Matarajin
Matarajin is a Buddhist god chiefly venerated in the Tendai school of Japanese Buddhism. While originally regarded as a wrathful deity obstructing rebirth in the pure land, and thus a "god of obstacles", with time he also came to be seen as a protector of adherents of Tendai doctrine, capable of warding off demons, especially tengu, as well as epidemics. He also acquired other roles, including these of a protector of performing arts and of an astral god of destiny.
↻ synthesized from 3 sources
When
- Historical notes
- Worship declined in the Edo period due to efforts to reform Tendai, but continues to be celebrated in the "ox festival" of Kōryū-ji.
Relationships
- co occurs with
- Tokugawa Ieyasu, Fudō Myōō, Taishan Fujun, Sumiyoshi, Seiryū Gongen, Inari Myōjin, Ina Tenjin, Izuna Gongen, Yashajin, Fuku daijin, Shukujin, Shoten, Taizan Fukun, Mutō Tenjin, Kōga Saburō, Yama, Vināyakas, Gozu Tennō, Sannō Gongen, Dakiniten, Ugajin, Amaterasu, Benzaiten, Jizō
- syncretized with
- Susano'o, Mahākāla, Shinra Myōjin, Amida Buddha, Kōjin, Okina, Manjushri
- allied with
- Shinra Myōjin, Sekizan Myōjin, Tōshō Daigongen, Chōreita Dōji, Nishita Dōji
Mentioned by
Sources
Source passages
“Shūyōshū contains a description of a statue of Matarajin, characterized as a "strange deity" (奇神, kishin), and a "yaksha deity" (夜叉神, yashajin) with six arms and three faces: white face of Dakiniten on the left, golden face of Shoten in the center, and red face of Benzaiten on the left.”
#39673 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“Similar narratives regarding two other deities of similar character, Matarajin and Sekizan Myōjin, are also observed.”
#39732 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“Faure argues that they historically formed an 'implicit triad', with Matarajin enshrined on top of Mount Hiei as the protector of the three pagodas of Enryaku-ji”
#39765 · extracted by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5