Scientific life. Congresses, conferences, and symposia

On November 26-27, 2003, the Roerich Readings were held at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Traditionally, the reports were devoted to Tibetology, Sanskrit studies and other areas of Yu. N. Roerich's scientific activity.

T. Y. Elizarenkova (IB RAS) made a report "On the names of bodies in the Rig Veda". She noted that in the Rig Veda there are two words that mean body. The first word is tanu - f., the second is sarira - n. T. Y. Elizarenkova traced all the cases of using these words in the Rig Veda and based on linguistic and stylistic analysis made the following conclusions. The word tanu-f., most commonly used in the Rig Veda, derived from the verb tan-to pull, means "body", as a certain extension in time and space. It is this body image that is the basis for all meanings. In the Rig Veda, it means not only the physical structure of the body, but also abstract concepts. This word is often used in contexts that describe the person, the appearance of man and God, and the totality of physical and mental characteristics. In addition, there are contexts where the word tanu is close in meaning to the word atman and can be synonymous with it. The word sarira is rarely used in the Rig Veda, only seven times. Its etymology is not known. Context analysis shows that it has a narrower meaning ?"like a physical body, a physical substance. There are cases when it means a dead body. In general, the word tanu-played an important role in the Rig Veda, which reflected the worldview of Vedic poets.

The paper "The use of retrospection in Indian classical drama" by Yu.M. Alikhanov (ISAA at Moscow State University) considered the problem of retrospection, or memories in the plays of Bhasa, Kalidasa and Bhavabhuti. Memories are a must-have component of some traditional scenes of classical Indian theater. First of all, this applies to the scenes of the hero's suffering, separated from his beloved. It was noted that the memories of dramatic characters are twofold. In one case, the boundary between the present and the past is preserved, in the other-the time distance disappears and the past is experienced by the characters as the present. It is important that the actualization of the past is usually stimulated either by a pictorial image that recreates the past, or by a song that evokes appropriate associations.

BB report. Vershogradova (IV RAS) "Image and verbal text on the ways of generation (Buddhist relief from Bactria and the Pali canon Sutra)" was devoted to the problem of the relationship between verbal text and image on the example of a relief image on a ceramic disk from Kara Tepe (excavations in the 1990s). Understanding the meaning of this image was only possible by comparing it with the text of the Agannya Sutta of the Pali canon. V. V. Vertogradova concluded that the image and text fit the same creation myth. At the same time, both the relief and the sutta isolate approximately the same sequence of discrete binary oppositions.

A. M. Dubyansky (ISAA at Moscow State University) in his report "Buddhists and Jains in the mirror of Tamil Bhakti poetry" showed how the intensity of religious struggle was reflected in the works of the Shaivite poets Appara (VII century), Sundarara (VTJI century) and Sambandar (VII century). Their verses are extremely negative about the appearance and behavior of Buddhists and Jains. The most common argument that speaks against these teachings is that their followers are "dirty, brainless, uneducated, scoundrels who do not know the rules of behavior" , etc. Thus, this criticism was rather superficial, and there is no mention of doctrinal contradictions in the verses. The verses point out that Buddhists and especially Jains speak a strange language and don't really know it

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neither Tamil nor Sanskrit. This shows that they were treated not only as ideologically but also ethnically alien elements.

N. A. Zheleznova (IB RAS) in the report " Shvetambar-Digambar split. Towards a problem statement " noted that the Svetambara-Digambara split represents a dark page in the history of the Jain community. Traditionally, this split is dated by the Jain sources themselves to the first and second centuries A.D. Scholars agree with this dating. However, this view is based on an uncritical use of the sources of the Jain tradition itself. There are two versions of the split within Jainism itself: Svetambara and Digambara. Both versions were developed at a rather late time. An analysis of both literary sources and epigraphic data led to the conclusion that the split was not a one-time event. The existing versions of the schism are a refraction of a whole series of real events that took place in India during the Gupta era.

A. K. Vasiliev (MSU) made a presentation on "A Chapter on Dharma" from the "Precious Treasury of excellent sayings of Sakya Pandita". The "Chapter on Dharma" is the final chapter of Sakya Pandita's famous didactic work. It consists of 58 aphorisms, among which, in addition to the speech and conclusion, the following thematic groups can be distinguished: 1) giving and generosity; 2) virtue; 3) patience; 4) diligence; 5) concentration and meditation; 6) wisdom. The set and sequence of topics exactly corresponds to the paramitas-the main practices of a bodhisattva in Mahayana teaching. This allows us to characterize the "Chapter on Dharma" as a teaching on the basic Mahayana teaching; motivations and rich imagery indicate the predominant orientation of the text to lay Buddhists. It can be assumed that the entire "Precious Treasury" can be considered as an exposition of the basics of dharma. Chapters 1-8 also contain instructions on how to avoid bad rebirth and gain good merit, which corresponds to the lowest level of Buddhist teaching. Chapter 9 provides a higher-order teaching: it shows how to turn everyday life into a path to enlightenment. While generally preserving the imagery and themes of the Indian tradition, Sakya Pandita uses them to teach the dharma; this shows the way to transfer the Indian (Sanskrit) tradition to Tibetan soil.

