On The Sanskrit Interpretation Of Yunnan 's Remnant City

Nagari Sanskrit was popular as Sanskrit fonts from the Five Dynasties to Yuan Dynasty and prevalent as fonts for writing Buddhist scriptures in Song Dynasty. Since the founding of China, numerous archaeological findings on Yunnan have proven that Nagari Sanskrit was widely used in social life in Yunnan in Dablit guaif. Much Nagari Sanskrit left in Yunnan is distinctive regardless of its writing styles, Buddhist texts or practical application. In the past, scholars intended to explore Nagari Sanskrit left in Yunnan from the perspective of history study and ethnology, etc, but rarely pertinently interpreted it as words used in Buddhist scriptures and factor of religious cultures in detail.Therefore, materials about Nagari Sanskrit left in Yunnan are integrated based on its features in combination with field survey and literature. Then, the materials are interpreted by Sanskrit-Chinese collation. At last, the reasons why NagarT Sanskrit transformed from scripts of Buddhist scriptures to symbols of religious belief are explained from the perspective of Buddhism communication and the study of religion.This paper is divided into four parts as follows:1. General situation of Nagari Sanskrit left in Yunnan. Nagari Sanskrit refers to writing scripts transformed from Sanskrit of the ancient India. As one of five popular Sanskrit styles in China, Yunan Nagari Sanskrit was extensively seen in Sutrapitaka and Buddhist relics of Song Dynasty. The Nagari Sanskrit left in Yunnan is unique in writing, grammar and application and so on. It mainly appears in different forms of carriers in Yunnan, such as historical literature, inscriptions on tablets or gravestones, utensils made from tiles or metals.2. Interpretation of Nagari Sanskrit left in Yunnan. According to materials on Nagari Sanskrit collected from field survey on Yunnan, different versions are proofread and Sanskrit-Chinese are collated based on philology. Due to limited capabilities and time, only Heart Sutra, Namo Bhagavate Trailokya Prativisistaya Buddhaya and Sanskrit seed syllables are interpreted. By interpreting the Nagari Sanskrit left in Yunnan, effort is made to present the content of sutra written in Nagari Sanskrit as much as possible.Thirdly, religious significance of Nagari Sanskrit left in Yunnan. It may be found from widespread circulation, development and changes of Nagari Sanskrit in Yunnan that Nagari Sanskrit was spread into Yunnan as original texts of Buddhist sutras at the very beginning. Because of complicated composition of religious cultures in Yunnan and inherent adaptation of Buddhism in the process of communication, changes have occurred to intrinsic functions and external representations. In this way, symbols of religious belief have gradually come into being with distinctive local cultural characteristics. Throughout historical changes, Nagari Sanskrit has progressively lost its function as symbols of religious beliefs until it becomes lost cultural tracks.