弁天

Japanese

Kanji in this term
弁	天
べん Grade: 5	てん Grade: 1
on’yomi

Alternative spelling
辯天 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

Shortened from 弁財天 / 弁(べん)才(ざい)天(てん) (Benzaiten).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bẽ̞ntẽ̞ɴ]

Proper noun

弁(べん)天(てん) • (Benten) 

1. (Buddhism, Shinto) Benzaiten, goddess of knowledge and art

   Synonym: 弁才天 (Benzaiten)

   • 2007, Shin'ichirō Namiki, Shōwa no toshi densetsu [Shōwa era urban legends], page 39:

     東(とう)西(ざい)に細(ほそ)長(なが)く広(ひろ)がる公(こう)園(えん)の中(ちゅう)央(おう)には噴(ふん)水(すい)のある池(いけ)があって、弁(べん)天(てん)様(さま)がまつられている。

     Tōzai ni hosonagaku hirogaru kōen no chūō ni wa funsui no aru ike ga atte, Benten-sama ga matsurareteiru.

     In the center of a long, narrow park extending east to west there is a pond with a fountain dedicated to Lady Benten.

2. any of several places in Japan associated with or named for the goddess

Derived terms

• 弁(べん)天(てん)島(しま) (Benten-shima), several islands in Japan associated with the goddess Benzaiten
• 弁(べん)天(てん)山(さん) (Benten-san), several mountains in Japan