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Historical Manuscript
Varnaratnakar (1324 CE)
Author / Source: Kavi Shekharacharya Jyotirishwar Thakur
“The oldest surviving prose text not only in Maithili, but in any modern North Indian (Indo-Aryan) vernacular language—composed during the reign of King Harisimhadeva of the Karnata Dynasty.”
Literary Significance & Summary
Structured into seven 'Kallolas' (waves), Varnaratnakar is an encyclopedic compendium of 14th-century court life, music, dance (Kathak/Bhat), flora, textiles, cuisine, weaponry, and aesthetics in medieval Mithila. Preserved in the Tirhuta (Mithilakshar) script, it stands as a monumental linguistic milestone.