부산대학교 도서관

Japanese Shomyo are sung in three languages: Bonsan(梵讚 Sanskrit)․Kansan(漢讚 Chinese)․Woasan(和讚 Japanese). Additionally, Bonsan has three types: Singon(眞言)․Dharani(陀羅尼)․Zensan(前讚). In this paper, I transcribed and analyzed Sichibongo(四智梵語), which is sung as a Prelude Song, and Sichikango(四智漢語), which is sung as an after song, through the Koyasan Kongobuji ritual and the sound source of the Shomyo lecture at Koyasan College. Sichibongo had one more lyric verse than Sichikango, because they tried to match Sanskrit sound words to the Chinese word’s number. Musically, Sichibongo has the same starting and end notes. It principally uses the vibrato method through increasing the starting note (D). On the other hand, Sichikango starts at 4 intervals higher than Sichibongo, and has a wide range of melodic movements. It also uses more diverse melodies and expressions, then ends on the same note as Sichibongo. Although Sichibongo has 10 letters more than Sichikango, Sichikango has more vowels, so the two songs take almost the same length of time. Also, the end tones and cadence are the same, so they have the musical consistency of two pieces. Among Sanskrit lyric song, Shingon, in the main, conveys the meaning of a magical wish(呪願), whereas Dharani is admirational and doctrinal. Zensan Sichibongo and Dharani are the same kind of song in Sanskrit. However, while Dharani is a mantra, Sishibongo is a hymn song, like Kansan. Zensan Bonsan is unique in that it is paired with the Kansan’s verses by matching the embroideries with the Chinese characters. Through this research, I learned two key points. The first is that Kukai brought the Tang dynasty Jigoang(智廣) 󰡔Xitan Characters(悉曇字記)󰡕 to Japan; Tendaishu’s monk Annen studied it and made the Rits(律) and Lyo(呂) scales based on the Sanskrit tone, establishing the musical theory; and it was Bonsan that blossomed such Sanskrit literature as a Shomyo. The second is that the reason Bonsan is seen more in Shingonshu than Tendaishu is because the Sanskrit lyric’s sounds are related to the secret methods of Esoteric rites and rituals.