Who is Benzaiten?
Benzaiten (often spelled Benten) is a goddess in Japanese Buddhism who originated from the Indian goddess Saraswati.
She was adopted into the Japanese pantheon through Chinese translations of Buddhist texts and was eventually integrated into the native Shinto religion as well.
She is known as the goddess of everything that flows—ranging from water to music, knowledge, and wisdom.
Benzaiten originated from Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning.
Over time, as Buddhism spread into China and Japan, aspects of Saraswati were merged with local beliefs and deities, culminating in the figure of Benzaiten.
She is one of the Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin) in Japanese belief, a group of deities that grant good fortune and are derived from various Asian cultures.
Among these gods, Benzaiten is the only female deity, and she’s often sought for her blessing of wisdom and beauty.
How a Hindu goddess became Benzaiten
Benzaiten is a syncretic deity, originally derived from the Indian goddess Saraswati. She was adopted into Japanese Buddhism via Chinese translations of the Buddhist scriptures. Her identity and attributes expanded as she was assimilated into Japanese culture, becoming a unique figure within the pantheon.
The name “Benzaiten” (弁才天 or 弁財天) is derived from the Japanese transliteration of the Sanskrit name “Sarasvatī,” the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, arts, wisdom, and nature.
The evolution of the name from “Sarasvatī” to “Benzaiten” occurred through several stages, involving the transliteration of Sanskrit into Chinese and then the adaptation into Japanese.
Here’s a simplified breakdown:
- The original Sanskrit name “Sarasvatī” is written in Devanagari as सरस्वती.
- The name was transliterated into Chinese with the characters that approximate the sound of Sarasvatī, resulting in “Biansètiān” (辯才天 or 辯財天) in Mandarin.
- This transliteration then came to Japan along with the Buddhist scriptures and was adapted to the Japanese on’yomi (Sino-Japanese reading) of the kanji, becoming “Benzaiten.”
In the characters 弁才天 or 弁財天:
- 弁 (Ben) can mean “eloquence” or can serve as a sound approximation for “Sarasv-.”
- 才 (Zai) can mean “talent” or “ability,” aligning with Sarasvatī as the goddess of arts and wisdom.
- 財 (also read as Zai) can mean “wealth” or “fortune,” which reflects one aspect of Benzaiten’s role in bringing prosperity.
- 天 (Ten) means “heaven” or “celestial,” denoting her divine status.
What does Benzaiten look like?
Two-Armed Form: In her most common representation, Benzaiten is shown with two arms, often playing a biwa (a traditional Japanese lute). This depiction emphasizes her association with music.
Eight-Armed Form: Sometimes, Benzaiten is depicted with eight arms, each holding a different symbolic item such as a sword, a wheel, a jewel, a bow, an arrow, a hook, a water pot, and often a biwa or other musical instrument. This form represents her many abilities and her role as a protector deity.
White Snake: In some instances, Benzaiten is associated with a white snake, which serves as her messenger and is a symbol of Benzaiten’s divinity. The white snake is also related to the dragon of Enoshima.
Attire: She is often dressed in the fine, flowing robes of a noblewoman and may be seated on a lotus pedestal, which is common in Buddhist iconography and represents purity and enlightenment.
What are the powers and roles of Benzaiten?
Goddess of Music and Arts:Benzaiten is commonly associated with the biwa, a traditional Japanese lute, and, by extension, is a patron of music and musicians.
She’s also connected to all forms of art and is sometimes depicted with other musical instruments, a pen, or a scroll, symbolizing patronage of the arts and eloquence.
Wisdom and Knowledge: Just as the goddess Saraswati, Benzaiten is also a deity of knowledge and wisdom. Scholars, students, and philosophers would seek her blessing for success in their studies and intellectual pursuits.
Power over Water: Benzaiten has powers over anything that flows, most notably water. As such, she’s believed to have the power to prevent water-based disasters such as floods. As a goddess of water, fishermen prayed to her for bountiful catches, and seamen asked for safety during their voyages. Finally, Benzaiten is often worshipped at sites close to bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, and seas.
Powers of Purification: Benzaiten has the power to transform negative entities into positive ones, as seen in her stories involving the dragon of Enoshima and similar malevolent creatures. This transformative power is significant in Japanese mythology and religious practice, as it signifies the potential for change and redemption.
Benzaiten is a jealous goddess
In some stories, Benzaiten is depicted as a jealous goddess. For instance, there’s a tale where she becomes envious of a woman with the voice of a nightingale who is loved by all the men in the village. Benzaiten causes the woman to be swallowed by the earth, but later, feeling remorse, she resurrects her as a goddess.
Benzaiten’s jealous nature is also found in an urban story about the park at the Inokashirashrine.
According to this tale, lovers should not ride together in rowboats; otherwise, Benzaiten would become jealous and cause the couple to break up in the coming months.
Why Benzaiten is associated with dragons and serpents
One of the more famous tales of Benzaiten involves her taming a dragon to create the island of Enoshima.
According to myth, a ferocious five-headed dragon once resided in Lake Sagami and terrorized all the inhabitants of the region.
The locals prayed to the gods to rid them of this terrible menace, and Benzaiten was the one who answered.
From here on, there are multiple versions of the tale.
In one version, Benzaiten convinced the dragon to abandon its destructive ways and follow the teachings of the Buddha. The great beast then faced south and was transformed into a hill in the lake, forming the island of Enoshima.
In another version, Benzaiten first tried to pacify the dragon with her songs, but when that didn’t work, caused the ocean to swallow the lake and dragon within and then raised the island of Enoshima to permanently trap the dragon underneath.
On a similar note, Benzaiten is associated with the white snake, who is thought to be her messenger.
In Japanese folklore, snakes, because of their ability to molt and shed their skin, were seen as symbols of renewal and good luck, especially white ones.
References:
- The Mythology of all races – Japanese by Louis Herbert Gray and Masahuru Anesaki
- Legend in Japanese Art by Henry L. Joli
- Kojiki
- Manyoshu
- Nihongi
- Myths of China and Japan by Donald Alexander Mackenzie
- Myths and legends of Japan by F. Hadland Davis
- Old-world Japan : legends of the land of the gods by Frank Rinder
- Gods and heroes of old Japan by Violet M Pasteur & Ada Galton
- Ancient Tales & Folklore of Japan by Richard Gordon Smith
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