Researchers from Selwyn College at the University of Cambridge have discovered a rare palm-leaf manuscript of the Bhagavannāmabhūṣaṇa, a Sanskrit text attributed to Śrīdhara Veṅkaṭeśa, in a monastery located in Marudanallur, Tamil Nadu. This manuscript, previously unknown to scholars, had been venerated daily for generations and was stored in a wooden box alongside objects related to Sadguru Swami, a key figure in the bhajana tradition, which emphasizes devotional practices centered on the recitation of divine names. The scribe of the manuscript encoded the date of its creation in an astrological verse, allowing researchers to estimate that it was copied in 1801, during Sadguru Swami’s lifetime. The Bhagavannāmabhūṣaṇa is considered one of the foundational texts of the Nāmasiddhānta, a spiritual tradition in which the repetition of a deity’s name is believed to lead to liberation. The discovery of this manuscript is part of the Beyond the Court research program, which explores Sanskrit religious knowledge in Brahmanical communities of the Kaveri Delta between 1650 and 1800. Unlike previous studies that focused on texts from royal courts and urban centers, this program emphasizes the intellectual life of rural villages and monasteries, which have been less studied. The manuscript’s condition surprised the research team, as palm leaves in the region are often damaged by heat and insects. However, the Bhagavannāmabhūṣaṇa from Marudanallur is remarkably well-preserved and readable, with the Sanskrit text written in grantha script, a writing system traditionally used in southern India. The researchers are currently preparing a scientific article on the manuscript’s significance and are continuing their investigations in other villages and monasteries within the Kaveri Delta. The findings from this discovery will be integrated into a geospatial open database, offering new insights into the spread and preservation of Sanskrit texts in rural and monastic settings. This work highlights the importance of examining religious knowledge beyond the more commonly studied urban and royal contexts, revealing the rich intellectual traditions of lesser-known communities.