Prince Suvannamegha, son of King Sudassa, was expelled from the kingdom of Benares following intrigues perpetrated against him by a minor queen. He wandered in the jungle, accompanied by a golden-hair dog, and found refuge in a hermitage where he studied the arts and sciences before marrying Gandhamalā, the hermit's daughter. Later on, the minor queen's daughter was offered as food to a yakşa. The young prince. freed her and was placed on the throne of Benares by his father, King Sudassa.
Colophon:
[The writing of this manuscript] was completed in early afternoon, on the sixth waxing-moon day of the first [lunar] month, the sixth day of the week, in CS 1249, a moeng khai year. I, Monk Indavijaya, wrote the manuscript during my stay of assistance to Sawathu Cao Khruba Sommana. May the merit derived from writing this Dhamma manuscript titled Suvaṇṇamegha be transferred to my family members. May I possess sharp wisdom and may the life of Buddhism be prolonged 5,000 years.
Nibbāna paccayo hotu no niccaṃ dhuvaṃ dhuvaṃ.
Monks and novices who use this manuscript are suggested to be patient and never complain to me. I have just recently learnt to inscribe palm-leaf manuscripts. Even though my handwriting is unstably small as hens’ eyes and big as buffalos’ eyes, I still wish Nibbāna.
Other notes:
The date corresponds to Friday, 23 September 1887 (1249 Asvina 6).