초기 漢譯 불전에서 원어의 변용 사례_Bhadraka와 Āḷavaka를 중심으로

Abstract

A headman of one village is called bhadraka(or gandhabhaka) in Bhadraka-sutta of Saṃyutta Nikāya. This name is transliterated into jié-tán(竭曇) in Chinese version Vol. 32 of Saṃyukta Āgama, and translated literally into 'donkey family'(驢姓) in another Chinese version Vol. 7 of it. At the same time the jié-tán(竭曇) is appeared as a name of ghost(yakkha) together with another ghost called ā-là(阿臘) in Chinese version Vol. 50 of Saṃyukta Āgama. Besides in another Chinese version Vol. 15 of it, the jié-tán(竭曇) is translated into 'donkey'(驢駒), and the ā-là(阿臘) is translated into 'the wilds'(曠野). Following up a clue of these words, though the original word of jié-tán(竭曇) is verified as āḷavaka in Āḷavaka-sutta, there is not the original word of jié-tán(竭曇). In this case, according to transliteration the original word of ghost jié-tán(竭曇) will be also bhadraka(or gandhabhaka). While according to literal translation the original word of it will be gadrabha(or donkey). But in the light of related narratives and other sources, it can be confirmed that the original word of headman jié-tán(竭曇) equal to 'donkey family'(驢姓) is bhadraka(or gandhabhaka), and that of ghost jié-tán(竭曇) equal to 'donkey'(驢駒) is gadrabha. As above Buddhist texts translated into Chinese lack consistency in translated terms. As a result, readers would misconstrue the original meaning of a word so often. This misconstruction may be resulted from the characteristic of Chinese letters, and may have nothing to do with understanding of translators. However when we have to understand the original meaning of Buddhist texts on the authority of the Chinese version, we ought to investigate a point in dispute thoroughly, that is, the transfiguration of the original word or the variety of transliteration.