Irataka prayer beads - Irataka prayer beads

Japanese: いらたか念珠 - いらたかねんじゅ

It is also written as Saijukaku, Irataka, and Sasidaka. It is a rosary (juzu) made of 108 beads with corners, and is used by ascetic monks. Normally, it is said that one should not make any noise when kneading the rosary, but in Shugendo, the beads are kneaded up and down vigorously with both hands to make noise when chanting sutras or praying, in order to exorcise demons. There is a theory that "Irataka" means "many corners," but it is generally believed to come from the high-pitched sound of kneading the beads, and "Konohagoromo" explains that the name is a variant of the sound of the Sanskrit word "aritaka."

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

最多角，伊良太加，刺高とも書く。角（かど）のある108の珠を用いた数珠（じゆず）で，修験者が使用する。通常は，数珠をもむときには音をたててはならないとされているが，修験道では悪魔祓いの意味で，読経や祈禱の際に，この数珠を両手で激しく上下にもんで音をたてる。〈いらたか〉とは，角が多い意だという説もあるが，一般には，もみ摺る音の高く聞こえることに由来するとされ，《木葉衣》は，梵語の阿唎吒迦（ありたか）の音を転じて名付けたと説く。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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