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DAIKOKU, DAIKOKU-TEN (Sanskrit = Mahakala)
MAKAKARA, MAKIAKARA-TEN
Name literally means "Great Black Deva"
God of Wealth, Farmers, Agriculture, Rice, & Kitchen
Shinto Association = Okuninushi no Mikoto 大国主命
Origin India
Associated with Hindu Deity Mahakala
Mahakala in turn may have originated from Hindu Kubera
Member of the Tenbu (Skt. = Deva)
One of Japan's Seven Lucky Gods
Last Update July 2007
Rewrote some text
Added Kubera / Kuvera / Mahakala
Added Ookuni-Nushi-no-Kami
Added Sanmen Daikokutenb (3 Faced)
Daikoku's 3-faced version shares many of
the same attributes as Sanbou Koujin (kitchen deity).
   
DAIKOKU MANTRA
MA
SANSKRIT SEED SYLLABLE FOR DAIKOKU
Male. Since the 17th century, Daikoku has been most widely known as the Japanese god of wealth and farmers, although in earlier centuries he was considered a fierce protector deity. In Japan, artwork of this deity usually shows him wearing a hood and standing on bales of rice (tawara 俵), carrying a large sack of treasure slung over his shoulder and holding a small magic mallet. There are other forms, including a female form, but in Japan, the god is invariably shown standing on two bales of rice holding his magic mallet and treasure sack. In some traditions, Daikoku is also considered a deity of the kitchen and a provider of food, and images of him can still be found in monastery kitchens and in the kitchens of private homes.
Of Indian origin, Daikoku imagery in Japan is identified with the mythic Shinto figure Oo-kuninushi-no-Mikoto (or Okuninushi-no-Kami, 大国主命, translated as "Prince Plenty"). The lucky mallet in his right hand (uchide nokozuchi) is similar to the Greek cornucopia. This horn of plenty can magically produce anything desired when struck. Some Japanese say that coins fall out when he shakes his mallet. Others say that believers are granted their desires by tapping a symbolic mallet on the ground three times and making a wish. Daikoku is often depicted together with Ebisu (see below), as the two are considered father (Daikoku) and son (Ebisu), although sometimes the two are thought to be brothers. The symbol of the Precious Buddhist Jewel (Skt. cintamani; the "wish-granting jewel"), sometimes found on Daikoku's mallet or belt, represents the themes of wealth and unfolding possibility; said to give its holder the ability to see all things (like a crystal ball). The precious jewel is one of the seven symbols of royal power in Buddhism.
Statues of Daikoku are Available for Online Purchase
Statue is missing the Magic Mallet
at www.buddhist-artwork.com, our sister site
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 Sanmen Daikoku 三面大黒天
Daikoku also appears as the three-headed Daikoku -- Sanmen Daikoku -- for he is believed to protect the Three Buddhist Treasures (the Buddha, the law, and the community of followers). This iconography is very similar to another kitchen deity named Koujin-sama.
Sanmen Daikoku - More Details
Below text courtesy Butuzou.co.jp
Sanmen Daikokuten (三面大黒天) is considered a manifestation of both Daijizaiten and Ishanaten (as a member of the 12 Deva, Daijizaiten is known as Ishanaten). As the three-headed deity, Sanmen Daikoku awards followers with wealth and virtue. In another form, this time from Esoteric Buddhism, he is a war deity who conquers evil. In his wrathful form, Sanmen Daikokuten has three faces and six arms (the skin color of each is black). He wears a blue snake as a bracelet, and a skull as a necklace. He has three eyes, and typically carries an elephant skin and sword, while grasping the hair of a Gaki (餓鬼; a Hungry Ghost) and the horns of a sheep.
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Sanmen Daikokuten in the Guise of Daijizaiten.
