṉa ilaṅkai—ilaṅkaiyiṉ iyaṟkai aḻaku maṟṟum kalācāram varṇittu eḻutappaṭṭa karuttukkaḷ purātaṉa kālattil intu camuttirattil payaṇitta pala kaṭaṟpayaṇikaḷiṉ aṟikkaikaḷil aṭaṅkiyuḷḷatu. inta aṟikkaiḷ orupuṟam purātaṉa ulakil ilaṅkaikkuḷḷa varavēṟpai veḷippaṭuttum kāraṇiyāka ēṟṟukkoḷḷappaṭuvatuṭaṉ maṟṟaiyapuṟam avai mukkiyamāṉa varalāṟṟu rītiyāṉa āvaṇamākavum eṇṇappaṭukiṉṟatu.

ki.mu 326 maṟṟum 323 iṟku iṭaippaṭṭa kālappakutiyil vāḻnta oṉēcikiṟiṭṭas eṉṟa kirēkka nāṭṭavar ilaṅkai toṭarpāka kūṟiya karuttukkaḷē purātaṉa ilaṅkaiyai paṟṟiya mutaṉ mutalāka kaṇṭu piṭikkappaṭum veḷināṭṭu aṟikkaiyāka uḷḷatu. teprōpēṉ(ciṅtampapaṉṉi) eṉṟa peyaril ilaṅkaiyai aṟimukappaṭuttiya avar ilaṅkaiyiṉ aḷavai, intiya ciṟukaṇṭattiliruntu ilaṅkaikku varuvataṟku cellum kālam, ilaṅkaikku contamāṉa kappalkaḷiṉ taṉmai toṭarpāka viḷakkappaṭuttiyuḷḷār.ilaṅkaiyai aḻaippataṟku kiṟīk nāṭṭavar payaṉpaṭuttiya peyarkaḷil palēcimuntu (camaskiruta: pāracamuttira) calikē (ciṅkaḷam) cilētipā (ciṅkaḷativīpa) eṉpavaiyākum. ilaṅkaiyai kaṭalāl makuṭam cūṭappaṭṭa nāṭeṉṟum nīṇṭa tumpikkaikaḷuḷḷa yāṉaikaḷ uḷḷa nāṭeṉṟum epasassil elekscāṉṭar (ki.mu mutalām nūṟṟāṇṭu) terivittuḷḷār. uyarttaramāṉa yāṉaittantaṅkaḷ maṟṟum āmaiyiṉ mēl ōṭukaṇ ēṟṟumati ceyyum nāṭeṉa ilaṅkaiyai srōpō (ki.mu mutalām nūṟṟāṇṭu) aṟimukappaṭuttiyuḷḷār.

ilaṅkai makkaḷ nīṇṭakālam vāḻum nōyaṟṟa makkaḷ eṉa āṭṭimiṭōras (ki.mu 104-101) mēṟkōḷkāṭṭi pḷiṉi terivittuḷḷār. ilaṅkai toṭarpāka ākappurātaṉa rōma aṟikkaikaḷ ilaṅkaikku vanta aṉiyas pḷōkāmus (ki.mu41-54) maṟṟum avaratu camakālattavarāṉa copotturossiṉ kālattukkuriyatākum. paiceṉtiyāṉu kālakaṭṭattil ilaṅkaiyai aḻaikka payaṉpaṭuttiya “ cereṉtēvi” “ cereṉtipa;” ākiyavaikaḷ “ciṅkaḷa tivīpa” eṉṟa vārtaiyiṉ collilakkaṉa mūlattil corūpamākum. atu piṟkālattil “ceylō” “cēlāṉ” maṟṟum “cilōṉ” eṉṟu pariṇāmam aṭaintatu. cīṉāva-piṉ piṉṅ kālakaṭṭattiṟku (ki.pi 1-6) campantappaṭṭa aṟikkaikaḷil ilaṅkaiyai “caṅk-kiyā-lō” eṉṟa peyaril aṟimukappaṭuttiyuḷḷatu. atu “ciṅkaḷa” eṉṟa collai cīṉa pāṣaiyil eḻutuvataṟku mēṟkoṇṭa oru muyaṟciyākum. teṟku āciyāviṉ teṉticaiyil ellaiyiluḷḷa ilaṅkaittīvu mikavum atika iyaṟkai vaḷaṅkaḷaiyum kalācāra vaḷaṅkaḷaiyum koṇṭa tīvākavum, kiḻakkaiyum mēṟkaiyum iṇaikkum intu camuttirattiṉ purātaṉa varttaka pūkōḷa kēntira nilaiyamākavum kāṇappaṭṭamaiyāl ilaṅkaikku purātaṉa kālamiruntu veḷināṭṭavarkaḷiṉ nirantaramāṉa kavaṉattai kiṭaikkappaṭṭatu.

