Bharatpedia

Siddhaṃ script


Siddhaṃ (also Siddhāṃ[8]), also known in its later evolved form as Siddhamātṛkā,[9] is a medieval Brahmic abugida, derived from the Gupta script and ancestral to the Nāgarī, Assamese, Bengali, Tirhuta, Odia and Nepalese scripts.[10]

Siddhaṃ
Siddham.svg
The word Siddhaṃ in the Siddhaṃ script
Script type
Time period
c. late 6th century[1] – c. 1200 CE [2]
LanguagesSanskrit
Related scripts
Parent systems
Child systems
Sister systems
Śāradā,[3][4][6] Tibetan script[5][6]
ISO 15924
ISO 15924Sidd, , ​Siddham, Siddhaṃ, Siddhamātṛkā
Unicode
Unicode alias
Template:ISO 15924 alias
U+11580–U+115FF

Final Accepted Script Proposal

Variant Forms
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Semitic origin of the Brahmic scripts is not universally agreed upon.

The word Siddhaṃ means "accomplished" or "perfected" in Sanskrit. The script received its name from the practice of writing Siddhaṃ, or Siddhaṃ astu (may there be perfection), at the head of documents. Other names for the script include bonji (Japanese: 梵字) lit. "Brahma's characters" and "Sanskrit script" and Chinese: 悉曇文字; pinyin: Xītán wénzi lit. "Siddhaṃ script".

HistoryEdit

 
Siddhaṃ manuscript of the Heart Sutra. Bibliothèque nationale de France
 
A reproduction of the palm-leaf manuscript in Siddham script, originally held at Hōryū-ji Temple, Japan; now located in the Tokyo National Museum at the Gallery of Hōryū—ji Treasure. The original copy may be the earliest extant Sanskrit manuscript of the Heart Sutra dated to the 7th–8th century CE. It also contains the Sanskrit text of the Uṣṇīṣa Vijaya Dhāraṇī Sūtra and the final line shows the Siddhaṃ abugida.[11]
 
Chinese use of the Siddhaṃ script for the Pratisara mantra, from the Later Tang. 927 CE
 
Chinese use of the Siddhaṃ script for the Mahāpratyaṅgirā mantra. 971 CE
 
Siddhaṃ Bijakshara A, Daishō-in, Miyajima
 
Mirror with bijaksharas, Miyajima

The Siddham script evolved from the Gupta Brahmi script in the late 6th century CE.[1]

Many Buddhist texts taken to China along the Silk Road were written using a version of the Siddhaṃ script. This continued to evolve, and minor variations are seen across time, and in different regions. Importantly it was used for transmitting the Buddhist tantra texts. At the time it was considered important to preserve the pronunciation of mantras, and Chinese was not suitable for writing the sounds of Sanskrit. This led to the retention of the Siddhaṃ script in East Asia. The practice of writing using Siddhaṃ survived in East Asia where Tantric Buddhism persisted.

Kūkai introduced the Siddhaṃ script to Japan when he returned from China in 806, where he studied Sanskrit with Nalanda-trained monks including one known as Prajñā (Chinese: 般若三藏; pinyin: Bōrě Sāncáng, 734–c. 810). By the time Kūkai learned this script, the trading and pilgrimage routes over land to India had been closed by the expanding Abbasid Caliphate.[12]

In the middle of the 9th century, China experienced a series of purges of "foreign religions", thus cutting Japan off from the sources of Siddhaṃ texts. In time, other scripts, particularly Devanagari, replaced Siddhaṃ in India, while Siddhaṃ's northeastern derivative called Gaudi evolved to become the Assamese, Bengali, Tirhuta, Odia and also the Nepalese scripts in the eastern and northeastern regions of South Asia,[13][14] leaving East Asia as the only region where Siddhaṃ is still used.

There were special forms of Siddhaṃ used in Korea that varied significantly from those used in China and Japan, and there is evidence that Siddhaṃ was written in Central Asia, as well, by the early 7th century.

As was done with Chinese characters, Japanese Buddhist scholars sometimes created multiple characters with the same phonological value to add meaning to Siddhaṃ characters. This practice, in effect, represents a 'blend' of the Chinese style of writing and the Indian style of writing and allows Sanskrit texts in Siddhaṃ to be differentially interpreted as they are read, as was done with Chinese characters that the Japanese had adopted. This led to multiple variants of the same characters.[15]

CharacteristicsEdit

Siddhaṃ is an abugida rather than an alphabet, as each character indicates a syllable, including a consonant and (possibly) a vowel. If the vowel sound is not explicitly indicated, the short 'a' is assumed. Diacritic marks are used to indicate other vowels, as well as the anusvara and visarga. A virama can be used to indicate that the consonant letter stands alone with no vowel, which sometimes happens at the end of Sanskrit words.

