Digital Dictionary of Buddhism

DDB Top Page 
 
 
  XML source

地神

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: Pṛthivī

Senses:

  • The earth devā, originally described in the Ṛg-Veda, translated as 'firm and secure'  堅牢, more fully as 堅牢地神. Also called 地天.Cf. 地天. (Skt. pṛthivī-devatā, pārthivêndra; Tib. sa la gnas pa'i gnod sbyin) 〔瑜伽論 T 1579.30.843c1〕 [Charles Muller; source(s): Ui, Nakamura, Soothill, YBh-Ind, Hirakawa, Iwanami]
  • Earth deity; one of the four element deities found in the perfected body assembly 成身會 of the vajradhātu-maṇḍala 金剛界曼荼羅. Cf. 四大神. [Cate Pearce; source(s): MDJ]
  • The earth deity who witnesses Buddha enlightenment, signaled by Buddhaʼs right hand touching the ground as he sits cross-legged. According to Xuanzangʼs Xiyuji 西域記 (T 2087.51.916b2-6; and 916c29-917a) one earth deity warned the bodhisattva that Mara was approaching 報魔至, and the second one acted as witness 爲佛證 when Buddha replied to Māraʼs question of "Who will be your witness?"  誰爲明證 by saying "This is the witness"  此有證 and touching the ground. According to Xuanzang, statues of the two earth gods were near the spot by Bodhgaya where this was said to have happened. [Dan Lusthaus; source(s): MDJ]
  • Search SAT
  • Search INBUDS Database

  • Feedback

    [Dictionary References]

    Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 732

    Bulgyo sajeon 821a

    Iwanami bukkyō jiten 355

    Bukkyōgo daijiten (Nakamura) 563d, 946d

    Ding Fubao

    Buddhist Chinese-Sanskrit Dictionary (Hirakawa) 0292

    Bukkyō daijiten (Mochizuki) (v.1-6)514b,1880a,3608a

    Bukkyō daijiten (Oda) 1219-3

    Sanskrit-Tibetan Index for the Yogâcārabhūmi-śāstra (Yokoyama and Hirosawa)

    (Soothill's) Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms 208



    Entry created: 2002-03-19

    Updated: 2021-04-03