Japanese Buddhist goddess who originated from the Hindu goddess Saraswati
This article is about the goddess. For the music album, see
Osamu Kitajima
.
Benzaiten
(
shinjitai
:
弁才天
or
弁財天
;
ky?jitai
: 辯才天, 辨才天, or 辨財天, lit. "
goddess
of eloquence",
Benten
,
Chinese
: 辯才天,
Biancaitian
), is an
East Asian Buddhist
goddess (technically a
Dharmapala
, "Dharma protector") who originated mainly from the Hindu Indian
Saraswati
, goddess of speech, the arts, and learning. Worship of Benzaiten arrived in Japan during the sixth through eighth centuries, mainly via
Classical Chinese
translations of the
Golden Light Sutra
(
Sanskrit
:
Suvar?aprabh?sa S?tra
), which has a section devoted to her.
[1]
Benzaiten was also adopted into
Shinto religion
, and there are several
Shinto shrines
dedicated to her.
While Benzaiten retains many of the Indic attributes of Saraswati (as patron of music, the arts, eloquence, knowledge), she also has many unique aspects, roles and functions which never applied to the Indian goddess. As such, Benzaiten is now also associated with dragons, snakes, local Japanese deities, wealth, fortune, protection from disease and danger, and the protection of the state.
Etymology
[
edit
]
|
English
|
Japanese-Chinese
|
Thai-Brahmi
|
Devanagari-Sanskrit
|
Literation
|
Sarswati
|
弁才天
|
???????????
|
???????
|
Source:
[2]
|
Indian deity
[
edit
]
Saraswati (Sanskrit:
Sarasvat?
;
Pali
:
Sarassat?
) was originally in the
Rigveda
a river goddess, the deification of the
Sarasvati River
. She was identified with Vach (Skt.
V?c
), the Vedic goddess of speech, and from there became considered to be the patron of music and the arts, knowledge, and learning.
[3]
[4]
[5]
In addition to their association with eloquence and speech, both Saraswati and Vach also show warrior traits: Saraswati for instance was called the "
Vritra
-slayer" (
V?traghn?
) in the
Rigveda
(6.61.7) and was associated with the
Maruts
.
[6]
[7]
[8]
She was also associated with the
Ashvins
, with whom she collaborates to bolster
Indra
's strength by telling him how to kill the
asura
Namuchi
.
[6]
In a hymn in Book 10 of the
Rigveda
(10.125.6), Vach declares: "I bend the bow for
Rudra
that his arrow may strike and slay the hater of devotion. I rouse and order battle for the people, and I have penetrated Earth and Heaven."
[9]
[6]
Saraswati, like many other Hindu deities, was eventually adopted into Buddhism, figuring mainly in
Mahayana
texts. In the 15th chapter of
Yijing
's translation of the
Sutra of Golden Light
(
Suvar?aprabh?sa S?tra
) into
Classical Chinese
(
Taish? Tripitaka
885), Saraswati (大辯才天女,
pinyin
:
Dabiancaiti?nn?
; Japanese:
Daibenzaitennyo
, lit. "great goddess of eloquence") appears before the
Buddha
's assembly and vows to protect all those who put their faith in the sutra, recite it, or copy it. In addition, she promises to increase the intelligence of those who recite the sutra so that they will be able to understand and remember various
dharanis
.
She then teaches the assembly various mantras with which one can heal all illnesses and escape all manner of misfortune. One of the Buddha's disciples, the
brahmin
Kaundinya
, then praises Saraswati, comparing her to Vishnu's consort Narayani (
Lakshmi
) and declaring that she can manifest herself not only as a benevolent deity, but also as
Yami
, the sister of
Yama
. He then describes her eight-armed form with all its attributes ? bow, arrow, sword, spear, axe,
vajra
,
iron wheel
, and
noose
.
[10]
[11]
The poem describes Saraswati as one who "has sovereignty in the world", as one who is "good fortune, success, and peace of mind". It also states that she fights in battlefields and is always victorious.
