Bishamonten

A Buddhist guardian deity. The Sanskrit word Vaiśravana is transliterated as houshutsu wamatsuna, and is later called Bishamonten. He is also called Tamonten or Henmonten. A god from the Vedic period in India, he is also known as Kubera in Hinduism. He was originally the lord of evil spirits in the underworld, but in Hinduism he became the god of wealth and good fortune, led the yakshas and rakshasas, and was considered to be a god who protects the north as a member of the Taishakuten. In Buddhism, he is one of the four heavenly kings, lives north of Mount Sumeru, and is considered a good guardian deity of the law who protects the north of Jambudvipa with many yakshas as his attendants. The figure is wearing armor, has an angry expression, holds a pagoda in his left hand, and a staff or spear in his right hand, and sits on a two-sword demon. He is also considered one of the twelve heavenly gods, but in Japan he has been worshipped as a single deity since ancient times. At Shigisan (Chogosonshiji Temple), Bishamonten is worshipped as the principal image, and Kusunoki Masashige was the deified son of Bishamonten, whose childhood name was Tamonmaru, and he was deeply revered by military commanders. In the Heian period, a statue of Bishamonten with his left hand raised was enshrined at Kurama-dera Temple, which was built in the north to protect the royal palace, and special statues of Bishamonten with his left hand raised were also created in esoteric Buddhism, such as the Tobatsu Bishamonten statue at To-ji Temple (Kyoogokoku-ji Temple). In later years, he was counted as one of the Seven Lucky Gods while still in the form of a military commander, and was worshiped by the people as a god who bestows good fortune.

[Masataka Eguchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

仏教の護法神。サンスクリット語バイシュラバナVaiśravanaを吠室囉末拏などと音写し、転じて毘沙門天となる。多聞(たもん)天、遍聞(へんもん)天とも称する。インドのベーダ時代からの神で、ヒンドゥー教ではクベーラkuberaの異名をもつ。もとは暗黒界の悪霊の主であったが、ヒンドゥー教では財宝、福徳をつかさどる神となり、夜叉(やしゃ)、羅刹(らせつ)を率い、帝釈(たいしゃく)天に属して北方を守護する神とされていた。仏教では四天王の一尊で須弥山(しゅみせん)の北方に住し、多数の夜叉を眷属(けんぞく)として閻浮提(えんぶだい)州の北方を守る護法の善神とされた。その形像は甲冑(かっちゅう)を身に着け、憤怒(ふんぬ)の相をし、左手に宝塔を捧(ささ)げ、右手に宝棒または鉾(ほこ)を執(と)り、二夜叉（鬼）の上に座る。また十二天の一とされるが、わが国では単独としても古来から信仰された。信貴山(しぎさん)（朝護孫子寺(ちょうごそんしじ)）では毘沙門天を本尊としており、楠木正成(くすのきまさしげ)はその申し子として幼名を多聞丸と称するなど、武将の信仰が厚かった。また平安時代には、王城鎮護のため北方に建てられた鞍馬(くらま)寺に左手をかざした毘沙門天像を安置したり、さらに東寺（教王護国寺）の兜跋(とばつ)毘沙門天像のように密教において特別の彫像も現れるに至った。後世、武将形のまま七福神の一つに数えられ、福徳を授ける神として民間に信仰された。

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