N. V. Alexandrova (Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences) in her report "Kashmiri traditions in the Notes of Xuanzang" noted that the" Kashmir chapter " of Xuanzang, which completes the third book of his notes, makes it possible to trace the most characteristic features of this work and allows us to identify the patterns that formed the "historical" text of Xuanzang. The text, consisting of a series of successive legends, has a pronounced semantic integrity, determined by the system of representations of the author belonging to the Buddhist culture. Thus, the movement of time in the "Kashmiri history" is understood only through correlation with the central events of Buddhist history. The" beginning of time "in the history of Kashmir is set by the prophecy of the Buddha, and the" development of time " is provided exclusively by his successors. The same bindings determine the spatial relationships expressed in the text, according to which the territory of Kashmir is perceived as located on the periphery of the "Buddhist space". In this view, the main characters in the "history" of Kashmir are foreigners. The plots of legends are based on the resolution of oppositions that reflect the main value orientations of Buddhism. The ever-recurring motif of "giving the country to the community" sets the text in a cyclical motion.

T. N. Selivanova (SPbF IB RAS) in her report "Kashmiri kings and Buddhism" refuted the widespread opinion that Buddhism has been losing its position here since the fifth century. Based on the 12th-century Kashmiri poem-chronicle "Rajatarangini" and other sources, she described the history of Buddhism in Kashmir and concluded that at least up to the 12th century. There is no reason to believe that Buddhism is disappearing here. This is also what Chinese sources say about Kashmiri Buddhist pilgrims. In her opinion, the decline of Buddhism occurs in Kashmir only in the XII-XIV centuries. The reasons that it has existed in this region for quite a long time, she sees in its wide distribution among the general population.

In his report "On the issue of translating the decree of the ruler of Jumla", A. A. Ledkov (IB RAS) noted that Western Nepal, including the principality of Jumla, remains one of the most poorly studied regions of the earth. The decree (sanad) of Bhan Shahi, the ruler of the principality of Jumla, is a text on a copper plate written in the Khaskura language (old Nepali). He by-

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it is sacred to the land grant and dates back to 1530. This document was researched and published in 1965 by a well-known historian, J. R. R. Tolkien. Narharinath. The speaker spoke about his understanding of the text of the decree and offered his own translation of the document. In his opinion, the mention of a square-shaped plot with a clear indication of the boundary signs of ownership indicates the formation of ideas about ownership. In addition, the document contains some details that can be used to assess the influence of India on the social structure of Western Nepal.

D. N. Lelyukhin's report "The emergence of the Licchava Kingdom in Nepal" was devoted to the early history of Nepal during the Licchava period (IV-VIII). There are two types of sources on the history of this period: a complex of inscriptions (more than 200 texts) and a chronicle of the 15th century - Gopalarajavamshavali. The report focused on the reign of King Mana Deva, whose name is associated with 23 inscriptions, including the famous panegyric in verse from the Changu Narayan temple. However, the chronicle and inscription data do not coincide in a number of important points, for example, in the presentation of the "list of the Licchava kings". The speaker raised the question of the degree of reliability of sources and showed that scientists ' greater trust in epigraphic data is not always justified. Analysis of the content and features of the chronicle and inscriptions allowed the author to more correctly reconstruct the history of the Licchavas, as well as explain a number of features of the Manadeva inscriptions and their distribution area. In particular, he suggested that the area of modern Kathmandu became the center of the Licchava kingdom only under Manadeva.

K. P. Shrestha (Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences) in his report "Mundhum - the Holy Book of Kirats"described in detail this monument, which contains not only myths and legends, but also the code of laws of Kirat society. This monument did not appear before the 7th-9th centuries, since the Kirats did not have their own written language before that. The manuscripts found in Nepal are written using three different types of writing - shirijang, chandrapuling and rong. The first researchers of "Mundum" were English scientists and diplomats. Hamilton and B. Hodgson, who worked in Nepal in the 19th century. Thanks to their efforts, 14 manuscripts have been preserved in the British Museum. The first Nepalese scholar to pay attention to Mundhum was Iman Singh Chemjong, an expert on Kirat culture and history. He managed to collect 6 manuscripts of the Mundhum, translated it into Nepali and published it in 1861, simultaneously printing the Kirat text in Devanagari script. The speaker spoke about the importance of "Mundhum" not only for studying the history of Nepal, but also for understanding the modern culture of the Kirats, as the Kirats still observe many of the rules and laws contained in this sacred book.

