Object Number: VRM689

Dimensions: 55.9 x 5.4 cm

Material: Palm Leaf

Find Location: Unknown

Date: 8th-12th Century CE

This folio of palm leaves represents one of the best-preserved ancient manuscripts in Bangladesh and has been attributed to the Pala period. The material is sourced from the talipot palm (Corypha umbraculifera) and each page is pierced with two holes so they could be bound together into a complete book. Unlike stone inscriptions, palm leaf manuscripts are fragile and susceptible to damage and destruction from insects, fires and floods. Stored carefully within the Varendra Research Museum, this object can tell us about the cultural, artistic and religious practices of the past.

This palm leaf manuscript is a copy of the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita, translated as ‘The Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom in Eight Thousand Verses’, and is a major text of Mahayana Buddhism. It details a discussion between the Buddha and one of his disciples, Subhuti, relating to the nature of existence. It is written in Sanskrit and is beautifully illustrated with decorative elements and paintings of the Buddha.

These manuscripts were not just texts but venerated objects in themselves, imbued with sacred and spiritual powers. Part of their sacredness is their association with the learned and religious individuals who had held these objects and helped transmit their teachings to others.

Painted palm leaf manuscripts were one element of Pala cultural expression. It was likely produced under the patronage of a Buddhist monastic community. These texts were widely circulated by teachers throughout the Bengal Basin, eastern India and into the Himalayas, spreading the teachings of Mahayana Buddhism.