敦煌唐五代旷野鬼夜叉图像小议

敦煌地区的莫高窟和榆林窟盛唐至五代洞窟壁画,以及藏经洞出土绢画、版画、纸本画中,出现一些携抱童子的男性图像。通过比较犍陀罗、龟兹相关图像,认为这种特异图像为旷野鬼夜叉。继而检阅有关佛教文献,得知原本啖食童子的旷野鬼夜叉,被释迦佛降伏后皈依佛教。敦煌地区的旷野鬼夜叉图像表明,在当地夜叉已转变成庇护童子的善神。敦煌旷野鬼夜叉图像是在西域龟兹、于阗等地佛教文化影响下产生的,在敦煌发展过程中又形成鲜明的地域特征。

A Discussion on Atavika Images in Dunhuang from the Tang to the Five Dynasties

In the period between the High Tang dynasty to the Five Dynasties, the image of a male Yak a carrying a boy appears a couple of times in the mural paintings in the Mogao and Yulin Grottoes, as well as in a silk painting, woodcut prints, and one paper painting from the Dunhuang Library Cave. Based on a comparative study of the relevant narrative images in Gandharan reliefs and Kucha mural paintings, this article identifies this very Yak a as Atavika. As narrated in Buddhist literature,Atavika was an evil child-eater before his conversion to Buddhism. The Atavika images in Dunhuang confirm, however, that Atavika became a benevolent Yak a who protected children. The Atavika images of Dunhuang took shape under strong influence from the Buddhist cultures of Kucha and Khotan, though later developments display increasingly strong local features.