Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Sanskrit term Prajñāpāramitā combines prajñā meaning wisdom or knowledge and pāramitā meaning excellence, perfection, or that which has gone to the other side. This phrase defines a perfected way of seeing the nature of reality within Mahāyāna Buddhism.
Evidence suggests the Aśtasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra was probably put into writing during the 1st century BCE. Edward Conze largely based these dates on the timeline of translations into other languages.
Scholars have proposed that Mahāyāna Prajñāpāramitā teachings first developed among the Caitika subsect of the Mahāsāñghikas. They originated amongst southern Mahāsāñghika schools located along the Krsna River in the Andhra region.
Main translators included Lokakşema, Zhī Qīan, Dharmarakşā, Mokşala, Kumārajīva, Xuánzàng, Făxián, and Dānapāla. Xuanzang traveled to India and returned with three copies of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra secured from his travels.
Most modern scholars see Śūnyatā as the central theme of these sutras. Dharmas are empty of any own-being because they depend on something other than themselves.