Modern Statue. Photo Courtesy of Butuzou.co.jp
RUBBING TRADITION
In his most popular manifestation in Japan, Daikoku is considered to be "the god of success in worldly endeavors." At many temples, statues of Daikoku appear worn near the head and shoulders (see photo below), as passersby believe that rubbing their hands on this god will somehow bring them luck (i.e., that good luck will rub off on them). This popular local belief may be an extension of earlier "rubbing" traditions, for statues of Binzuru (Pindola), the most widely revered of the Arhat in Japan, and Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of Medicine and Healing, are usually well worn, as the faithful rub part of the statue (knees, back, head), then rub the same part of their body, praying for the deity to heal their sickness (e.g., cancer, arthritis, headaches, other ailments). Both are reputed to have the gift of healing. The "rubbing" tradition associated with Daikoku could thus suggest that Daikoku too possesses the gift of healing.
Rub Me Daikoku
Hase Dera in Kamakura
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  BLACK DAIKOKU
FERTILITY & PROCREATION
Daikoku is closely associated with the Brahmanic Hindu deity Mahakala, the god of war, and with Mahakala's wife, Mahakali, the black-faced goddess of procreation often placed before Buddhist temples for protection in China and mainland Asia. The three characters in Daikoku's name literally mean Great Black Deva, or Great Black One, and statues in Japan's esoteric traditions often depict Daikoku with a black face (see photo at right). In his esoteric form, Daikoku is known as Makiakara-ten. Daikoku's magic mallet is sometimes inscribed with icons symbolizing the male and female principles, at other times with a jewel, and at other times with a pear-shaped insignia consisting of three rings. These symbols suggest that sexual energy can be a powerful source of wealth and prosperity. Rice, moreover, is closely associated with fertility, hence Daikoku's common depiction standing atop two bales of rice. See story by Ryan Grube for more details and reference notes. For more on the "Great Black One," click here.
ANIMAL ASSOCIATIONS
Rats (found where there is plenty of food). Please see bottom of page for curious Japanese legend about the rat and its connections with Daikoku.
KITCHEN ASSOCIATIONS. In Japan, Daikokuten sometimes appears as the protector of the food supply and the kitchen because images of him were placed in monastery kitchens in India and in China. In Japan this practice is said to have been begun by Saichou on Mt. Hiei in the 9th century. In China, the kitchen deity is known as Zao Jun (a Taoist deity). For more on Japan's Kitchen Gods, please click here.
Says JAANUS: According to the Dainichikyousho 大日経疏, Dainichi Nyorai 大日如来 appears as Daikokuten in order to subdue Daikiniten 荼吉尼天. It appears that Daikokuten came to be a protector of food supply because images of him were placed in monastery kitchens in India and in China. In Japan this practice is said to have been begun by Saichou 最澄 on Mt. Hiei 比叡. Later Daikokuten became more closely associated with food and good forture. This tendancy was reinforced by his identification with the Shinto 神道 deity Ookuninushino Mikoto 大国主命.
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Statues of Daikoku are often paired with statues of Ebisu,
for Daikoku is considered the father and Ebisu the son.
Artwork of the pair can be found everywhere in modern Japan,
especially as members of Japan's Seven Lucky Gods.
Ebisu (Japanese origin) is the god of the ocean and fishing folk.
Daikoku (Hindu origin) is the deity of agriculture and rice.
  
Left Photo: Ebisu and Daikoku (bizen)
Middle Photo: Daikoku and Ebisu (bizen)
Right Photo: L to R Daikoku, Ebisu, and Hotei (bizen)
Daikoku at left, Ebisu at right (bizen)
Thanks to Robert Yellin,
the owner of the above Bizen pieces
 
Above: Two bizen sets taken from Yahoo auction photos
Left: Daikoko at left, Ebisu at right
Right: Ebisu at left, Daikoku at right
 
Above: Wooden statue of Daikoku (c. 1412)
Hase Dera Temple, Kamakura
Daikoku at Iwaki Jinja (Shinto Shrine)
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 OTSU-E PAINTING
COURTESY MINGEIKAN
JAPAN FOLK CRAFTS MUSEUM
Otsu-e (also spelled Otsue).
