ນິທານເລື່ອງ ສຽວສະຫວາດເປັນວັນນະກໍາຄໍາສອນທີ່ມີເນື້ອເລື່ອງເປັນນິທານສະລັບກັບຄໍາສອນຈົນໝົດເລື້ອງ. ໃນເມືອງພາຣານະສີ ມີກະດຸມພີ ໒ ຜົວເມຍ ມີລູກຊາຍ ໒ ຄົນ ຜູ້ອ້າຍຊື່ວ່າ “ສີສະຫຼຽວ” ແລະຜູ້ນ້ອງ ຊື່ວ່າ “ສຽວສະຫວາດ”. ຕໍ່ມາ ພໍ່ແມ່ໄດ້ປຸກເຮືອນ ໒ ຫຼັງ, ປຸກແລ້ວຫຼັງໜຶ່ງ ອີກຫຼັງໜຶ່ງຍັງບໍ່ແລ້ວ. ວັນໜຶ່ງ ພໍ່ໄດ້ຮຽກລູກທັງສອງມາ ໃຫ້ເລືອກເອົາເຮືອນຄົນລະຫຼັງ ເພື່ອຢາກທົດສອບວ່າ “ຜູ້ໃດສະຫຼາດກວ່າກັນ”. ພໍ່ກໍ່ເລີຍຖາມປັນຫາປິດສະໜາວ່າ “ມີເຮືອນຢູ່ສອງຫຼັງ, ຫຼັງໜຶ່ງປຸກເປັນເຮືອນຮຽບຮ້ອຍແລ້ວ, ອີກຫຼັງໜຶ່ງ ຍັງບໍ່ທັນໄດ້ສ້າງ ແຕ່ວ່າມີວັດສະດຸອຸປະກອນຄົບ ລູກທັງສອງຈະເລືອກເອົາເຮືອນຫຼັງໃດ”. ທ້າວສີສະຫຼຽວຕອບວ່າ ລູກເລືອກຫຼັງທໍາອິດ, ສ່ວນທ້າວສຽວສະຫວາດຕອບວ່າ ລູກເລືອກຫຼັງທີ່ຍັງບໍ່ທັນສ້າງ. ເມື່ອພໍ່ຟັງຄໍາຕອບກໍ່ຮູ້ທັນທີວ່າ ຜູ້ອ້າຍຈະຢູ່ກັບທີ່ ສ່ວນຜູ້ນ້ອງຈະຊັດເຊພະເນຈອນໄປຕັ້ງຫຼັກປັກຖານຢູ່ບ່ອນອື່ນ. ກ່ອນພໍ່ແມ່ຈະເຖິງແກ່ກໍາ, ໄດ້ສັ່ງສອນໃຫ້ລູກມີຄວາມໂອບເອື້ອອາລີຕໍ່ຜູ້ອື່ນ ບໍ່ຂີ້ຄ້ານ ໝັ່ນສຶກສາຫາຄວາມຮູ້ ຢ່າຫູເບົາໃຈນ້ອຍ. ຕໍ່ມາ, ສຽວສະຫວາດໄດ້ເດີນທາງໄປກັບເຮືອສໍາເພົາ, ນາຍເຮືອເຫັນວ່າເປັນຄົນສະຫຼາດຫຼັກແຫລມ ຈຶ່ງໃຫ້ແຕ່ງງານກັບລູກສາວຂອງຕົນ ຊື່ວ່າ ນາງສີໄວ. ຕໍ່ມາ, ເມືອງຈໍາປາເກີດຄວາມວຸ້ນວາຍຍ້ອນພະຣາຊາຊົງປົກຄອງບ້ານເມືອງບໍ່ເປັນທໍາ, ພະອົງເກນເອົາຊາວເມືອງມາເຝົ້າຮັກສາ ແຕ່ທຸກຄົນທີ່ມາເຝົ້າຖືກພະຣາຊາຂ້າຕາຍເພາະນອນຫຼັບ. ເມື່ອເຖິງຄືນທີ່ສຽວສະຫວາດມາເຝົ້າ, ສຽວສະຫວາດບໍ່ນອນແລະໄດ້ທ່ອງຄາຖາສຽງດັງໝົດຄືນ ເຮັດໃຫ້ພະລາຊາບໍ່ສາມາດອອກມາຂ້າຄົນເຝົ້າໄດ້. ເມື່ອພະລາຊາຖາມຄາຖາທີ່ສຽວສະຫວາດທ່ອງເມື່ອຄືນ, ສຽວສະຫວາດກໍ່ສາມາດຕອບໄດ້ ເຮັດໃຫ້ພະອົງພໍໃຈ ຈຶ່ງແຕ່ງຕັ້ງສຽວສະຫວາດເປັນອັກຄະມະຫາເສນາບໍດີ ມີໜ້າທີ່ສັ່ງສອນແລະອົບຮົມສີນທໍາແລະຮີດຄອງປະເພນີແກ່ປະຊາຊົນ. ນັບແຕ່ນັ້ນມາ ນະຄອນຈໍາປາກໍ່ມີຄວາມສະຫງົບສຸກ, ພະຣາຊາກໍ່ຕັ້ງຢູ່ໃນສີນທໍາ. ຄໍາລົງທ້າຍ: ລານທີ ໑໗ ໜ້າ ໑: ພຸດທະສັງກາດ ໒໔໘໒ ຕົວ ປີກັດເໝົ້າ ເດືອນ ໗ ແຮມ ໕ ຄໍ່າ ພໍ່າວ່າໄດ້ ວັນ ໔ ມື້ເປິກສະງ້າ ຣິດຈະນາແລ້ວຍາມກອງແລງ ໝາຍມີ ສາວອ່ອນຕາແມ່ອ້າຍເອື້ອຍນ້ອງຊູ່ຄົນ ໄດ້ມີໃຈໃສສັດທາເປັນອັນຍິ່ງ ຈິ່ງໄດ້ສ້າງ ລໍາສຽວສະຫວາດ ມັດນີ້ ໄວ້ກັບພະພຸດທະສາສະໜາເທົ່າຫມົດຊົ່ວໃບລານນີ້ ຕາບຕໍ່ເທົ້າຂໍໃຫ້ຜູ້ຂ້ານີ້ໄດ້ເຂົ້າສູ່ອາມຸດຕະມະຫານີຣະພານ ຂໍໃຫ້ໄດ້ດັ່ງຄໍາມັກຄໍາປາດຖະໜາແດ່ກໍ່ຂ້າ[ເທີ້ນ]. ປະການ ໑ ຂໍໃຫ້ຜູ້ຂ້ານີ້ໄດ້ພົບສາສະໜາພະອາຣິຍະເມດໄຕເຈົ້າອົງຈະລົງມາພາຍໜ້ານີ້ກໍ່ຂ້າເທີ້ນ. ປະການ ໑ ຂໍໃຫ້ບຸນຄຸນນະລາສີບາຣະມີອັນຜູ້ຂ້າໄດ້ສ້າງໜັງສືມັດນີ້ໄປຄໍ້າຊູຍາຕິກາພີ່ນ້ອງແຫ່ງຜູ້ຂ້າໄປຕົກທີ່ຮ້າຍຂໍໃຫ້ຍ້າຍສູ່ທີ່ດີກໍ່ຂ້າເທີ້ນ. ນິບພານັງ ປະຣະມັງ ສຸກຂັງ ທຸວັງໆ ນິບພານັງ ປະຣະມັງ ສຸກຂັງ. ຜູ້ຂຽນພິກຂຸສຸກຂະປັນຍາ ເປັນຜູ້ຣິດຈະນາ ຂໍໃຫ້ໄດ້ດັ່ງຄໍາມັກຄໍາປາດຖະໜາ ຕາບຕໍ່ເທົ້າ ຂໍຜູ້ຂ້ານີ້ໄດ້ເຂົ້າສູ່ພະນີພານກໍ່ຂ້າເທີ້ນ ຕຸວັງ ປະຣະມັງ ສຸກຂັງ.
The tale "Siao Savat" is a teaching literature running with a story that alternates with teachings until the end of the story. In Varanasi, there was a couple of rich man. They had two sons, the older one named "Si Saliao" and the younger one named is "Siao Savat". Later, parents built 2 houses, one was completed and the other one was not yet finished. Father called both sons to choose from each house, in order to test that both sons "who is smarter than another". So the father asked the riddle that "There are two houses: the first house has already