Kakawin Sutasoma

It is the source of the motto of Indonesia, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, which is usually translated as Unity in Diversity, although it means '(Although) in pieces, yet One'.

[1] The Kakawin tells the epic story of Lord Sutasoma, and was written by Mpu Tantular in the 14th Century.

[1] Kakawin Sutasoma was written by Tantular during the golden age of the Majapahit empire, in the reign of either Prince Rajasanagara or King Hayam Wuruk.

Existing copies of Kakawin Sutasoma have survived in the form of manuscripts, written both on lontar and on paper.

However, there is one Javanese fragment surviving which forms part of the Merapi and Merbabu Collection.

This is a collection of ancient manuscripts originating from the region of the mountains of Merapi and Merbabu in Central Java.

The survival of this fragment confirms that the text of Kakawin Sutasoma is indeed Javanese rather than Balinese in origin.

Sutasoma then climbed into the Himalayan mountains in the company of several holy men, when they arrived at a certain hermitage, he was told a story of a king who had been reincarnated as a demon who liked eating humans.

Soon the king suffered a wound in his leg which would not heal, and he became more demonic and began to live in the jungle.

The demon surrendered and received a sermon from Sutasoma about Buddhism and that it is forbidden to kill any living creature.

King Dasabahu happened to meet with Sutasoma and invited him home so that he could marry his daughter.