E. D. Ogneva (Kiev) devoted her report "Sacred art of medieval Tibet (VII-XV centuries)" to the problem of creating one's own Buddhist Tibetan visual style. The process that began in the seventh century as a result of the fusion of Buddhist art traditions in India, China, and Khotan, ended in the first half of the 15th century not only with the emergence of Tibetan art schools of its own, but also with the creation of the Gumbum Temple (1427) near Gyatse, a unique monument of Tibetan culture, the construction of which required the joint efforts of all religious schools in Tibet. However, the question of the integrity and unity of the Tibetan style in Buddhist visual art, which differs from the traditions of India, China and Nepal, which existed already in the XIII century, remains relevant in later centuries, for example, in the Qing period (XVIII century).

V. M. Yakovlev (Moscow) in his report "On the order of trigrams in the Tibetan image" proposed deciphering the symbols of the table of the astrological treatise " Vaidurya karpo "(late 17th century) by the Tibetan author Desrid Sangye Gyamtso. The idea of matching the eight subject symbols (vajra, "knot of happiness", mirror, etc.) surrounding the I Ching trigrams on the table with the trigrams themselves belongs to the German Tibetologist I. Schubert, who believed that in each of the eight sequences the same symbols mean different trigrams. In reality, the sri-vatsa symbol, for example, always means the trigram sun, vajra-jen, etc. This results in eight transformations of the trigram sequence (hou tien tu) attributed to the West Jou Wen-wang. The decoding says that in each of the eight sequences, the yin trigrams (according to the Hou tian tu rule) occupy one half of the circle; the yang trigrams occupy the other. These "dark" and "light" halves are reversed on the fifth sequence. The speaker showed by what rule the primary division of even and odd numbers by the sum of "sixes" (interrupted lines) and "nines"could be obtained

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(full features) of trigrams and as a result of what arithmetic operation permutations of trigrams are made so that the cycle turns out to be complete.

In her report "Russian-Indian Trade at the Turn of the XIX - XX centuries: historiography and new archival documents", M. L. Kozhekina (Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences) examined a large array of archival materials, including reports and reports of Russian consuls from India. This allowed her to conclude that despite the objectively existing opportunities and, it would seem, Russia's intention to establish direct trade relations with India at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, the only stable item of Russian-Indian trade was tea. Other goods remained in the category of export-import only potentially, or in the sphere of accidental or unstable deliveries. This is due to a number of reasons, including the opposition of other countries, poor business organization, transport problems, difficulties in the financial and credit sphere, the correlation between the formation of global, regional and local markets, as well as the domestic market of Russia.

O. V. Zotov (Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences) in his report "Great Mughals: the secret of the origin of the term" noted that when considering the usual term "Great Mughals", many questions arise. Why are the Timur Ides who lost Mongolia called great? Why does this term emphasize Mughal descent? The speaker sees the solution to these questions in the fact that the term "Great Mughal" echoes the epithet "Perfect Wise". The word "mind" (me 'gul) differs from the word "Mogul" (mogul) only by one silent letter 'ain. The report suggested that the Baburids, as descendants of Babur, whose wisdom is emphasized in the sources, were not called "Great Mughals", but"Perfectly Wise".

The report of S. S. Khorkova (KIGI RAS) "The Russian soul in connection with the etymology of the ethnocultural vocabulary of Mongolian languages" was devoted to the restoration of the basics-concepts (nuclear parts of words) of the lexical system of Mongolian languages, which bear traces of the concentrated thinking of an ancient person (proto-ethnos). It was in the canvas of these initial foundations-concepts that the development of the language took place, the multiplication of its vocabulary, the increase in the number of meanings and sub-meanings of words, etc. According to S. S. Kharkova, these nuclear parts of words fixed in the language the ideas about objects and phenomena that arose in the pre-speech stage. In accordance with these ancient ideas, she considered the concept of the Russian soul of the Russian ethnic group.

Yu. I. Drobyshev (Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences) gave an approximate classification of sacred objects of the Mongols of the era of their broad expansion to Asia in his report "Sacred objects of their own and others in the ideas of medieval Mongols". He described the following shrines: 1) objects dedicated to Mother Earth; 2) ancestors; 3) cosmological shrines associated with the supreme ruler, who was in charge of the order of not only society, but also the cosmos; 4) places that became holy because important events took place there; 5) protective shrines-parts of the home interior, etc., for example yurt threshold, hearth. The speaker raised the question of the attitude of the Mongols to other people's shrines, not agreeing with the widespread opinion that the Mongols were loyal to the clergy of the occupied lands, preserved other people's temples. According to the speaker, this is partly true only in peacetime; during the period of military operations, both ministers of other cults and sacred objects were destroyed, looted, desecrated, which was illustrated by the data of chronicles. In general, the Mongols were driven by a kind of religious pragmatism: they kept only what they could use for their own purposes.

The readings ended with speeches by M. N. Yegorova (Moscow), who shared her memories of Yu. N. Roerich, in particular about the last days of his life.

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