Kangiten

The guardian deity of Buddhism. The Sanskrit name Ganapati is a translation of Gaapati or Vinayaka, and is also called Daishokangijizaiten (Great Deity of Joy) or Shoden (Holy God). Originally a god in Indian mythology, he corresponds to the elephant-headed human god Ganesha Gaeśa, the son of the Hindu god Shiva and his wife Parvati, and is said to be the god of wisdom and wealth. Ganapati or Ganesha means the leader of the attendants of Shiva. There are two types of statues: a single statue and a pair of statues in which a husband and wife embrace each other. Vinayaka is also a member of the Shiva family, originally a demon that caused obstacles to humans, but when Kannon Bodhisattva (Kannon Bosatsu) approached her leader, Kanki (Nandin or Nandikeśvara), in a female body, they became husband and wife, and in return, she was transformed into a god who removes obstacles to humans, which is said to be the origin of the twin-body statue. Even today, she is considered a god of wealth and marital harmony, and the Shoden-gu or Shoden-ho is performed, in which offerings of Kanki-odan (sweets) and raku (radish, a symbol of Kanki-ten), bathing in oil, and praying for the acquisition of wisdom, wealth, and status. Ikoma Shoden (Hozan-ji Temple) in Nara is famous.

[Shinichi Tsuda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

仏教の守護神。サンスクリット名ガナパティGaapatiあるいはビナーヤカVināyakaの訳で、大聖歓喜自在天(だいしょうかんぎじざいてん)、聖天(しょうでん)ともいう。もとはインド神話の神であり、ヒンドゥー教のシバ神とその妃パールバティーの子で象頭人身の神ガネーシャGaeśaに相当し、智慧(ちえ)と財福の神とされる。ガナパティまたはガネーシャとは、シバ神の眷属(けんぞく)の長という意味。形像には単身像と夫婦が相擁した双身像がある。ビナーヤカ（毘奈夜迦）もシバ神の眷属で、元来人間に障害をなす鬼類であったが、その長である歓喜（ナンディンNandinあるいはナンディケーシュバラNandikeśvara）に観音菩薩(かんのんぼさつ)が女身をとって近づいて夫婦となり、そのかわりに以後は人間の障害を除く神に転ぜしめたといい、それが双身像の由来とされる。今日でも財宝、夫婦和合の神とされ、歓喜おだん（菓子）や蘿蔔(らふく)（ダイコン。歓喜天の象徴物）を供え、浴油して智慧や財富や地位の獲得を祈る聖天供(しょうでんぐ)または聖天法が修される。奈良の生駒(いこま)聖天（宝山寺(ほうざんじ)）は有名。

［津田眞一］

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