UNESCO Memory of the World Register

UNESCO Memory of the World Register preserves and promotes access to valuable documentary heritage of global significance, ensuring its protection for future generations.

Context: The Shrimad Bhagavad Gita and Bharat Muni’s Natyashastra have been inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.

About UNESCO Memory of the World Register

The Memory of the World Programme was established by UNESCO in 1992.
Aim: Preservation and accessibility of the documentary heritage of humanity (manuscripts, oral traditions, audio-visual materials, library and archive holdings, etc.).
The UNESCO Memory of the World Register is a list of documents that hold global significance in terms of history, culture or social impact.
- Total number of inscribed collections – 570.
With the inclusion of the Gita and Natyashastra, India now has 14 entries in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.

Bhagavad Gita

It is a philosophical discourse that occurs on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, where Arjuna faces moral and emotional conflict before a war.
It contains 700 verses in 18 chapters, and is embedded within the Bhīṣmaparva (adhyāya 23-40) of the epic Mahabharata.
It was written by Maharishi Vedvyas Ji.

Natyashastra

It is a foundational guide to Indian theatre, poetics, aesthetics, dance and music.
It lays down an elaborate framework for various art forms, covering nāṭya (drama), abhinaya (performance), rasa (aesthetic essence), bhāva (emotion), and saṅgīta (music).
It was written by Bharat Muni. It is also known as Nāṭyaveda or Gāndharvaveda.
It comprises 36,000 verses. It is believed to be derived from an oral tradition.
It’s also known as the fifth Veda.