UNESCO Adds Bhagavadgītā and Nāṭyaśāstra to Memory of the World Register

Two ancient Indian texts—the Bhagavadgītā and the Nāṭyaśāstra—have been added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Memory of the World Register, a list that recognises documentary heritage of global significance.

The manuscripts were among 74 new additions to the Register announced this week by UNESCO. Their inclusion brings the total number of collections on the Register to 570.
 

Manuscript of the Nāṭyaśāstra of Bharatamuni: 

The Nāṭyaśāstra, attributed to Indian sage Bharatamuni, is widely regarded as the foundational treatise on Indian performing arts. Believed to have been codified around the 2nd century BCE, the text spans 36,000 verses. It outlines a comprehensive set of rules that define drama (nāṭya), performance (abhinaya), aesthetic experience (rasa), emotion (bhāva), and music (saṅgīta), providing a detailed framework that continues to influence theatre, poetics, aesthetics, dance, and music across India and rest of South Asia.

Manuscript Collection of the Bhagavadgītā: 

The Bhagavadgītā, a 700-verse philosophical dialogue between Hindu divine figure Kṛṣṇa and warrior Arjuna, forms part of the Indian epic Mahābhārata. It represents one of India's most significant philosophical works, synthesising various schools of thought such as Vedic, Buddhist, Jain, and Cārvāka. Due to its philosophical depth, the Bhagavadgītā has been read globally for centuries, translated into numerous languages including French, German and Spanish, and remains widely studied by scholars.

Both texts were submitted by India as part of its efforts to preserve and promote its documentary heritage.

About the Memory of the World Programme

Established in 1992, the Memory of the World Programme aims to promote the preservation of – and universal access to – the documentary heritage of humanity. Often extremely fragile, this heritage is exposed to risks of deterioration and disasters.

Click here to access the complete list of 74 new items of documentary heritage inscribed on the Memory of the World International Register in 2025.