Exam Relevance:
UPSC GS-I: Indian Literature | Art and Culture | Historical Sources | Heritage Conservation
UPSC GS-II: International Organisations | Governance
UPSC GS-IV: Ethics | Duty | Contributions of Indian Thinkers
HPAS: Indian History and Culture | Manuscript Preservation | International Organisations

Why in News?

Manuscripts of the Mahabharata, Arthashastra and Rajatarangini have been inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register.

The decision was taken at the 11th session of the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) in Jakarta, Indonesia, and announced on 5 November 2026. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) prepared the nomination dossiers.

Important distinction: The recognition concerns specific manuscripts preserving these works. It is an inscription on the Asia-Pacific Regional Register, not the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Three Manuscripts at a Glance

Remember: Sanskrit is the language of these works; Sharada and Grantha are scripts used to write them. The age of a surviving manuscript is different from the date when its underlying text was composed.

Mahabharata: Epic Literature and Ethical Inquiry

The Mahabharata is one of the world’s longest epics. Its central narrative concerns the conflict between the Pandavas and Kauravas, but its scope extends to philosophy, social relationships, political authority and moral responsibility.

Key Themes

• Dharma: Questions of right conduct and moral responsibility.
• Kartavya: Duties arising from personal and public roles.
• Rajadharma: Responsibilities of rulers.
• Ethical dilemmas: Conflicts between loyalty, justice, duty and consequences.

The Bhagavad Gita, a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, forms part of the epic. These themes make the Mahabharata relevant to both cultural studies and ethics-based examination questions.

Significance of the Recognised Manuscript

The approximately 400-year-old birch-bark manuscript preserves an important Kashmiri version of the epic. It is fragmentary, rather than a complete copy of the entire Mahabharata.

The epic also influenced literary and performance traditions beyond India, particularly in Southeast Asia.

Arthashastra: Statecraft, Economy and Administration

The Arthashastra is a Sanskrit treatise traditionally attributed to Kautilya, also known as Chanakya or Vishnugupta, who is associated with Chandragupta Maurya.

It examines taxation, administration, justice, intelligence, diplomacy and military strategy. Its organisation comprises 15 books, 150 chapters and 180 sections. The work is important for understanding the history of Indian political and economic thought.

Important Concepts for UPSC

The recognised copy is a sixteenth-century palm-leaf manuscript in Grantha script. R. Shamasastry’s rediscovery of the text in 1905 brought it to wider scholarly attention.

Analytical relevance: The Arthashastra can support discussion of state capacity and administrative responsibility. Its historical prescriptions should be assessed in their context rather than treated as direct substitutes for modern constitutional principles.

Rajatarangini: A Chronicle of Kashmir

Written by Kalhana in the twelfth century, the Rajatarangini, commonly translated as “River of Kings”, narrates Kashmir’s history through accounts of rulers, dynasties and political developments.

Historical Significance

• Combines historical narration with Sanskrit poetry.
• Draws upon earlier records and traditions.
• Attempts to arrange events chronologically.
• Examines the conduct of rulers and the consequences of political decisions.

It is an important example of historical writing in premodern India. However, its early narratives also contain legendary material, so historians assess different portions critically rather than treating every account as equally reliable.

The recognised manuscript is preserved at the Oriental Research Library, Srinagar.

What Is UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme?

UNESCO launched the Memory of the World programme in 1992 to safeguard documentary heritage and improve access to it.

Documentary heritage includes manuscripts, archival records, photographs, audiovisual collections and digital materials.

Its main objectives are to:

1. Preserve documentary heritage, particularly material threatened by deterioration, disasters or neglect.
2. Improve access for research, education and public understanding.
3. Raise awareness of the importance of documentary collections.
4. Encourage cooperation among archives, libraries, governments and communities.

The programme operates through international, regional and national mechanisms. UNESCO’s 2015 Recommendation on documentary heritage, including digital heritage, guides preservation and access efforts.

Memory of the World vs Other UNESCO Recognition

Prelims caution: Inscription of a manuscript does not mean that its repository has become a World Heritage Site.

Other Important Indian Inscriptions

Asia-Pacific Regional Register, 2024

Three Indian documentary entries were recognised:

• Ramcharitmanas: Associated with Goswami Tulsidas.
• Panchatantra: A collection of fables traditionally attributed to Vishnu Sharma.
• Sahṛdayāloka-Locana: Important texts of Indian poetics and aesthetic interpretation.

International Register, 2025

Manuscripts of the Bhagavad Gita and Natyashastra were inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World International Register.

• Bhagavad Gita: Philosophical dialogue dealing with duty, action and spiritual understanding.
• Natyashastra: Traditionally attributed to Bharata; a foundational work on drama and performing arts.

Why Does This Recognition Matter?

The inscriptions highlight the diversity of India’s intellectual traditions: epic literature, political thought and historical writing.

Their educational significance extends beyond the texts themselves. Manuscripts preserve evidence of scripts, writing materials, copying practices and the transmission of knowledge across generations.

For Himachal Pradesh, the broader lesson is relevant to documenting and conserving manuscripts held in monasteries, temples, institutional collections and private custody.

Challenges and Way Forward

Manuscript conservation faces risks from humidity, insects, fire, floods, fragile materials and inadequate cataloguing. Limited expertise in older scripts can also restrict research.

Priority measures should include:

• Scientific conservation and suitable storage.
• High-resolution digitisation with reliable backups.
• Cataloguing, transcription and translation.
• Training in scripts such as Sharada and Grantha.
• Disaster preparedness for libraries and archives.
• Accessible digital collections, subject to appropriate custodial and cultural safeguards.

Digitisation supports preservation but does not replace the conservation of original manuscripts.

Conclusion

UNESCO’s recognition provides an opportunity to connect cultural pride with sustained conservation. Preserving these manuscripts requires protecting their physical form while making their historical, literary and philosophical content accessible to future generations.

Mains Practice Question:
“Documentary heritage preserves both intellectual traditions and the material history of knowledge.” Discuss with reference to the UNESCO recognition of the Mahabharata, Arthashastra and Rajatarangini manuscripts. (250 words)