[12]
One key concern of the
Golden Light Sutra
is the protection of the state, and as such, Saraswati here also takes on some form of a warrior goddess, similar to
Durga
.
[13]
Bernard Faure
also notes that the Vach already had martial attributes, which may have been retained in some form.
[14]
Bencaitian / Benzaiten
[
edit
]
Saraswati became the Chinese 辯才天 (Bencaitian) or "great eloquence deity" (大辯天). This became the Japanese 弁財天 (Benzaiten). In East Asian Buddhism, she is one of the
Twenty-Four Protective Deities
(
Chinese
: 二十四諸天;
pinyin
:
Ershisi Zh?ti?n
). She remained associated with wealth, music, and eloquence and also took on aspects of a fierce protector of the state (due to the influence of the
Golden Light Sutra
which promises to protect a country where the sutra is chanted).
During the medieval period onwards, Benzaiten came to be associated or even
conflated with
a number of Buddhist and local deities, including the goddess
Kissh?ten
(the Buddhist version of the Hindu
Lakshmi
, whose role as goddess of fortune eventually became ascribed to Benzaiten in popular belief). As such, she was eventually also worshiped as a bestower of monetary fortune and became part of the set of popular deities known as the
Seven Lucky Gods
(
shichifukujin
).
Benzaiten is depicted a number of ways in Japanese art. She is often depicted holding a
biwa
(a traditional Japanese lute) similar to how Saraswati is depicted with a
veena
in Indian art, though she may also be portrayed wielding a sword and a wish-granting jewel (
cint?ma?i
). An iconographic formula showing Benzaiten with eight arms holding a variety of weapons (based on the
Golden Light Sutra
) meanwhile is believed to derive from Durga's iconography. As Uga Benzaiten, she may also be shown with Ugajin (a human-headed white snake) above her head. Lastly, she is also portrayed (albeit rarely) with the head of a snake or a dragon.
It's worth noting that Benzaiten's worship also spread to Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period, and she is still venerated in certain locations in Taiwan, such as the
Xian Dong Yan
temple in
Keelung City
.
Syncretism with Shinto kami
[
edit
]
Due to her status as a water deity, Benzaiten was also linked with
n?gas
,
dragons
, and
snakes
. Over time, Benzaiten became identified with the Japanese snake
kami
Ugajin
. She also became identified with the
kami
Ichikishima-hime
.
Benzaiten was also adopted as a female
kami
in
Shinto
, with the name Ichikishima-hime-no-mikoto
(
市杵島?命
)
.
[15]
This kami is one of three
kami
believed to be daughters of the sun goddess
Amaterasu
, the ancestress of the
imperial family
.
She is also believed by
Tendai
Buddhists to be the essence of the
kami
Ugajin
, whose effigy she sometimes carries on her head together with a
torii
(see photo below).
[16]
As a consequence, she is sometimes also known as Uga
(
宇賀
)
Benzaiten or Uga Benten.
[17]
B?ja and mantra
[
edit
]
The
b?ja
or seed syllable used to represent Benzaiten in Japanese esoteric Buddhism is
su
(??, traditionally read in Japanese as
so
), written in
Siddha? script
.
[18]
In Japanese esoteric Buddhism (
mikkyo
), Benzaiten's main
mantra
is as follows:
[19]
Sanskrit
|
Sino-Japanese pronunciation
|
Hiragana
|
O?
Sarasvatyai
sv?h?
[20]
|
On Sarasabatei-ei Sowaka
|
おん さらさばていえい そわか
|
Temples and shrines
[
edit
]
In
Japan
, the places of worship dedicated to Benzaiten are often called "辯天堂" (
benten-d?
) or benten-sha
(
弁天社
)
.
Shinto shrines
dedicated to her are also called by this name. Entire Shinto shrines can be dedicated to her, as in the case of Kamakura's
Zeniarai Benzaiten Ugafuku Shrine
or Nagoya's
Kawahara Shrine
. Benzaiten temples or shrines places are commonly located near bodies of water like rivers, ponds, or springs due to her association with water. Benzaiten's worship became integrated with native Japanese beliefs, including serpent and dragon symbolism, as she was originally a river goddess.