Siddhaṃ texts were usually written from left to right then top to bottom, as with other Brahmic scripts, but occasionally they were written in the traditional Chinese style, from top to bottom then right to left. Bilingual Siddhaṃ-Japanese texts show the manuscript turned 90 degrees clockwise and the Japanese is written from top to bottom, as is typical of Japanese, and then the manuscript is turned back again, and the Siddhaṃ writing is continued from left to right (the resulting Japanese characters appear sideways).

Over time, additional markings were developed, including punctuation marks, head marks, repetition marks, end marks, special ligatures to combine conjuncts and rarely to combine syllables, and several ornaments of the scribe's choice, which are not currently encoded. The nuqta is also used in some modern Siddhaṃ texts.

VowelsEdit

Independent form Romanized As diacritic with   Independent form Romanized As diacritic with  
Template:Script/Siddham   a Template:Script/Siddham   Template:Script/Siddham   ā Template:Script/Siddham  
Template:Script/Siddham   i Template:Script/Siddham   Template:Script/Siddham   ī Template:Script/Siddham  
Template:Script/Siddham   u Template:Script/Siddham   Template:Script/Siddham   ū Template:Script/Siddham  
Template:Script/Siddham   e Template:Script/Siddham   Template:Script/Siddham   ai Template:Script/Siddham  
Template:Script/Siddham   o Template:Script/Siddham   Template:Script/Siddham   au Template:Script/Siddham  
Template:Script/Siddham   aṃ Template:Script/Siddham   Template:Script/Siddham   aḥ Template:Script/Siddham  
Alternative forms
  ā   i   i   ī   ī   u   ū   o   au   aṃ
Independent form Romanized As diacritic with   Independent form Romanized As diacritic with  
Template:Script/Siddham   ṛ Template:Script/Siddham   Template:Script/Siddham   ṝ
Template:Script/Siddham   ḷ Template:Script/Siddham   ḹ

ConsonantsEdit

Stop Approximant Fricative
Tenuis Aspirated Voiced Breathy voiced Nasal
Glottal Template:Script/Siddham   h
Velar Template:Script/Siddham   k Template:Script/Siddham   kh Template:Script/Siddham   g Template:Script/Siddham   gh Template:Script/Siddham   ṅ
Palatal Template:Script/Siddham   c Template:Script/Siddham   ch Template:Script/Siddham   j Template:Script/Siddham   jh Template:Script/Siddham   ñ Template:Script/Siddham   y Template:Script/Siddham   ś
Retroflex Template:Script/Siddham   ṭ Template:Script/Siddham   ṭh Template:Script/Siddham   ḍ Template:Script/Siddham   ḍh Template:Script/Siddham   ṇ Template:Script/Siddham   r Template:Script/Siddham   ṣ
Dental Template:Script/Siddham   t Template:Script/Siddham   th Template:Script/Siddham   d Template:Script/Siddham   dh Template:Script/Siddham   n Template:Script/Siddham   l Template:Script/Siddham   s
Bilabial Template:Script/Siddham   p Template:Script/Siddham   ph Template:Script/Siddham   b Template:Script/Siddham   bh Template:Script/Siddham   m
Labiodental Template:Script/Siddham   v
Conjuncts in alphabet
Template:Script/Siddham   kṣ Template:Script/Siddham   llaṃ
Alternative forms
  ch   j   ñ   ṭ   ṭh   ḍh   ḍh   ṇ   ṇ   th   th   dh   n   m   ś   ś   v