Edo Period Popular Paintings of Goblins & Deities in Japanese Folk Art.
Daikoku Shaving Fukurokuju, 18th C.
Demonstrates the happy and humorous natures of these two members of the group of Seven Deities. Daikoku is the deity of prosperity, while Fukurokuju is the deity of longevity. Daikoku is almost naked, clothed only in a loincloth and wearing a red hood. Holding a razor in his right hand, he must climb a ladder in order to shave Fukurokuju's head, since it is so elongated. The painting illustrates the human qualities of deities, who seem less than godlike in such poses, showing that the immortals have as many foibles as ordinary folk.
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Ivory Daikoku in collection of
Andres Bernhard AKA Rapick - Italy
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More About the Rat
Quoted from Myths and Legends of Japan, by F. Hadland Davis
First published 1913 by George G. Harrap & Company, London
The rat is frequently portrayed either in the bale of rice with its head peeping out, or in it, or playing with the mallet, and sometimes a large number of rats are shown. According to a certain old legend, the Buddhist Gods grew jealous of Daikoku. They consulted together, and finally decided that they would get rid of the too popular Daikoku, to whom the Japanese offered prayers and incense. Emma-O, the Lord of the Dead, promised to send his most cunning and clever oni (demon), Shiro, who, he said, would have no difficulty in conquering the God of Wealth. Shiro, guided by a sparrow, went to Daikoku's castle, but though he hunted high and low he could not find its owner. Finally, Shiro discovered a large storehouse, in which he saw the God of Wealth seated. Daikoku called his Rat and bade him find out who it was who dared to disturb him. When the Rat saw Shiro he ran into the garden and brought back a branch of holly, with which he drove the oni (Shiro, the demon) away, and Daikoku remains to this day one of the most popular of the Japanese Gods. This incident is said to be the origin of the New Year's Eve charm, consisting of a holly leaf and a skewer, or a sprig of holly fixed in the lintel of the door of a house to prevent the return of the oni. (Editor's Note: Oni means "demon" or "devil" in Japanese)
Six Forms of Daikoku (from the Hadland Davis book)
According to the Butsuzou-su-i, there are six forms, which are called the Roku-Daikoku-Ten 六大黒天.
- Makara Daikoku, with mallet and bag, stands/sits on lotus leaf
- Ojikara Daikoku, princely figure holding sword and vajra
- Bika Daikoku, a priest, mallet in right hand, vajra-hilted sword in left
- Yasha Daikoku, standing, holds wheel of law in right hand
- Shinda Daikoku, boy seated with crystal (cintamani) in left hand
- Mahakara Daikoku-nyo, seated female, with small bale of rice on her head; wears Chinese robe
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Below Text Courtesy of JAANUS
www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/d/daikokuten.htm
Daikokuten is generally famous as a god of luck. He is most familiar in Japan as a fat, smiling figure with a big sack over his left shoulder and a mallet in his right hand, standing on bales (tawara 俵) full of rice. He was particularly popular in the Edo period as one of the Shichifukujin 七福神. However, in India he was a warrior deity called Mahakala and was considered an emanation of Shiva (Siva). In texts his name was transliterated as Makakara 摩訶迦羅 and translated as Daikokuten in the DAIHOUTOUDAIJITSUKYOU 大方等大集経, translated in the Zui 隋 dynasty. In Japan he appears in the outer court of the Taizoukai mandara 胎蔵界曼荼羅 (gaikongoubuin 外金剛部院 as a three faced, six-armed seated deity. According to the Dainichikyousho 大日経疏, Dainichi Nyorai 大日如来 appears as Daikokuten in order to subdue Daikiniten 荼吉尼天. However, there are no independent images of Daikoku in Japan that resemble the one in the Taizoukai mandara. It appears that Daikokuten came to be a protector of the food supply because images of him were placed in monastery kitchens in India and in China. In