Benzaiten is enshrined on numerous locations throughout Japan; for example, the
Enoshima
Island in
Sagami Bay
, the
Chikubu Island
in
Lake Biwa
and the
Itsukushima
Island in
Seto Inland Sea
(Japan's Three Great Benzaiten Shrines); and she and a five-headed
dragon
are the central figures of the
Enoshima Engi
, a history of the shrines on Enoshima written by the Japanese Buddhist monk
K?kei
(皇慶) in 1047. According to K?kei, Benzaiten is the third daughter of the dragon-king of Munetsuchi (無熱池; literally "lake without heat"), known in Sanskrit as
Anavatapta
, the lake lying at the center of the world according to an ancient Buddhist cosmological view.
Ry?h?-ji
, also known as the "Moe Temple", enshrines Benzaiten. It is famous for
anime
style depictions of Buddhist deities.
[21]
Benzaiten Buddhist temples
[
edit
]
- Hogon-ji
Temple (Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture, Chikubushima, Japan's Three Major Benzaiten)
- Daigan-ji
Temple (Hyokkaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Miyajima, Japan's three major Bensaiten)
- Yaotomi Shrine
(Gamagori City, Aichi Prefecture, Takeshima (Aichi Prefecture), Japan Shichibenten)
- Enkyo-ji Temple
(Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, on the day of Kishi every 60 days Uga Benzai Tenyu Shuku is practiced)
- Takian-ji
Temple (Mino City, Osaka Prefecture)
- Shinju-ji
Temple (Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture)
- Shinfuku-ji
Temple (Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture)
- Tokai-ji
Temple Fuse Benten (Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture)
- Senso-ji
Temple Bentenzan (Taito Ward, Tokyo) [11]
- Kanei-ji
Temple Shinobazu Pond Benzaiten (Taito Ward, Tokyo, Edo Shichibenten)
- Myoko-ji
Temple Itsukushima Bensaiten (Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture, Kamehime-sama's dedication)
- Togo-ji
Temple (Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture)
- Kofuku-ji
Temple Kubo Benzaiten (Nara City, Nara Prefecture, in the three-storied pagoda, hidden Buddha)
- Ryozen-ji
Temple Daibensai Tendo (Nara City, Nara Prefecture)
- Chokenji
Temple (Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City)
- Fukasawa Zenarai Benten (Tonosawa, Hakone-cho, Ashigashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture)
- Saifuku-ji
Temple (Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan's largest wooden Buddha)
- Ikko-ji
Temple Benten Cave (Inagi City, Tokyo)
- Daisei-ji
Temple Inokashira Benzaiten (Mitaka City, Tokyo)
- Honko-ji
Temple, Suse Benzai Kotoku Tenjo (Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture)
- Hase-dera Bentendo Benten Cave (Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
- Kaiko-ji
Temple, Izumiyama Yutsu Benzaiten (Yamauchi of Senwakuji Temple, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, Hachibi statue with Denkyo Daishi Saicho Saku, Hidden Buddha)
- Ry?h?-ji
Temple Shingo Benzaiten (Hachioji City, Tokyo, dating from 1489, known as "Moe-ji Temple" for its use of anime style depictions of Buddhist deities)
- Momo-ji
Temple Naked Benzaiten (2-16 Yotsuya-dori, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya City)
- There is a shrine on a floating island protruding in Tanara-numa,
Onrin-ji
Temple (Oura-cho, Gunma Prefecture).
