Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
"OTACI"
N o t e s on A r c h a e o l o g y a n d I c o n o g r a p h y Related
to t h e E a r l y H i s t o r y o f T u r k i s h M e d i c a l Science
"OTACI"
N o t e s on A r c h a e o l o g y a n d I c o n o g r a p h y R e l a t e d
to t h e E a r l y H i s t o r y o f T u r k i s h M e d i c a l Science
Dr. Emel E s i n
I n s t i t u t e o f Research
for Turkish Culture
Ankara - Turkey
Synops i s
The h i s t o r i c a l s o u r c e s o n t h e e a r l y p h a s e o f T u r k i s h m e d i c a l
s c i e n c e w i t n e s s t o a s u p e r p o s i t i o n o f m a i n l y t h r e e t r a d i t i o n s . The
p r a c t i c e s o f t h e a n c i e n t S c y t h i a n s and Hsiung-nu have been r e c o r d e d
amongst t h e N o r t h e r n E u r a s i a n Turks o f t h e V l t h t o I X t h c e n t u r i e s ,
i n some c a s e s , l o n g e r . T h e s e i n c l u d e d n o t o n l y e x o r c i s m b y kams
( T u r k i s h f o r shaman), b u t a l s o p h y s i c a l a p p l i a n c e s and t h euse o f
c u r a t i v e h e r b s . H e n c e t h e T u r k i s h ,word o t a c t ( h e r b a l i s t ) , g i v e n t o
the p h y s i c i a n . T o g e t h e r w i t h t h e image o f a h e r b , t h e e p i t h e t otacı,
Dr.Emel Eein i n r u n i f o r m K ö k - T ü r k l e t t e r s , was i n c i s e d on t h e b e l t - b u c k l e o f
A k - k i i n , a T u r k i s h p h y s i c i a n o f t h e V l t h t o V l l l t h c e n t u r i e s , whose
KÛTÜPHAMFCİ
tomb was e x c a v a t e d i n t h e A l t a y , m o u n t a i n s .
I I
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1 I
I I
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s c r o l l s , h e l d by the twelve c y c l i c figure..,in correspondence with the: • 91
In a l l aişajya mandalas .narrow subsidiary panels describe,in dimminutive
been given in Turkish(KUaku,Ud,Bara,Tavigkan, L u , I l 4 a n , i c n t . K o y . B i c m . T e
s i z e , the — u remarkable phases of the biographies of physician
Tonguz.Scme i n s c r i p t i o n s are lacking,or placed elsewhere). Symsetrica 1 ly
buddhas and bodhisattvas.One Kansu work i s ^ g mural from Wan-fo-hsia,known from middle and lowest register,to the r i g h t of the central figure,behind the
Turkish inscriptions as an Uygur centre . Another Uygur i n s c r i p t i o n , i n t h i B figures of the luminaries, four more personifications of the c y c l i c anise.- - r l > * a r ,
case perhaps a s g r a f i t t o , i s seen together with s i m i l a r Chinese ones,in the as duplicates.These are Ud(Ox),Bifin(Monkey) shown aa scribe,Takigu (Fowl)
Wan-fo-haia cave-temple where the Bhaişajya mandala was situated.This Uygur playing a s t r i n g instrument and Tonguz (Boar) offering flowers And gems. Behind the
i n s c r i p t i o n has not been read,but Dr O.Sertkayâ' observed that the ductus four c y c l i c genii are demons brandishing weapons and chasing a canine.The demons
points to the Xth to X l t h centuries.Tge other Bhaişajya mandala , i n Kansu , i s a may also be a s t r a l peraonificationa,or attendants, with the rank of general (urunfcut)
painting dn silk,found i n Tun-huang* of guardian d e i t i s a , a s s i s t i n g them i n chasing p e s t i l e n t i a l s p i r i t s . Several of
The Bhaişayja mandala .which w i l l be here commented,was a mural in East the above a s t r a l peraonificationa appear alao i n the Kansu maadalaa of
Türkistan,in the purely " Uygur Buddhist compound of Bezeklik ( i n temple 8 ) . Bhaieajya,without however any zoomorphic insignia, or i n s c r i p t i o n s .
