These two manuscripts are the first ancient documents to be selected for the Memory of the World Register by UNESCO. According to UNESCO Nepal, they were selected because of their uniqueness and importance for the world.
The manuscript Susrutasamhita is 1,134 years old which is written in Sanskrit language on palm leaves. The manuscript is at Kaiser Library. According to the library, the manuscript focuses especially on surgery and discusses various kinds of diseases related to heart, skin, gynecology, etc.
“It is also considered as the oldest document in the field of Ayurveda medicine,” said Janaki Karmacharya, chief of Kaiser Library. “It also describes various methods and use of herbs in curing diseases.”
Likewise the Nisvasattatvasamhita manuscript is the oldest and important source of tantrism which is deposited at the National Archives. According to them, it has had a great influence in shaping other tantric texts and it is supposed to be written in the 8th century.
“Tantrism has had impact on many major Asian religions and even influenced the Islam practiced in India,” said Prakash Darnal, chief of National Archives. “It is also written in Sanskrit language on palm leaves.”
These two manuscripts were shortlisted by a committee with representatives from Tribhuwan University Central Library, National Archives, Kaiser Library, Madan Library and Nepal National Library. The committee had submitted the two names in 2012 before UNESCO. And it took a year for UNESCO to finalize the names of winning manuscripts.
“I congratulate Nepal for the inscriptions of the two manuscripts in the Memory of the World Register. I am confident that their inclusion in the Register contributes to creating greater awareness of the need to preserve Nepal´s memory held in the country´s archives and libraries”, a statement quoted Axel Plathe, UNESCO representative to Nepal.
This year 55 new ancient documents including the two manuscripts from Nepal are added to the Memory of the World Register list. Last year, Rigveda, the oldest among the four Vedas and literary document on human kind was added to the list.
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