著者

森 雅秀

出版者

東京大学東洋文化研究所

雑誌

東洋文化研究所紀要 (ISSN:05638089)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.142, pp.130-86, 2003-03

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The vāstunāga, literally means “a serpent of site”, is the nāga drawn on the surface of the ground where a building is to be constructed. It was performed as a part of the traditional architectural ritual in India. In the period when Tantric Buddhism flourished, the vāstunāga ritual was applied to the procedure of mandala construction. For the mandala stands for the dwelling palace of the deities depicted in it, the Buddhists of this period followed the method of the architectural ritual for its construction. The following ritual compendiums of Tantric Buddhism explain the vāstunaga ritual: the Vajrāvalī by Abhāyakaragupta, the Ācāryakriyāsamuccaya by Jagaddarpana, and the Kriyāsamgrahapañjikā by Kuladatta. It is also mentioned in the ritual manuals written by Tathāgatavajra, Divākaracandra, Ratnaraksita, Prajñāraksita and Durjayacandra. The architectural texts of Hindu tradition, such as the Śilpaprakāśa, the Vastuvidyā also provide the information of this ritual. In addition, some manuscripts in which the vāstunaga is depicted are available in Nepal and Tibet. According to these information sources, I introduce the details of the vāstunaga ritual in this article. I, then, indicate the variety of this ritual found in them, especially the difference of the ritual purpose between Hindu architectural ritual and the mandala construction of Buddhism should be distinguished.