The aural,with Turkish i n s c r i p t i o n s i n cartouches,is i n authentic Uygur s t y l e ,
with boldly drawn figures i n large s i z e .painted i n translucent glazes,with the At the b a s i s of the mural,the scenes i n dinminutive size,arranged i n two
b r i l l i a n t palette of Uygur painters. The landscape i s here lacking ,as the large long and narrow panels, narrate bagicgraphic scenes,connected with the
figures f i l l the whole surface.Sadly enough,the mural,which was in B e r l i n , has physicians.The scenes are divided fay red cartouches on which were Turkish i n s c r i p
disappeared during World-war I I and only the descriptions and photographs of tions, unfortunately - not read. The ciamnnta here made are therefore
German archaeologists can now guide the r e s e a r c h ( i l l . 2 ) . hypothetical.The sections 1-9 of the upper panel seam related to a j t t a k a on
The central figure of tne Otacı Buddha i s „, .,as canonically determined,clid
a former b i r t h i n which the Buddha §Akyamuni was a s i c k young nan.hazed Nattakundall,
in the red monacal kalBsa ( i n Turkish karasa).with however a blue l i n i n g , i n sign
who died,because h i s avaricious father had not smmoned a physician.In section 1 of
of the azure-coloured eastern region over which he was considered to preside.
His aureole and vesica show pictograms of clouds,of flames,of the luminaries, as the upper p a n e l ( i l l . 3 ) Mattakundali i s seen incinerated,while a squatting demon
well as of the blue-green beryl gem .which according to a Turkish text,coloured with animal head,watches the scene. Between sections 1 agg 2,a c i r c u l a r vleogram
his halo(Vaituri erdini yaruklu£ odacılar i l i g i i M U l l e r , " U i g u r i c a I I " , 5 5 ) . He appears to i l l u s t r a t e the dual constitution of mankind; et-bz .the cold a a t e r i a l
body,is shown as a kneeling figure,on the dark h a l f of the c i r c l e . Yaruk-yaQik tbz,
s i t s i n the symmetrically cross-legged squatting r i t u a l posture,called i n Turkish the warm and radiant soul,located i n the b r s a t h ( t i n ) and evaporated into a f i e r y
bagtaş and holds h i s hands in the vitârkamudrâ ( The mudrfi was called tamga
wind,after death,is represented,as i n the Turkish version of SuvarnaprabhBaa—afltra.
— — 49
i n Turkish,which means s e a l ) . The Otaci's seat i s the lotus-throne(in Turkish enclosed i n a bag( here,hoisted as a funerary flag, on a pole with avian f i n i a l .