built; the other house hasn't been built yet, but there's material and all the equipment. You each can choose a house." Si Saliao said, "I choose the first house.” Siao Savat said, "I choose the one that hasn't been built yet". When hearing the answers, the father immediately knew that, "the elder will live where he is. The younger will wander around and settle down somewhere else. Later, the parents passed away, but they taught their children to be kind to others, not to be lazy, diligently studying for knowledge, don't be light-hearted. Later, Siao Savat traveled with a junk. The captain saw his intellengence, so he married him with his daughter named Sivai (Sivaya). Later, the Kingdom of Champa was in trouble because the king ruled the village unfairly. He brought the men of the town to guard him, but everyone who came to guard him was killed by the king because he was sleeping. When the night of Siao Savat’s turn came, he did not sleep and recited verses loudly all night so that the king could not come out and kill the guards. When the king asked about the verses that Siao Savat recited last night, Siao Savat was able to answer, the king was satisfied. The king therefore appointed Siao Savat as the great minister, with the duty of teaching and training the people in the religion and customs. Since then, the kingdom of Champa had been peaceful, and the king was in morality. Colophon: Folio 17 on the recto side: Buddhist Era (BE) 2482, a kat mao year, on the fifth day of the waning moon of the seventh lunar month, the fourth day of the week (Wednesday), the writing was accomplished at the time of kòng laeng (between 13.30–15.00 o’clock). Sao Onta together with all her mother, brothers and sisters had the ardent religious faith to sponsor the making of this manuscript-bundle entitled Lam Siao Savat (Tale of Siao Savat for preaching) to support the Teachings of the Buddha to last until the end of the life of these palm leaves. May I enter into Nirvana. May my wishes not be ignored. On the other hand, may we meet the teaching of Ariya Metteyya who will come in the future. Moreover, may the results of this merit derived from making of this manuscript bundle support my relatives and siblings. Even if they are in a misery place, move them to a good place, definitely. Nirvana is the greatest bliss. Phikkhu Phothipannya is the scribe. May my desires and wishes come true and last until I enter into Nirvana, certainly, the greatest bliss.
Extent: 1 palm-leaf manuscript containing 17 leaves.
Size and dimensions of original material: Hight 4.4 cm, width 59.5 cm, depth 0.6 cm.
Condition of original material: Good.
Alternative calendar and date: Lao, BE 2482, a kat mao year
Author(s)/Creator(s): Unidentified.
Scribe(s): Bhikkhu Sukkhapannya.
Original institution reference: Manuscript Cabinet No.1.