Gozu Tenno - Gozu Tenno

He is said to be an incarnation of Susanoo-no-Mikoto, and his original Buddha is Yakushi Nyorai. He is also called Muto Tenjin or Gion Tenjin, as he is the deity of Kyoto's Yasaka Shrine (Gion Shrine). He has been revered as a god of epidemics since the Heian period, and the Gion Festival is an annual event to worship this deity and quell epidemics. In India, Gozu Tenno was the guardian deity of the Gion Shoja temple, but in Japan he first appeared in Akashiura, Harima Province (Hyogo Prefecture), then moved to Hiromine, and then to Tokoji Temple on Kitashirakawa in Uryuyama, Higashiyama, Kyoto, and then in the 11th year of the reign of Emperor Seiwa (Jogan 869), he moved to Kanshin-in in Higashiyama, which is the current Yasaka Shrine. In the Zao Dharani Sutra, it is written that this god "binds and attacks demons to ward off epidemics." Also, in the "Bingo no Kuni Fudoki" (Bingo no Kuni Fudoki), it is written that Muto Tenjin taught Somin Shorai the method of warding off misfortune in order to repay the favor of Somin Shorai for the lodging and food he had received from him, and in connection with this, Somin Shorai charms are issued in shrines and temples as talismans to ward off epidemics during the New Year. The Goo Hoin is also a talisman of Gozu Tenno, and was issued by Gion Shrine.

[Toshihiko Uda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

素戔嗚尊(すさのおのみこと)の化身とされ、薬師如来(やくしにょらい)を本地仏とする。武塔天神(むとうてんじん)、あるいは京都八坂(やさか)神社（祇園(ぎおん)社）の祭神として祇園天神ともいう。平安時代から行疫神として崇信され、祇園祭はこの神を祀(まつ)って疫病を鎮める年中行事である。牛頭天王は、インドでは祇園精舎(しょうじゃ)の守護神であったが、わが国では、最初は播磨(はりま)国（兵庫県）明石(あかし)浦に垂迹(すいじゃく)、ついで広峰に移り、その後、京都東山瓜生(うりゅう)山北白川東光寺へ、さらに清和(せいわ)天皇869年（貞観11）東山の感神院に移ったとされ、それが現在の八坂神社である。『蔵王陀羅尼経(ざおうだらにきょう)』には、この神が「癘鬼(れいき)を縛撃(ばくげき)して疫難を禳除(じょうじょ)す」とみえる。また『備後国風土記(びんごのくにふどき)』逸文には、武塔天神が蘇民将来(そみんしょうらい)から受けた一宿一飯の恩に報いるため除難の法を教えたとあり、これにちなみ、社寺では正月に疫病除(よ)けの護符として蘇民将来札が出される。牛王(ごおう)宝印も牛頭天王の護符で、祇園社から出ていた。

［菟田俊彦］

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