弁天

弁天

Japanese

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

Etymology

Shortened from 弁財天 / 弁才天(べんざいてん) (Benzaiten).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bẽ̞ntẽ̞ɴ]

Proper noun

弁天(べんてん) • (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:

     東西(とうざい)に細長(ほそなが)く広(ひろ)がる公園(こうえん)の中央(ちゅうおう)には噴水(ふんすい)のある池(いけ)があって、 弁天(べんてん)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

• 弁天島(べんてんしま) (Benten shima), several islands in Japan associated with the goddess Benzaiten
• 弁天山(べんてんさん) (Benten-san), several mountains in Japan