linhua-orun) ,placed over the conventional shape of the world'B central golden Since anciently i n c h i n a gjjd l a t e r amongst Turks, the soul waa thought to be
mountain^gumeru,represented as a couple of polyhedral pyramids,meeting at t h e i r transformed into a b i r d ) . In the upper section 2, Mattakundali ,reborn as a god,
points . Between the superposed pyramids ,a pair of t i g e r s are seen.The tiger, appears to h i s father,the Brahman,and converts him to Budohism.fhe
together with dragons and serpents .were amongst the heraldic insignia of the upper sections 3-8 depict Mattakundali i n the land of the gods. The conventional
Otaci.He had extracted a bone from t h ^ t n r o a t of a t i g e r .which thereafter followed "63
him and had likewise rescued a snake. In gratitude,tne dragons gave him a t r e a t i s e shape of Mount Simaru,abode of gods, i s seen on section 3, beside a paradisiac
on medical secrets.The triangular fountain,in front of the throne,evokes; the kiosk. He i s illimined by rays emitted from the Buddha and acquiring wisdom,
episode on the liquor of immortality ( i n Turkish nos tatairlag suv) .concocted transcribing manuscripts.On section 8,the scribe,now i n the monacal garbs of a
by the physician buddhas. The plant shown pbove the fountain could^be the buddha,watches two f l y i n g dark birds,perhaps the s o l a r crow,another of the
nyrobolan,which with the medicine -jar,was an attribute of Bhaijajya. physician buddhas' emblems. To end t h i s c y c l e , i n the f i r s t h a l f of section 9,
The various etterklants,framing the figure of the Otacı,may be divided in two books appear i n g l o r y i i l l . 2 ) •
categories.Those i n monacal garba are perhaps the other minor physician buddhas, From the second hal'" of section 9 , u n t i l section 15,the chapter called
emanations of Bhaişajya.Some of theee seem to be portraits,perhaps inspired from "The ancient neditation of Bhai^ajye. " (saddharaapuaJartka-sUtra , in
3-3
Turkish vap hue k i nom jepegi a t i i g eudur , or
contemporary Uygur otacı monks. A figure,wearing tiger-akin,on the upper l e f t of
Bhaieajya ,has equally a face which could represent a contemporary of the a r t i s t . Sokanpig nom upudi s»S*k b i t i g ) seems i l l u s t r a t e d ' In accordance with t h i s
The figures i n conventionally idealised features,wearing Indian princely garba
and crowns,are bodhisattvas and d e i t i e s . The monks and princely personaggji are chapter 0 '.Bhaipajya i s seen i n the second h a l f of the upper section 9(111.2),
depicted i n the hand-pose ienoting worship(iki ayaların kavşurmak). ' A a t the moment of hie birth, as he s ^ e in the r i t u a l posture c a l l e d Nagtas
(with s y m e t r i c a l l y crossed l e g s ) . In section lo.he i s paying homage to
remarkable p a r t i c u l a r i t y of t h i s mural i s the group of a s t r a l personifications,
the Buddha of h i s ago ,who shortly afterwards dies.As a a c r i f i c e to the dead
said to be the a s s i s t a n t s of Bhaişajya,in the crop of medicinal herbs. Two of
master,Bhaigajya is shown i n section I I , c u t t i n g hie nm,which i s ".owever at
these,at the middle regiater.to the r i g h t of the central figure, are the sun and
once restored. In sections 13,14 ,he i s building stfipas for lb- r e l i c s of h i s
the moon,recognizable through t h e i r red and white discs . p n the roro«ite side,
teacher,or writing. Hhaissjya i s transformed,in section 15,into a "Buddha
the twelve figures wearing animal masks on t h e i r headgears are identified by the
with golden body ".
i n s c r i p t i o n s on the s c r o l l s they hold i n hand. These are the twelve a s t r a l groups
of the Sino-Turkiah calendar,designated with zoomorphic names.The names on the The lower narrov panel may be .elated to another incarnation
Bhaieajya,together with h i t brother,as Vijaiagarbha and Vimalanetra.This i e
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NOTES
1- G.R.Rachmati(R.Arat),"Zur Heilkunde der Ulguren".Situng.d.preuBBischen Akademie
d J r f i s s ^ . P h i l - h i s t . K l . , ! , ( B e r l i n , 193o).
2- G.Clauson,An Etymological dictionary of pre-Thirteenth century Turkieh(Oxford
1972),e.V.
3- Clauson,s.v.
4- A.D.Graç.Drevnie koçevniki v zentre Azii(Moscow.198o),6.
5- A.Kollautz-P Miyakawa.Die Jou-jan der MongoleiGaagenfurt. 19761,46-8.
b—ülauson.s.v.
7- W.Eberhard,Sternkunde und Weltbild im a l t e n China.(Taipei,1976),343-44.
8- B.Cbavannes,Documenta s u r l e e Turce Occidentaux(St Petersburg,19o3),235.
9-M.Granet.Danses et legendee de l a Chine ancienne(Paris.1959).263.
10- G.R.Rachaati.Türkische Turfan Texte.VIl(Berlin.l936).me 24,lines 2-7,ms 25/8-16.