- Eian-ji
Temple (Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture) Enshrined in Bentendo where vermilion Hiten dances with Bishamonten and Daikokuten (opened several times a year)
- Myoen-ji
Temple Iwaya Reijo Tsuchiya Zeni Benten (Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
- Jushoin Matsumoto Benten (Edogawa-ku, Tokyo)
- Hoju-in
Kaiun Suzusato-saiten (Minato-ku, Tokyo)
- Meio-ji
Temple (Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture, Benten sect headquarters)
- Nyoi-ji
Temple (the head temple of the Benten sect in Gojo City, Nara Prefecture, Gyoki Bodhisattva is said to have been carved in the Nara period)
Shinto shrines enshrining Benzaiten
[
edit
]
- Enoshima Shrine (Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Enoshima, Japan's three major Benzaiten)
- Koami Shrine (Nihonbashi, Tokyo)
- Zeniarai Benzaiten Ugafuku Shrine (Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
- Shimizu Benzaitensha (Saku City, Nagano Prefecture)
- Tenkawa Daibenzaitensha (Tenkawa-mura, Yoshino-gun, Nara Prefecture, Japan's three major Benzaiten) [Note 6]
- Koganeyama Shrine (Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, Mt. Kinka)
Benzaiten is also enshrined as Ichikishima Hime-no-Mikoto at the
Munakata Taisha
shrine.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Ludvik, Catherine (2007).
Sarasvat?: Riverine Goddess of Knowledge. From the Manuscript-carrying V???-player to the Weapon-wielding Defender of the Dharma
. Brill. pp. 1?3.
- ^
Rajesh Verma (January 2005).
"Hindu Contributions to Japanese Religion"
(PDF)
. Hindu Education Foundation. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 2006-10-21
. Retrieved
May 14,
2020
.
- ^
Kinsley, David (1998).
Hindu Goddesses: Visions of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Tradition
. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. pp. 10?13.
- ^
Ludvik (2007). pp. 35-39.
- ^
Faure, Bernard (2015).
Protectors and Predators: Gods of Medieval Japan, Volume 2
. University of Hawaii Press. p. 164.
- ^
a
b
c
Faure (2015). pp. 164-165.
- ^
Ludvik (2007). p. 48.
- ^
Griffith, Ralph T.H. (trans.).
"Rig Veda, Book 6: Hymn LXI. Sarasvat?"
.
Sacred Texts
. Retrieved
2022-05-21
.
- ^
Griffith, Ralph T.H. (trans.).
"Rig Veda, Book 10: Hymn CXXV. V?k"
.
Sacred Texts
. Retrieved
2022-05-21
.
- ^
"金光明最勝王經 第7卷"
.
CBETA Chinese Electronic Tripi?aka Collection (漢文大藏經)
. Retrieved
2022-05-21
.
- ^
Faure (2015). pp. 165-166.
- ^
Ludvik, Catherine (2004).
"A Hariva??a Hymn in Yijing's Chinese Translation of the Sutra of Golden Light"
.
Journal of the American Oriental Society
.
124
(4): 707?734.
doi
:
10.2307/4132114
.
JSTOR
4132114
.
- ^
Ludvik (2007). pp. 265-267.
- ^
Faure (2015). pp. 168-169.
- ^
Bocking, Brian (1997).
A Popular Dictionary of Shinto - 'Benzaiten'
. Routledge.
ISBN
978-0-7007-1051-5
.
- ^
It?, Satoshi:
"Ugajin"
.
Encyclopedia of Shinto
,
Kokugakuin University
, retrieved on August 15, 2011
- ^
Ludvik, Catherine. “Uga-Benzaiten: The Goddess and the Snake.” Impressions, no. 33, 2012, pp. 94?109. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/42597966.
- ^
"弁財天 (Benzaiten)"
.
Flying Deity Tobifud? (Ry?k?-zan Sh?b?-in Official Website)
. Retrieved
2022-05-22
.
- ^
"Goddess Benzaiten, A-to-Z Dictionary of Japanese Buddhist / Shinto Statues"
.
www.onmarkproductions.com
. Retrieved
2023-11-04
.
- ^
Saroj Kumar Chaudhuri (2003).
Hindu Gods and Goddesses in Japan,
p. 54. Vedams eBooks (P) Ltd.
- ^
"Otaku Worship in Session at Ryohoji Temple"
. 30 January 2013.
Bibliography
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Benzaiten
.