This manuscript is Jātaka or a story of the Buddha’s past life given to his disciples. (Fascicle 1) Once upon a time, the king of Brāhmadatta city had two queens: Candādevī and Kòngkham. During Candādevī’s pregnancy, she was slandered by Kòngkam for cheating on the king. Candādevī was thus chased away and lived outside the city. She gave birth to a Bodhisatta son who lived in a conch shell. When Candādevī knew that her son lived inside, she broke the shell and called her son “Suvaṇṇasaṅkha.”
Colophon:
แล้ววันเสา แก่ข้าแล นายที่ไหว้เหิย แล้วกองงายแล อุปปฆภิกขุริขิตตะ สักราชได้ 1204 ตัว ปีเต่ายีแล ฯ สักราชได้ 1204 ตัว ปีเต่ายีแล อุปปธภิกขุได้ส้างธัมม์สุวัณณสังขะ ไว้ค้ำชูสาสนา 5 พันภวัสสาแท้ดีหลีแล ฯ
The writing [of this manuscript] was finished on a Saturday at the time of the morning drum by Phra Upakha in CS 1204, a tao yi year, to ensure the continuation of the five-thousand-year Buddhist era.
Remark: The year corresponds to 1842 CE.
Other notes:
The wooden card reads “Suvaṇṇasaṅkha, six fascicles in total”.
(The left side of the first folio) “Suvaṇṇasaṅkha, first fascicle”.