11- Clauson,s.v.
12-R.Müller,"Ein Beitrag zu a e r t z l i c h e n Graphik aus Zentralasien.Turfan".Archiv für
Geşchichte der Hedizin.XV(Leipzig.1923).note 15.
13- Z.V.Togan,"Bîrûnî's picture of the world", Memoirs of the archaeological survey
of India.LIII(1937),114.
14-Mahmûd K8şgarf .Ad-Dtvto u-lugftt it-Turk(Ankara.l941-43).a.v.
15-C.l.S.Williaaa.Encyclopaedia of Chinese symbolismtNew York,i960),17o.
16- E.Esin,A History of pre-Islamic and early Islamic Turkish culture(latanbul.l98o).
lo3.
17- V.Mlnoraky.Hudûd uU C ftlam. (London.l937).loo.
18-S.P.Kiselev; Drevnyaya i a t o r i y a yujnoy Sibiri(Moscow. 1949 ) , 3o2,pl.L/2(Kur«y, 4/1).
19-E.Bsin,"Kur-kurşak".Central A s i a t i c journal.XXIV/3-4(Wiesbaden.l98o).
20- The word'sengun was read by Dr O.Sertkaya,the r e s t by E i s e l e v .
21-See note 19 supra .
22- Esin,"Kur ".op.cit. i n note 19 sup. ,164,note 51.
23-See note 51 i n f r a .
24-Rachmatl.op.cit. i n note 1 sup..137.
25-Cited i n Clauson,entry "Otacı".
26-J.Nobel.Suvarnaprabhflsottama-satra (Leiden.1958).318-2o.Similar concepts i n a
Turkish work,translate from the Tibetan* G.Kara-P.Zieme.Sin Uigurisches Totenbuch
(Wiesbaden,I979),see c i t e d Turkish wordsjin index and'lines 165-66,310-17.
27-S.Çağatay.Altun-yaruk'tan i k i carca.(Ankara,1945),19/6-2o,2o/l-3.
28-Ş.Tekin.Maytrisimlt.(Ankara,1976),78/39-43.
29- A.von Le Coq.Buddhistische Spaetantike Kittalasiens.(Graz.1974).IV.pl.19.
3<v*l.Röhrborn,"Die Alttuikieche Version des Saddharmapundarfka", Central A s i a t i c
j o u r n a l ^ , XXrv/3-4(Wiesbaden,198o),259.
31- Tekin.Maytrisiait .51/8,52/5o-54.
32-See note 29 sup.
53-S.Tezcan.Das Uigurische Insadi-şûtra (Berlin,1972),line 489.
34- Nobel.op. c i t . i n note 26, chapters 24(16^25(17).
35-M.E.Burnouf.Le Lotus de l a bonne l o i (Paris.1852).II.242-53.A.Getty.The gods of
Northern Buddhism (USA-Japan,1959).24-26.H.Kern.Saddharma-pundarlka (Oxford,1882),
4,213,271-72,4o4. P.W.K.Muller,"Uigurica ,I.II",Ergebnisse der'deutschen Turfan
Forschung.I (L«ipzig,1972),Ist p a r t , 1 9 ; l l nd part,55. The Chinese,Tibetan and
Japanese sources are given by P.Pelliot,"Le Bhaisalvaguru".Bulletin de l'Ecole
française d'Extrême-Orient.IIl/ll1903).34-5.M.A.Stein.Serindia (Oxford,1921),lo53-
66 and 14o9-lotarticle by R.Petrucci).E.T.C.Werner.A Dictionary of Chinese mythology.
(New York,196l),"Yao-shih","ïao-wang«.
36-JCern,op.cit. i n note 35 sup. ,4o4,note 2.
37- On Chinese avatars,see Werner.cited i n note 35 sup. On Maitreya,Tekin,
Maytrisimit . 5/42- •
38- E.D. Saunders.Mudrft (New York,i960),68.
II