The manuscript in Tibetan dbu-med script contains a combination of Milarepa’s life story and his song collection.
It is clearly based on a version written by the third Karmapa. He compiled the text called "Black Treasury" (Dzö Nakma). Up to the sixth Karmapa, this text was exclusively and secretly handed down through the so-called "one-to-one transmission". The author's remark at the end of the text is: "The material was gathered and written down under the supervision of Milarepa, and he himself made amendments to the text. He himself gave the reading transmission and it was handed down from his heart-disciple Rechungpa through the first Karmapa and all the way down to the sixth Karmapa."
If we believe the colophon, then this text is the authoritative version approved by Milarepa himself. The colophon also states that all later versions of the legend of Milarepa would go back to this version.
This manuscript is likely to be very valuable for future research on Milarepa.