Editing Majapahit (section)

===Literature===
The literature of Majapahit was the continuation of [[Javanese literature|Javanese]] [[Kawi language|Kawi]] Hindu-Buddhist scholarly tradition that produces ''[[kakawin]]'' poem that has been developed in Java since the 9th century [[Medang Kingdom|Medang Mataram]] era, all the way through [[Kediri Kingdom|Kadiri]] and Singhasari periods. Notable Javanese literary works dated from an earlier period, such as Kadiri's 11th century Kanwa's [[Arjunawiwaha]], 12th-century Dharmaja's [[Smaradahana]], Sedah's [[Bharatayuddha]], Panuluh's [[Kakawin Hariwangsa|Hariwangsa]] also popular [[Panji (prince)|Panji cycles]] are continuously preserved and rewritten by ''Rakawi'' (Hindu-Buddhist poet or scholar) in Majapahit era. Notable literary works that were produced in the Majapahit period among others are Prapanca's [[Nagarakretagama]], Tantular's [[Sutasoma]], and [[Tantu Pagelaran]]. Popular tale of [[Sri Tanjung]] and [[Damarwulan]] also dated from Majapahit period. These [[Old Javanese]] ''kakawins'' were written and composed by ''Rakawis'' (poets) to worship the king of the gods whose incarnation the king represented.<ref name="Siva-Buddha">{{cite book | title = Worshiping Siva and Buddha: The Temple Art of East Java | author1 = Ann R. Kinney | author2 = Marijke J. Klokke | author3 = Lydia Kieven | publisher = University of Hawaii Press | year = 2003 | isbn = 9780824827793 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=sfa2FiIERLYC&q=Kakawin+Majapahit&pg=PA34}}</ref>

Nagarakretagama composed by Prapanca in 1365 is a vital source of the premier historical account of Majapahit historiography. While Sutasoma is an important literature for modern Indonesian nationhood, since the national motto ''[[Bhinneka Tunggal Ika]]'', which is usually translated as ''[[Unity in Diversity]]'', was taken from a ''pupuh'' ([[canto]]) of this manuscript.<ref>{{cite book | title = Sutasoma: The Ancient Tale of a Buddha-Prince from 14th Century Java by the Poet Mpu Tantular | editor1 = Kate O'Brien | editor2 = Petrus Josephus Zoetmulder | publisher = Orchid Press | year = 2008 | isbn = 9789745241077| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=u7ZJJwAACAAJ&q=sutasoma+bhinneka+tunggal+ika}}</ref>

[[File:Palmleaf of Kakawin Sutasoma from Java01.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75|Palm leaf manuscript of ''[[Kakawin Sutasoma]]'', a 14th-century Javanese poem]]
This quotation comes from Sutasoma canto 139, stanza 5. The full stanza reads as follows:

<blockquote><poem>''Rwâneka dhâtu winuwus Buddha Wiswa,''
''Bhinnêki rakwa ring apan kena parwanosen,''
''Mangka ng Jinatwa kalawan Siwatatwa tunggal,''
''Bhinnêka tunggal ika tan hana dharma mangrwa.''</poem></blockquote>

Originally, the poem was meant to promote the religious tolerance between the Hindu and Buddhist religions, specifically promote the syncretic Shiva-Buddha doctrine.<ref name="Siva-Buddha"/>

In ''Yingya Shenglan'', Ma Huan describes the writing system used in Majapahit. For the writing, they had known the alphabet using ''So-li'' (Chola{{snd}}Coromandel/Southern India) letters. There is no paper or pen, they use ''Chiao-chang'' (''kajang'') or palm leaf (''[[Palm-leaf manuscript#Javanese and Balinese|lontar]]''), written by scraping it with a sharp knife. They also have a developed language system and grammar.<ref name=yingyai />