Benzaiten
The goddess of financial fortune, talent, beauty and music. She is the patron of artists, geisha, writers, dancers and others. She is one of the Seven Lucky Gods.
↻ synthesized from 7 sources
When
- First attested
- 500 CE
- Attested period
- 500 – 2020
- Historical notes
- Venerated in East Asian Buddhism as a form of Saraswati.
Relationships
- co occurs with
- Betobeto-san, Binbōgami, Biwa-bokuboku, Boroboroton, Buruburu, Byakko, Byōbunozoki, Marici, Futsunushi-no-Mikoto, Ebisu, Kotoshironushi, Acala, Sukunabikona, Isana, Mahākāla-Daikokuten, Ichiji Kinrin, Vaiśravana-Bishamonten, Kenrō Jijin, Vāc, Sharada, Brahmani, Brahmi, Bharadi, Vani, Vachi, Varnesvari, Kavijihvagravasini, Nāmagal, Thurathadi, Tipitaka Medaw, Biàncáitiān, Suratsawadi, Saratsawadi, Saraswati, Durga, Daikokuten, Kichijōten, Taishakuten, Bonten, Jikokuten, Zochoten, Komokuten, Tamonten, Dakiniten, Matarajin, Shoten, Chōreita Dōji, Nishita Dōji, Bake-kujira, Bakeneko, Bakezōri, Bakotsu, Baku, Basan, Bashō no sei, Ugajin, Ōkuninushi, Dainichi
- allied with
- Daikokuten, five-headed dragon, Bishamonten
- syncretized with
- Sarasvati, Saraswati, Kisshōten, Ichikishima-hime, Phra Sunthariwani
- manifests as
- Saraswati
- child of
- Amaterasu, dragon-king of Munetsuchi
- served by
- Kenrojishin, Hōkentaishō, Shōryōchitaishō, Kareiteimo
Mentioned by
- Bake-kujira
- Bakeneko
- Bakezōri
- Bakotsu
- Baku
- Basan
- Bashō no sei
- Ugajin
- Ōkuninushi
- Dainichi
- five-headed dragon
- Bishamonten
- Kisshōten
- Ichikishima-hime
- Phra Sunthariwani
- Amaterasu
and 5 more
Sources
Source passages
“The goddess of financial fortune, talent, beauty and music. As such she is the patron of artists, geisha, writers, dancers and others. One of the Seven Lucky Gods.”
#4998 · extracted by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5
“Mārīcī was also worshiped in the later Edo period as a goddess of wealth and prosperity by the merchant class, alongside Daikokuten (大黒天) and Benzaiten (弁財天) as part of a trio of "three deities" (三天 Santen).”
#15928 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“in Japanese as Benzaiten (弁才天/弁財天)”
#29004 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“Japan's Three Major Benzaiten...Japan Shichibenten...Uga Benzai Tenyu...Itsukushima Bensaiten...Kubo Benzaiten...Daibensai Tendo...Zenarai Benten...Inokashira Benzaiten...Benzai Kotoku Tenjo...Yutsu Benzaiten...Shingo Benzaiten dating from 1489...Naked Benzaiten”
#29117 · extracted by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5
“Daikokuten was also linked or identified with other deities such as Ugajin, Benzaiten (the Buddhist version of Sarasvatī), Vaiśravana-Bishamonten, the earth god Kenrō Jijin (derived from the Indian earth goddess Pṛthivī, though the deity is also portrayed in Japan as male), or the wisdom king Acala (Fudō Myōō in Japanese).”
#34464 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001