Brahma Heaven - Bontenkoku

The title of a sekkyo joruri song. It originated from Otogi Zoushi, and there are also Nara ehon and emaki. The author is unknown. It is one of the Honji engimono. The Chunagon of Gojo is said to be the son of Kiyomizu Kannon. The Chunagon was devoted to his parents and built a temple for them, and played the flute to pray for their souls. The sound reached the Brahma heaven, where King Brahma felt it and the Chunagon married the king's princess. The emperor became jealous and presented various problems to him, but the situation was resolved by the princess's arrangement. The Chunagon was asked for a seal written by King Brahma, and while he was away to collect it, the princess was taken away. After much hardship, the Middle Counselor rescues the princess with the help of Kannon and returns to Japan, where they become Manjusri and Kannon Bodhisattva, respectively. This story was originally a subject for sermons in the Buddhist world, but it became an Otogi-zoshi and then a Sekkyo Joruri. As a Sekkyo Joruri piece, the content is absurd and imaginary, but because it is large-scale and interesting, it is highly valued among the many plays, especially as one of the five Sekkyo, and the original version has been handed down.

[Kazuo Sekiyama]

"Sekkei Shohonshu 3, Commentary by Shinta Junichi (1968, Kadokawa Shoten)" ▽ "Japanese Classical Literature Series 38, Otogi-zoshi , Annotated by Ichiko Sadatsugu (1958, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Complete Translation of Japanese Classics 49, Otogi-zoshi, Annotated and Translated by Oshima Takehiko (1983, Shogakukan)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

説経浄瑠璃(じょうるり)の曲名。御伽草子(おとぎぞうし)から出て、奈良絵本、絵巻もある。作者不明。本地縁起(えんぎ)物の一つ。五条の中納言(ちゅうなごん)は清水観音(きよみずかんのん)の申し子という。中納言は親思いで亡き両親のために寺を建て、菩提(ぼだい)を弔うために笛を吹く。それが梵天国へ聞こえ、梵天王が感じて中納言は王の姫と結婚する。それを天皇が嫉妬(しっと)し、さまざまな難題をもちかけるが、姫の計らいによって解決する。梵天王自筆の判を要求されたので中納言がそれをとりに行っている留守に姫は奪われてしまう。中納言は苦難のすえに観音の手引きによって姫を救い出して日本に帰り、それぞれ文殊菩薩(もんじゅぼさつ)、観世音(かんぜおん)菩薩となるという筋である。これは、もともと仏教界の唱導（説教）の題材であったが、それが御伽草子となり、説経浄瑠璃となった。説経浄瑠璃としては、内容は荒唐無稽(こうとうむけい)で架空的ではあるが、スケールが大きくておもしろいために、多数の演目のなかでもとくに五説経の一つとして重用され、正本が伝わっている。

［関山和夫］

『信多純一解説『説経正本集3』（1968・角川書店）』▽『市古貞次校注『日本古典文学大系38　御伽草子』（1958・岩波書店）』▽『大島建彦校注・訳『完訳日本の古典49　御伽草子集』（1983・小学館）』

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