ConjunctsEdit

 
Siddhaṃ alphabet by Kūkai (774–835)
k kṣ -ya -ra -la -va -ma -na
Template:Script/Siddham   k Template:Script/Siddham   kya Template:Script/Siddham   kra Template:Script/Siddham   kla Template:Script/Siddham   kva Template:Script/Siddham   kma Template:Script/Siddham   kna
Template:Script/Siddham   rk Template:Script/Siddham   rkya Template:Script/Siddham   rkra Template:Script/Siddham   rkla Template:Script/Siddham   rkva Template:Script/Siddham   rkma Template:Script/Siddham   rkna
Template:Script/Siddham   kh  
     total 68 rows.
  • ↑ The combinations that contain adjoining duplicate letters should be deleted in this table.
Template:Script/Siddham   ṅka Template:Script/Siddham   ṅkha Template:Script/Siddham   ṅga Template:Script/Siddham   ṅgha
Template:Script/Siddham   ñca Template:Script/Siddham   ñcha Template:Script/Siddham   ñja Template:Script/Siddham   ñjha
Template:Script/Siddham   ṇṭa Template:Script/Siddham   ṇṭha Template:Script/Siddham   ṇḍa Template:Script/Siddham   ṇḍha
Template:Script/Siddham   nta Template:Script/Siddham   ntha Template:Script/Siddham   nda Template:Script/Siddham   ndha
Template:Script/Siddham   mpa Template:Script/Siddham   mpha Template:Script/Siddham   mba Template:Script/Siddham   mbha
Template:Script/Siddham   ṅya Template:Script/Siddham   ṅra Template:Script/Siddham   ṅla Template:Script/Siddham   ṅva
Template:Script/Siddham   ṅśa Template:Script/Siddham   ṅṣa Template:Script/Siddham   ṅsa Template:Script/Siddham   ṅha Template:Script/Siddham   ṅkṣa
Template:Script/Siddham   ska Template:Script/Siddham   skha Template:Script/Siddham   dga Template:Script/Siddham   dgha Template:Script/Siddham   ṅktra
Template:Script/Siddham   vca/bca Template:Script/Siddham   vcha/bcha Template:Script/Siddham   vja/bja Template:Script/Siddham   vjha/bjha Template:Script/Siddham   jña
Template:Script/Siddham   ṣṭa Template:Script/Siddham   ṣṭha Template:Script/Siddham   dḍa Template:Script/Siddham   dḍha Template:Script/Siddham   ṣṇa
Template:Script/Siddham   sta Template:Script/Siddham   stha Template:Script/Siddham   vda/bda Template:Script/Siddham   vdha/bdha Template:Script/Siddham   rtsna
Template:Script/Siddham   spa Template:Script/Siddham   spha Template:Script/Siddham   dba Template:Script/Siddham   dbha Template:Script/Siddham   rkṣma
Template:Script/Siddham   rkṣvya Template:Script/Siddham   rkṣvrya Template:Script/Siddham   lta Template:Script/Siddham   tkva
Template:Script/Siddham   ṭśa Template:Script/Siddham   ṭṣa Template:Script/Siddham   sha Template:Script/Siddham   bkṣa
Template:Script/Siddham   pta Template:Script/Siddham   ṭka Template:Script/Siddham   dsva Template:Script/Siddham   ṭṣchra
Template:Script/Siddham   jja Template:Script/Siddham   ṭṭa Template:Script/Siddham   ṇṇa Template:Script/Siddham   tta Template:Script/Siddham   nna Template:Script/Siddham   mma Template:Script/Siddham   lla Template:Script/Siddham   vva  
Alternative forms of conjuncts that contain ṇ.
Template:Script/Siddham   ṇṭa Template:Script/Siddham   ṇṭha Template:Script/Siddham   ṇḍa Template:Script/Siddham   ṇḍha

ṛ syllablesEdit

Template:Script/Siddham   kṛ Template:Script/Siddham   khṛ Template:Script/Siddham   gṛ Template:Script/Siddham   ghṛ Template:Script/Siddham   ṅṛ Template:Script/Siddham   cṛ Template:Script/Siddham   chṛ Template:Script/Siddham   jṛ Template:Script/Siddham   jhṛ Template:Script/Siddham   ñṛ  

Some sample syllablesEdit

Template:Script/Siddham   rka Template:Script/Siddham   rkā Template:Script/Siddham   rki Template:Script/Siddham   rkī Template:Script/Siddham   rku Template:Script/Siddham   rkū Template:Script/Siddham   rke Template:Script/Siddham   rkai Template:Script/Siddham   rko Template:Script/Siddham   rkau Template:Script/Siddham   rkaṃ Template:Script/Siddham   rkaḥ
Template:Script/Siddham   ṅka Template:Script/Siddham   ṅkā Template:Script/Siddham   ṅki Template:Script/Siddham   ṅkī Template:Script/Siddham   ṅku Template:Script/Siddham   ṅkū Template:Script/Siddham   ṅke Template:Script/Siddham   ṅkai Template:Script/Siddham   ṅko Template:Script/Siddham   ṅkau Template:Script/Siddham   ṅkaṃ Template:Script/Siddham   ṅkaḥ

UsageEdit

In Japan, the writing of mantras and copying/reading of sutras using the Siddhaṃ script is still practiced in the esoteric schools of Shingon Buddhism and Tendai as well as in the syncretic sect of Shugendō. The characters are known as shittan (悉曇) or bonji (梵字, Chinese: Fànzì). The Taishō Tripiṭaka version of the Chinese Buddhist canon preserves the Siddhaṃ characters for most mantras, and Korean Buddhists still write bījas in a modified form of Siddhaṃ. A recent innovation is the writing of Japanese language slogans on T-shirts using Bonji. Japanese Siddhaṃ has evolved from the original script used to write sūtras and is now somewhat different from the ancient script.[16][17][18]

It is typical to see Siddhaṃ written with a brush, as with Chinese writing; it is also written with a bamboo pen. In Japan, a special brush called a bokuhitsu (朴筆, Cantonese: pokbat) is used for formal Siddhaṃ calligraphy. The informal style is known as "fude" (筆, Cantonese: "moubat").