Japan this practice is said to have been begun by Saichou 最澄 on Mt. Hiei 比叡 in the 9th century. The oldest extant image of Daikokuten in Japan is the late Heian wooden sculpture in Kanzeonji 観世音寺 in Dazaifu 太宰府 (Fukuoka prefecture) In this, his expression is fierce. In the sculpture of Myoujuin 明寿院 of Kongourinji 金剛輪寺 (Shiga prefecture; late Heian) he is shown in armor. Thus, his identity as a war god is still apparent. Later he became more closely associated with food and good forture. This tendancy was reinforced by his identification with the Shinto 神道 deity Ookuninushino Mikoto 大国主命. The sculpture of Saidaiji 西大寺 in Nara (Kamakura), which still displays a severe countenance and does not include the tawara was made by Zenshun 善春 on the order of Eison 叡尊 after he had a vision of Makakara. Of the many later sculptures, those of Shoujuraigouji 聖衆来迎寺, in Ootsu (1339) by Suruga Ajari 駿河阿闍利; of Hokkeji 法華寺, in Nara (1319); and that of Kojimadera 子島寺 in Nara (1609) are among those that are notable. <end quote from JAANUS>
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NOTES OF CONFUSION
KUBERA, MAHAKALA, & DAIKOKUTEN
THE GREAT BLACK ONES
There are many similarities between Daikoku, Mahakala (Great Black One), and Kubera (Hindu god of wealth). In Japan, Daikoku is associated more closely with Mahakala. He is not, to my knowledge, considered a manifestation of Kubera, as some site readers have suggested. In Japan, Kubera is better known as Tamonten or Bishamonten. Kubera is the Hindu god of darkness, treasures, and wealth, and guards the north. His color is BLACK, and he is sometimes called the "Black Warrior." In India, his symbols are the flag, the jewel, and the mongoose. In Japan, his symbols are a jewel and a serpent. The Kinnaras (Kimnara) are celestial musicians with human bodies and horses' heads, officiating at the court of Kubera / Kuvera. In China, Buddhist monks claim that the Taoist deity of the Kitchens, Zao Jun, is in fact a Kinnara. In India, and Hindu legends, the Kinnaras are birds of paradise, and typically represented as birds with human heads playing musical instruments.
Daikoku and Kubera thus share the following associations -- the color black, the kitchen, and wealth. Yet, to my knowledge, in Japan, Daikoku is not known as Kubera, and Kubera is not known as Daikoku. Nevertheless, it is not impossible that some localities in Japan consider Daikoku to be a manifestation of Kubera or vice versa. However, with no concrete evidence to underpin this association, I will continue to consider Daikoku and Kubera as independent and separate deities despite their overlapping iconography. For more on Japan's various kitchen gods, click here.
MORE ABOUT KUBERA / KUVERA
Daikoku originates from the Hindu deity Mahakala, the "Great Black One." Mahakala in turn may have originated from another Hindu deity named Kubera (Kuvera), the latter closely associated with the color black and wealth. The situation gets even more complicated, for Tamonten (also known as Bishamonten), the chief of the Four Heavenly Kings and the guardian of the north and winter, is also considered a primary emanation of Kubera / Kuvera. Says Meher McArthur, the curator of East Asian Art at the Pacific Asia Museum (Pasadena):
- "According to the writings of a Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, images of a seated god holding a bag of gold were placed at the doorways of monasteries and were anointed with oil by worshippers. The oil turned the statues black, and so the figures were known as Mahakala, or "Great Black One." The bag of gold is an attribute of the Hindu deity Kubera, the God of Wealth, so the deity may have originated as Kubera. In Nepal, images of Mahakala closely resemble Kubera and may be one and the same deity. In Japan, Mahakala is worshipped as Daikoku or Makiakara-ten, the "Great Black One" in esoteric Buddhism. But since the 17th century, the deity became better known as Daikoku or Daikokuten, the God of Wealth, and one of the Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin)."
