Culavana or Cullapon, meaning ‘a small forest’ is the sixth episode of the 13 episodes of the Vessantara Jataka and tells of a Brahmin called Jūjaka who was walking to Mount Vamka to ask Prince Vessantara for the two kumara (young prince and princess), Jali and Kanha. On his way, Jūjaka meets the hunter, Jetaputta. When he was chased by the hunter’s dogs, he climbed up a tree where he tricked the hunter by telling him that he was a royal emissary sent to invite Prince Vessantara. The hunter trusted him and showed him the way to Vamkata.
Colophon:
สระเดฌแล้วยามกองแรงแก่ข้าน้อยแล นิพฺพาณํ ปลมํ สุกฺขํ ดีหลีเทิอะ ฯ แต้มค้ำชูสวาธุเจ้าพินทา พอหื้อแล้วแก่เจตนาแลเจ้าเหิย ตัวบ่งามสักงายแลนายเหิย ทุเจ้าภะนายตนใดได้เทสนาค่อยพิจจรณาถี่ๆ แด่ ฯ
The [writing of this manuscript] was completed at the time of the evening drum. Nibbānaṃ paramaṃ sukhaṃ. I wrote [the manuscript] according to Monk Phintha’s request. My handwriting is not beautiful. Monks and novices who use [this manuscript] for chanting are suggested reading it carefully.
Other notes:
(Left side of the first folio) “Culavana, Kamphaeng Chan Nai Version”.