Himaphan or Himavanta, the section on the Himalaya is the second of the 13 sections of the Vessantara Jataka. It describes Prince Vessantara’s birth, his marriage to Princess Maddī, and their two beloved children named "Jali" and "Kanha". Then, Prince Vessantara was deported to the forest by the citizens of the Sivi to give away the invaluable white elephant of the city to Kalingka city. Maddī asked Prince Vessantara to accompany her to the forest. Then she narrated the region of the Himalaya as if she had already seen it.
Colophon:
สระเด็ฌแล้วแตรฅ่ำแก่ข้าแล ฯ
นิพฺพาน ปจฺจโย โหนฺตุ เม เมตฺเตยฺย สนฺติเก อนาคเต นิจํ ธุวํ ธุวํ แก่ข้า แต้มค้ำสวาธุเจ้าจันทะแล ที่ตกค็ตกแล ที่ไหว้ตนใดได้เทสนา พิจจรณาหื้อถี่ถี่แท้เทิอะ ฯ
The copying [of this manuscript] was completed in the evening.
Nibbānapaccayo hotu me metteya santike anāgate niccaṃ duvaṃ duvaṃ
[May the merit derived from copying this manuscript lead me to Nibbāna in the era of Buddha Metteyya.]
I copied this manuscript for Phra Cantha. There might be some mistakes, so please use it carefully.
Other notes:
- The first thirteen folios are perhaps missing because the manuscript begins with folio 14.
- The last folio contains pencil drawings of a bird and flowers.