경주 석굴암 사천왕상 고찰 = A Study on the Four Heavenly Kings of Seokguram Grotto in Gyeongju

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This paper examines the Four Heavenly Kings statues of Seokguram, which represent the pinnacle of Buddhist sculpture in Unified Silla. To better understand these figures, the study first explores their possible origins by examining major sculptures of directional deities and guardian figures from India in the 3rd century BCE. The findings suggest that ancient Indian guardian deities, including the Mathura Yakshi statues, are highly likely to be the prototypes of the Four Heavenly Kings. Over time, these figures spread through Buddhist narratives, taking on expanded meanings related to Siddhartha’s renunciation, enlightenment, and the subsequent propagation of Buddhist teachings.
As the concept of the Four Heavenly Kings as protectors of the Dharma developed, it spread through Central Asia to China, where their protective and martial characteristics became more pronounced, often depicted in armed forms. The major statues of Heavenly Kings created during the Tang dynasty were transmitted to the Three Kingdoms period and Unified Silla. A notable difference, however, is that while Tang dynasty examples often feature two Heavenly Kings, Unified Silla sculptures consistently depict all four.
This study also analyzes the formal and stylistic characteristics of the Seokguram Four Heavenly Kings, including their attributes, placement, iconographic features, and the scriptures on which they are based. In conclusion, the Seokguram Four Heavenly Kings were created within a well-ordered pantheon consisting of Indra, the Four Heavenly Kings, the Eight Classes of Divine Beings, and Vajra guardians. Although their role as protectors of the state and the Dharma is grounded in the “Chapter on the Four Heavenly Kings Protecting the Nation” from the Golden Light Sutra, their iconography and visual form more closely resemble the descriptions found in the Dhāraṇī Collection Sutra, translated in Tang China in 654. Therefore, the Seokguram Four Heavenly Kings can be understood as masterpieces produced under the influence of esoteric Buddhist scriptures popular at the time, reflecting an international style and embodying religious, cosmopolitan, and artistic excellence.