[우리문화신문=김슬옹 문학박사ㆍ세종국어문화원 원장] 

 

 

 

 

소헌 왕후는 열네 살이 되던 1408년에 당시 충녕대군이었던 세종과 혼례를 올렸다. 금실이 좋아 8남 2녀를 낳았고 많은 후궁과 그들의 자녀들까지 돌봐야 했지만, 세종이 한글 창제를 비롯한 나라 운영에만 신경 쓸 수 있도록 내조를 잘했다. 그러나 친정아버지가 누명을 써서 사약을 받아 죽고 광평대군과 평원대군까지 먼저 떠나보낸 뒤 자리에 몸져눕더니 《훈민정음》 해례본 반포 6달 전인 1446년 3월에 세상을 떠나고 말았다.

 

세종은 둘째 아들 수양대군(세조)에게 아내의 명복을 빌고 어려운 불경을 쉬운 한글로 옮겨 부처의 뜻을 널리 알리기 위해 석가모니의 일대기를 엮은 한글 불경책 《석보상절》을 펴내게 한 뒤 찬불가인 《월인천강지곡》을 손수 펴냈다. 소헌 왕후의 안타까운 죽음은 성리학을 중시하는 조선시대에 불경책을 펴낼 수 있는 계기가 되었고, 사대부들의 반발을 잠재우는 구실을 하였다.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Publishing Seokbosangjeol and Worinchwongangjigok as part of efforts to disseminate Hangeu

Books published to pray for the blissful afterlife of Queen Soheon

[Women and Events That Made Hangeul Shine] 1

Professor Kim Sle-ong

President, Sejong Korean Language and Culture Institute

 

 

Queen Soheon, at the age of fourteen, married Prince Chungnyeong (who later became King Sejong) in 1408. Their marriage was harmonious, and she bore him eight sons and two daughters. Despite the challenges of managing many concubines and their children, Queen Soheon focused on supporting Sejong, allowing him to concentrate on important state matters, including the creation of the Korean script, Hangeul. However, after enduring the wrongful death of her father and the early deaths of her sons, Prince Gwangpyeong and Prince Pyeongwon, Queen Soheon fell ill and passed away in March 1446, just six months before the Hunminjeongeum Haerye was published.

 

In honor of his beloved wife, Sejong ordered the publication of Seokbo Sangjeol, a Korean Buddhist scripture that recounted the life of the Buddha. The scripture was rendered in Hangeul to make the teachings accessible to the common people. Sejong also authored the Buddhist hymn Worin Cheongang Jigok as an additional tribute to her. Queen Soheon’s untimely death played a significant role in the promotion of Buddhist texts in the Joseon Dynasty, which was heavily influenced by Confucianism. Sejong’s initiative to publish these works in Hangeul not only commemorated his wife but also helped ease opposition from the Confucian scholars, who were initially resistant to the widespread use of Hangeul in religious and state matters.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

ハングル普及の試み：《釈譜詳節》と《月印千江之曲》の刊行

昭憲王后の冥福を祈るための書物

[ハングルを輝かせた女性と出来事] 1

金（キム）スロン 文学博士・世宗（セジョン）国語文化院 院長

 

昭憲（ソホン）王后は14歳になった1408年、当時忠寧（チュンニョン）大君であった世宗（セジョン）と婚礼を挙げた。夫婦仲が睦まじく8男2女をもうけ、多くの側室とその子供たちの面倒まで見なければならなかったが、世宗がハングルの創製をはじめとする国政に専念できるよう、内助の功を尽くした。しかし、実父が実無実の罪を着せられて賜薬（サヤク）に処されて亡くなり、広平（クァンピョン）大君と平原（ピョンウォン）大君までをも先立たせた後、病床に伏せると、《訓民正音（フンミンジョンウム）》解例本（ヘレボン）頒布の6ヶ月前である1446年3月にこの世を去ってしまった。

 

世宗は、次男の首陽（スヤン）大君（のちの世祖）に妻の冥福を祈らせた。そして、難解な仏経を平易なハングルに翻訳して仏の教えを広く伝えるため、釈迦牟尼の生涯をまとめたハングルの仏経書《釈譜詳節（ソクボサンジョル）》を刊行させた後、賛仏歌である《月印千江之曲（ウォリンチョンガンジゴク）》を自ら 刊行した。昭憲王后の切ない死は、性理学（朱子学）を重視する朝鮮時代において仏経書を刊行する契機となり、士大夫（サデブ）たちの反発を静める口実となった。