Ancient Talang Tuo Inscription Tells of A Bountiful Park and Well Being for All Creatures

by Kooi F. Lim, The Buddhist Channel, 13 July 2023

<< Louis Constant Westenenk

Named after the village where it was found, the Talang Tuo Sanskrit inscription is a significant Srivijaya archaeological find from the 7th century. It provided valuable insights into the early development of Buddhism in Southeast Asia. It is also one of the world's oldest inscriptions that speak of the environment.

For those new to the history of Southeast Asia, Palembang was the capital of Srivijaya, a Buddhist kingdom that ruled much of the western Indonesian Archipelago from the 7th to 13th century CE and controlled many maritime trade routes, including the Strait of Malacca.

The inscription was discovered in excellent condition, displaying clearly engraved scripts. It measures 50 cm × 80 cm and is made of stone. It bears the date 606 Saka, which corresponds to March 23, 684, and the text is written in the Pallava script (which later evolved into the Tamil and Grantha script) in old Malay language.

The inscription is significant for a number of reasons. First, it provides the earliest evidence of the presence of Buddhism in Sumatra and demonstrated that the Srivijaya empire was a powerful and sophisticated Buddhist kingdom. It also indicated the important role that Srivijaya played in the spread of Buddhism in the region.

Secondly, it shows that the Perfection of Wisdom sutras were already being studied and propagated in Southeast Asia by the 7th century.

According to the French historian George Cœdès (1886-1969), the translation provided below represents the full Talang Tuo inscription:

On 23 March 684, on this day the park named Śrīksetra was created under the order of Sri Baginda Śrī Jayanāśa. His Majesty's intention is (as follows): May all (plants) planted here, coconut tree, Areca catechu, Arenga pinnata, sagoo, and all kinds of trees, the fruits, be edible, as well as haur bamboo, waluh, and pattum, et cetera; and may all other plants (together) with dams and ponds, and all of good deeds that I have (contributed) be enjoyed by all creatures; the ones that can move around and ones that cannot, and may this be the best path to achieve happiness.

And may they always (act) generously, follow (the) rules and (have) patience; may they grow (in) strength, diligence, knowledge of all kinds of arts; may their attention be focused, (may they) have knowledge, good memory and intelligence. May they have tenacious thought, with diamond body like the Mahāsattvas with incomparable power, glorious and (be able to) remember their previous lives, with complete senses; (may they have) fully (beautifully) formed, happy, smiling, calm, pleasant voice - (like) the voice of Brahmā. May they be (born as a) man, with (their) very existence (a blessing); may they become the vessel of cintamani sacred stone [a wish-fulfilling jewel], have power of (overcoming the cycles of) births, power over karma, power upon (moral) stains, and may they finally achieve the perfect and grand (spiritual) enlightenment.

Consisting of 14 lines, the inscription was initially translated by Van Ronkel and Bosch, whose findings were published in Acta Orientalia ¹. Since its discovery in 1920, the inscription has been preserved in the National Museum of Indonesia in Jakarta, cataloged under the inventory number D.145.

The Talang Tuo Inscription Stone is a valuable resource for scholars of Southeast Asian history and culture, and it is a must-see for anyone interested in the history of Buddhism in the region.

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Note:

1. Ronkel, S. Van, "A Preliminary Notice Concerning Two Old Malay Inscriptions in Palembang (Sumatra)", http://sealang.net/oldmalay/archives/ronkel1924preliminary.pdf

About the Author

Kooi F. Lim is Managing Editor of the Buddhist Channel (https://buddhistchannel.tv). You can follow his blog at https://kooifonglim.wixsite.com