in Khmer inscriptions as the language of the gods, especially for poems and prayers offered in their honour. Their structure is fixed: after an introductory invocation of the divinity, comes the praise of the founder or benefactor of the sanctuary before ending with imprecatory verses aimed at anyone who would not protect the premises of the temple and wishing them the chastisement of hell.

Useful archeological information is most often found in the central part, which often reveals the name of the ruling