<quoted from McArthur's book "Reading Buddhist Art: An Illustrated Guide to Buddhist Signs & Symbols." ISBN 0-500-28428-8, Published 2002 by Thames & Hudson. Click here to view or buy book at Amazon. >
- Kubera (Kuvera), the Hindu god of wealth and buried treasure, is sometimes considered the king of the Yaksha. Yaksha are powerful earth deities. They guard the world's wealth, such as gold and silver. In the same book, Meher McArthur says this:
"In Tibet and Nepal, Vaishravana (Jp. = Bishamonten / Tamonten) is closely related to the God of Wealth, Kubera, who is considered to be his most important manifestation. It is possible that Vaishravana is the Buddhist form of the earlier Hindu deity, Kuvera, who was the son of an Indian sage, Vishrava, hence the name, Vaishravana. According to Hindu legend, Kubera performed austerities for a thousand years, and was rewarded for this by the greator god, Brahma (Jp. = Bonten), who granted him immortality and the position of God of Wealth, and guardian of the treasures of the earth. As Vaishravana, this deity also commands the army of eight Yasha (Jp. = Yaksa), or demons, who are believed to be emanations of Vaishravana himself. The most important of these eight are the dark-skinned Kuvera of the north and the white Jambala of the east. Each of these emanations holds a mongoose that spews jewels. In Tibet and Nepal, he is worshipped as the God of Wealth in all three manifestations: Vaishravana, Kubera, and Jambala. In many Tibetan and Nepalese images of Kubera, the deity is shown as a plump figure wearing a crown, ribbons and jewelry, and holding a mongoose, representing this god's vistory over the naga (snake deities), who symbolize greed. As God of Wealth, Vaishravana (aka Kubera) squeezes the mongoose and causes the creature to spew out jewels."
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LEARN MORE
- Buddhist-Artwork.com
Statues of Daikoku are available for online purchase at our sister site.
- To learn more about Daikoku, click here for an excellent story by Ryan Grube, which includes many more details on Daikokuten's Hindu origins and his link to procreation and fertility. For a story by Carrie Ferber about Okuninushi no Mikoto (or Okuninushi-no-kami), click here.
- Kitchen Deities in Japan. This site.
- Iwaki Jinja (Iwaki Shrine). The oldest shrine in Fukushima Prefecture, reportedly built in 718 AD. It is a place of worship for many people in and around the city and Mt. Iwaki, where the shrine is also known as the Ebisu-Daikoku-sama-no-Omiya. For more, see the resource page of Professor Ellen Schattschneider (Brandeis University)
- Store Selling Daikoku Goods (J-site; Sanmen-Daikokuten.com)
- Black Mahakala -- God of War (ExoticIndiaArt.com)
Shri Mahakala Deva (Religiousworlds.com).
Tutelary god of Mongolia. In Tibet, Mahakala protects Buddhist law.
- Black Mahakali -- Goddess of War (ExoticIndiaArt.com)
Kali, Hindu Goddess (Wikipedia.org)
- Blue Mahakala -- Protector of Monasteries (ExoticIndiaArt.com)
In Tibet, Mahakala is associated with the color blue.
- White Mahakala -- God of Wealth (ExoticIndiaArt.com)
- Ebisu & Daikoku by Alan Wiren (JapanVisitor.com)
- Buddism: Flammarion Iconographic Guides
by Louis Frederic, Printed in France
ISBN 2-08013-558-9, First published 1995
A highly illustrated volume, with special significance to those studying Japanese Buddhist iconography. Includes many of the myths and legends of mainland Asia as well, but its special strength is in its coverage of the Japanese tradition. Hundreds of accompanying images/photos, both B&W and color. Click here to view or buy book at Amazon.
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