Transcription:

rolamiyinal varaiyappatta thappiropenin (ilangai) varaippadam (2.284?194 )

velinattavarkal kanda purathana ilangai—ilangaiyin iyarkai azhagu marrum kalasaram varnithu ezhuthappatta karuthukkal purathana kalathil inthu samuthirathil payanitha pala kadarpayanigalin arikkaigalil adangiyullathu. intha arikkail orupuram purathana ulagil ilangaikkulla varaverpai velippaduthum karaniyaga errukkollappaduvathudan marraiyapuram avai mukkiyamana varalarru rithiyana avanamagavum ennappaduginrathu.

ki.mu 326 marrum 323 irku idaippatta kalappaguthiyil vazhntha onesigirittas enra kirekka nattavar ilangai thodarpaga kuriya karuthukkale purathana ilangaiyai parriya muthan muthalaga kandu pidikkappadum velinattu arikkaiyaga ullathu. thepropen(singthambapanni) enra peyaril ilangaiyai arimugappaduthiya avar ilangaiyin alavai, inthiya sirugandathilirunthu ilangaikku varuvatharku sellum kalam, ilangaikku sonthamana kappalkalin thanmai thodarpaga vilakkappaduthiyullar.ilangaiyai azhaippatharku kirig nattavar payanpaduthiya peyarkalil palesimunthu (samaskirutha: parasamuthira) salige (singalam) silethipa (singalathivipa) enpavaiyagum. ilangaiyai kadalal magudam sudappatta nadenrum ninda thumbikkaigalulla yanaigal ulla nadenrum epasassil elegssandar (ki.mu muthalam nurrandu) therivithullar. uyartharamana yanaithanthangal marrum amaiyin mel odugan errumathi seyyum nadena ilangaiyai sropo (ki.mu muthalam nurrandu) arimugappaduthiyullar.

ilangai makkal nindagalam vazhum noyarra makkal ena attimidoras (ki.mu 104-101) merkolkatti plini therivithullar. ilangai thodarpaga agappurathana roma arikkaigal ilangaikku vantha aniyas plogamus (ki.mu41-54) marrum avarathu samagalathavarana sopothurossin kalathukkuriyathagum. paisenthiyanu kalagattathil ilangaiyai azhaikka payanpaduthiya “ serenthevi” “ serenthipa;” agiyavaigal “singala thivipa” enra varthaiyin sollilakkana mulathil sorupamagum. athu pirkalathil “seylo” “selan” marrum “silon” enru parinamam adainthathu. sinava-pin pinng kalagattathirku (ki.pi 1-6) sambanthappatta arikkaigalil ilangaiyai “sang-kiya-lo” enra peyaril arimugappaduthiyullathu. athu “singala” enra sollai sina pashaiyil ezhuthuvatharku merkonda oru muyarsiyagum. therku asiyavin thenthisaiyil ellaiyilulla ilangaithivu migavum athiga iyarkai valangalaiyum kalasara valangalaiyum konda thivagavum, kizhakkaiyum merkaiyum inaikkum inthu samuthirathin purathana varthaga pugola kenthira nilaiyamagavum kanappattamaiyal ilangaikku purathana kalamirunthu velinattavarkalin nirantharamana kavanathai kidaikkappattathu.

Automated translation (not verified):

Map of Taprophen (Ceylon) by Rolamy (2.284?194 )

Ancient Sri Lanka as Seen by Foreigners—The natural beauty and culture of Sri Lanka are described in the reports of many ancient seafarers who sailed the Indian Ocean. These reports are accepted as a factor in the reception of Sri Lanka in the ancient world, and on the other hand, they are also considered important historical documents.

The earliest foreign report on ancient Sri Lanka is that of Onesicritus, a Greek who lived between 326 and 323 BC. He introduced Sri Lanka under the name Theprophane (Singthambapanni), and explained the size of Sri Lanka, the time it took to reach Sri Lanka from the Indian subcontinent, and the nature of the ships that belonged to Sri Lanka. The names used by the Greeks to call Sri Lanka were Palesimundu (Sanskrit: Parasamudra), Salige (Sinhala), and Silediba (Sinhala). Alexander of Ephesus (1st century BC) described Sri Lanka as a land crowned by the sea and a land of elephants with long trunks. Srobo (1st century BC) introduced Sri Lanka as a country that exported high-quality ivory tusks and tortoise shells.

Pliny, citing Attimidorus (104-101 BC), stated that the people of Sri Lanka were long-lived and disease-free. The earliest Roman accounts of Sri Lanka date back to the time of Aeneas Blocamus (41-54 BC) and his contemporary Sopoturus. The Byzantine names for Sri Lanka, such as “Serendevi” and “Serendip” are the etymological roots of the word “Sinhala Island”. This later evolved into “Ceylon”, “Ceylon” and “Ceylon”. Reports from the Chinese-Pin period (1-6 AD) introduce Sri Lanka as “Sang-Kia-Lo”. This was an attempt to write the word “Sinhala” in Chinese. Sri Lanka, located on the southern border of South Asia, has attracted the constant attention of foreigners since ancient times, as an island with abundant natural and cultural resources and an ancient trading hub in the Indian Ocean connecting the East and the West.

Gallery information:

These photos were taken at the Maritime Museum in Galle (Sri Lanka) which include objects recovered from the 2nd century B.C. Godawaya shipwreck. The Maritime Museum is housed in Galle's historic Dutch warehouse (built in 1671) and opened its doors on May 9, 1992. The Maritime Archaeology Museum is serving as a centre of education for various groups of visitors and researchers of Southern region of Sri Lanka.