Comparison of the Contents of the Palm Leaf Manuscripts “Jale-Abhisek” in the Khmer Version with the Thai Version

Abstract

The objective of this research article is to study and compare the contents appearing in the palm leaf manuscripts “Jali-abhisek” in the Khmer language version and the Thai language version. The research format is qualitative research. By analyzing and comparing the presentation style and content in both languages and writing a descriptive narrative. The research results found that the palm leaf manuscripts “Jali-abhisek” in Khmer and Thai versions probably got the content from the Jali-abhisek in Pali language version, which may be considered the 14th kantha of the Mahajati Vessantara Jataka. Because it was a  kantha that was added to the original 13 kantha to explain the reasons why Jali and Kanha were not reborn as brothers in their last life. The writing style is similar. That is, mainly the text that appears in the Pali version. Then expand the prose in their own language. As for the content, it was found that both versions have the same main plot. Because they all use the same model from the Pali language version. But there will be differences in the content details. The Khmer language version has additional content on traditions, culture and way of life of the Cambodian people during the time this manuscript was written. This is different from the Thai version that focuses on stories and content based on the Pali version only.

The knowledge gained from this research is Even though most Thais and Cambodians practice Buddhism as well. They have similar religious traditions and practices. But when we study deeper into the details, we find that there are many different ideas, practices, and beliefs. This is clearly reflected in the comparison of the contents of these two languages.