Siddhaṃ fontsEdit

Siddhaṃ is still largely a hand written script. Some efforts have been made to create computer fonts, though to date none of these are capable of reproducing all of the Siddhaṃ conjunct consonants. Notably, the Chinese Buddhist Electronic Texts Association has created a Siddhaṃ font for their electronic version of the Taisho Tripiṭaka, though this does not contain all possible conjuncts. The software Mojikyo also contains fonts for Siddhaṃ, but split Siddhaṃ in different blocks and requires multiple fonts to render a single document.

A Siddhaṃ input system which relies on the CBETA font Siddhamkey 3.0 has been produced.

UnicodeEdit

Main article: Siddham (Unicode block)

Siddhaṃ script was added to the Unicode Standard in June 2014 with the release of version 7.0.

The Unicode block for Siddhaṃ is U+11580–U+115FF:

Template:Unicode chart Siddham

NotesEdit

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Singh, Upinder (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Delhi: Pearson. p. 43. ISBN 9788131716779.
  2. ↑ Its usage survives into the modern period for liturgical purposes in Japan and Korea.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://archive.org/details/epigraphyindianepigraphyrichardsalmonoup_908_D/mode/2up,p39-41
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Malatesha Joshi, R.; McBride, Catherine (11 June 2019). Handbook of Literacy in Akshara Orthography. ISBN 9783030059774.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Daniels, P.T. (January 2008). "Writing systems of major and minor languages". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Masica, Colin (1993). The Indo-Aryan languages. p. 143.
  7. ↑ Handbook of Literacy in Akshara Orthography, R. Malatesha Joshi, Catherine McBride(2019),p.27
  8. ↑ Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary, page 1215, col. 1 http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/monier/
  9. ↑ Rajan, Vinodh; Sharma, Shriramana (2012-06-28). "L2/12-221: Comments on naming the "Siddham" encoding" (PDF). Retrieved 2014-08-19.
  10. ↑ "Devanagari: Development, Amplification, and Standardisation". Central Hindi Directorate, Ministry of Education and Social Welfare, Govt. of India. 3 April 1977. Retrieved 3 April 2018 – via Google Books.
  11. ↑ e-museum 2018   Ink on pattra (palmyra leaves used for writing upon) ink on paper Heart Sutra: 4.9x28.0 Dharani: 4.9x27.9/10.0x28.3 Late Gupta period/7–8th century Tokyo National Museum N-8.
  12. ↑ Pandey, Anshuman (2012-08-01). "N4294: Proposal to Encode the Siddham Script in ISO/IEC 10646" (PDF). Working Group Document, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2.
  13. ↑ Salomon, Richard (1998). Indian Epigraphy.
  14. ↑ Handbook of Literacy in Akshara Orthography, R. Malatesha Joshi, Catherine McBride(2019)
  15. ↑ Kawabata, Taichi; Suzuki, Toshiya; Nagasaki, Kiyonori; Shimoda, Masahiro (2013-06-11). "N4407R: Proposal to Encode Variants for Siddham Script" (PDF). Working Group Document, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2.
  16. ↑ SM Dine, 2012, Sanskrit Beyond Text: The Use of Bonji (Siddham) in Mandala and Other Imagery in Ancient and Medieval Japan, University of Washington.
  17. ↑ Siddhaṃ : the perfect script.
  18. ↑ Buddhism guide: Shingon.

SourcesEdit

  • Bonji Taikan (梵字大鑑). (Tōkyō: Meicho Fukyūkai, 1983)
  • Chaudhuri, Saroj Kumar (1998). Siddham in China and Japan, Sino-Platonic papers No. 88
  • e-Museum, National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties of National Museums, Japan (2018), "Sanskrit Version of Heart Sutra and Viyaya Dharani", e-Museum{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Stevens, John. Sacred Calligraphy of the East. (Boston: Shambala, 1995.)
  • Van Gulik, R.H. Siddham: An Essay on the History of Sanskrit Studies in China and Japan (New Delhi, Jayyed Press, 1981).
  • Yamasaki, Taikō. Shingon: Japanese Esoteric Buddhism. (Fresno: Shingon Buddhist International Institute, 1988.)

External linksEdit

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