Tibetan «Subhashita», its Mongol versions and translations as a multi-code linguocultural phenomenon: the case of the Zaya Pandita’s Oirat translation
https://doi.org/10.53315/2782-3377-2026-6-2-86-96
Abstract
Didactic literature of the past occupies a special place in the history of the development of the written culture of the peoples of Central Asia, in particular, such a peculiar genre as subhashitas. Compiled on the model of ancient Indian didactic writings (nitishastra), moral sayings of an edifying nature are instructions of the “two rules” concerning the norms of ethical behavior in secular and spiritual life in the context of Buddhist Dharma, useful for both laymen and monks. This article is a continuation of many years of work devoted to the study of the “Subhashita” in the original and in translation into Russian. It provides an overview of the research on the “Subhashita” as an important object in the academic field of Oriental Studies. This monument of Tibetan literature has been the subject of scholarly research both in our country and abroad (Mongolia, China, Hungary, and elsewhere). The scientific novelty of this article lies in its systematic analysis of the Oirat version and its comprehensive characterization. The title “Sayitur nomloxui erdeniyin sang” (or Sayin üge-tü erdeni-yin sang) refers to the “Treasure of Elegant Sayings”, which is the prominent Oirat literary translation on todo bichig (“Clear Script”) of the famous Tibetan didactic text (Legs par bshad pa rin po che’i gter), widely known as the Subhashita, functioning both as a literary masterpiece and a practical ethical guide, composed by the Tibetan scholar Sakya Pandita (1182–1251).
Keywords
Supporting agencies: The study was funded by the Foundation for the Promotion of Buddhist Education and Research: grant “The Oirat Version of the Tibetan Subhashita: A Study and Translation into Modern Kalmyk, Russian, and English” (Agreement No. 39 dated May 25, 2026).
About the Author
E. U. Omakaeva
Kalmyk State University named after B. B. Gorodovikov
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Ellara U. Omakaeva, Ph.D, Associate Professor, Leading Researcher of the Laboratory of Complex Buddhist Studies
Elista
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Review
For citations:
Omakaeva E.U. Tibetan «Subhashita», its Mongol versions and translations as a multi-code linguocultural phenomenon: the case of the Zaya Pandita’s Oirat translation. Nomadic civilization: historical research. 2026;6(2):86-96. https://doi.org/10.53315/2782-3377-2026-6-2-86-96
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