敦煌唐五代旷野鬼夜叉图像小议

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

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。

In the period between the High Tang dynasty to the Five Dynasties, the image of a male Yaksa 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 Yaksa 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 At.avika became a benevolent Yaksa 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.