Twelve Heavenly Generals
{{Short description|Yaksha of Bhaisajyaguru}}
In East Asian Buddhism, the Twelve Heavenly Generals or Twelve Divine Generals are the protective deities, or yaksha, of Bhaisajyaguru, the buddha of healing. They are introduced in the Medicine Buddha Sutra or Bhaiṣajyaguruvaidūryaprabharāja Sūtra.{{Cite encyclopedia
| edition = online
| last = Mary Neighbour Parent
| title = JAANUS - Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System
| encyclopedia = Japanese Architectural and Art Historical Terminology
| access-date = 2009-04-20
| year = 2001
| url = http://www.aisf.or.jp/%7Ejaanus/
}}
They are collectively named as follows:
- {{zh|s=十二神将|t=十二神將|p=Shí'èr Shén Jiāng}}
- Japanese: {{nihongo||十二神将|Jūni Shinshō}} or {{nihongo||十二神王|Jūni Shinnō}} or {{nihongo||十二薬叉大将| Jūni Yakusha Taishō}}{{Cite web
| last = Mark Schumacher
| title = 12 Divine Generals of Yakushi Buddha
| work = A to Z Photo Dictionary: Japanese Buddhist Statuary
| access-date = 2009-06-24
| url = http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/12-generals.shtml
}}
Names of generals
The precise names of the generals seem to vary depending on tradition. Those listed below are from an available Sanskrit transcription of the Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabhārāja Sūtra:{{cite web |title=Bhaiṣajyaguruvaidūryaprabharājasūtram |url=http://www.dsbcproject.org/canon-text/content/36/283 |website=Digital Sanskrit Buddhist Canon |access-date=2019-03-02}}
| class="wikitable" | |||||||||
| Sanskrit | Hanzi | Pinyin | Rōmaji | Vietnamese | Tagalog | Tibetan (Wly.) | Zodiac (Chinese) | Zodiac (Japanese) {{cite web |title=Twelve Heavenly Generals of Yakushi Buddha (source: Ancient Buddhism in Japan, Vol. II (Leiden: 1935, pp. 551-553))|url=https://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/12-generals.shtml |website=BUDDHISM & SHINTŌ IN JAPAN |access-date=2022-09-16}} | Honji |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| {{lang|sa|Kiṃbhīra}} | 宮毘羅 | Guānpíluò Jīnpíluò | Kubira Kompira (Shinto) | Cung Tỳ La | Kimbhila | Ji 'jigs | Boar | Rat | Maitreya |
| {{lang|sa|Vajra}} | 伐折羅 | Fázhéluò | Basara, Bazara | Phạt Chiết La | Vajla | Rdo rje | Dog | Ox | Mahāsthāmaprāpta |
| {{lang|sa|Mekhila}} | 迷企羅 | Míqǐluò | Mekira | Mê Súy La | Mekhila | Rgyan 'dzin | Rooster | Tiger | Amitābha |
| {{lang|sa|Antila}} | 安底羅 | Āndǐluò | Anchira, Anteira | An Để La | Antila | Gza' 'dzin | Monkey | Rabbit | Avalokiteśvara |
| {{lang|sa|Anila}} | 頞儞羅 | Ènǐluò | Anira | Át Nể La | Anila | Rlung 'dzin | Sheep | Dragon | Mārīcī |
| {{lang|sa|Saṇṭhila}} | 珊底羅 | Shāndìluò | Sanchira, Santeira | San Để La | Santhila | Gnas bcas | Horse | Snake | Ākāśagarbha |
| {{lang|sa|Indala}} | 因達羅 | Yīndàluò | Indara | Nhân Đạt La | Indala | Dbang 'dzin | Snake | Horse | Kṣitigarbha |
| {{lang|sa|Pāyila}} | 波夷羅 | Bōyìluò | Haira | Bà Di La | Payila | Gtun 'dzin | Dragon | Sheep | Mañjuśrī |
| {{lang|sa|Mahāla}} | 摩虎羅 | Mòhǔluò | Makora | Ma Hổ La | Mahala | Sgra 'dzin | Rabbit | Monkey | Yamantaka{{Cite web |last=改訂新版,世界大百科事典内言及 |first=精選版 日本国語大辞典,デジタル大辞泉,改訂新版 世界大百科事典,日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ),百科事典マイペディア,ブリタニカ国際大百科事典 小項目事典,山川 日本史小辞典 |title=十二神将(じゅうにじんしょう)とは？ 意味や使い方 |url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%8D%81%E4%BA%8C%E7%A5%9E%E5%B0%86-77301 |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=コトバンク |language=ja}} |
| {{lang|sa|Cidāla}} | 真達羅 | Zhēndàluò | Shindara | Chân Đạt La | Sidala | Bsam 'dzin | Tiger | Rooster | Samantabhadra |
| {{lang|sa|Caundhula}} | 招杜羅 | Zhāodùluò | Shōtora | Chiêu Đổ La | Saundhula | 'dzin | Ox | Dog | Vajrapāṇi |
| {{lang|sa|Vikala}} | 毘羯羅 | Píjiéluò | Bikara Bigyara | Tỳ Yết La | Bikala | Rdzogs byed | Mouse | Boar | Śākyamuni |
Descriptions of each Heavenly General
= Zhendaluo (真達羅) =
| class="wikitable"
|File:真達羅 - Lingyin Temple, Hangzhou China.jpg, Hangzhou China]] |Short description about Zhendaluo |
= Zhaoduluo (招杜羅) =
| class="wikitable"
|+ |File:招杜羅 - Lingyin Temple, Hangzhou China.jpg, Hangzhou China]] |Short description about Zhaoduluo |
While the Honji and zodiac correspondences listed above are the standard in Japanese sources, there is variation among texts and regional traditions.{{cite web |title=薬師十二神将 |url=http://www.tobifudo.jp/butuzo/12sinsho/index.html |website=Flying Deity Tobifudo |access-date=2019-03-02}}
Popular culture
- Statues of the Twelve Heavenly Generals stand in Ngong Ping, Hong Kong.
- The Heavenly Generals all appear as boss characters in 1994 video game Shin Megami Tensei II. They are depicted as servants of Āṭavaka, and share the unique classification "Shinshou".
- The Heavenly Generals and their names were used as character material for the powerful digital monster characters who serve the "Four Holy Beasts" (Digimon Sovereigns in the English Dub) in the Digital World, from the 2001 series Digimon Tamers, albeit with the names mismatched, due to being based on the Japanese zodiac classification.
- Granblue Fantasy started to release series of playable units in 2015 which called "The 12 Divine Generals". Each of these units are named after the corresponding zodiac they represent. The Japanese version use adapted Hepburn romanization, while the English version adapted from Sanskrit.
- Jujutsu Kaisen introduced Mahāla as a summon for one of the Ten Shadows technique, dubbing it the "Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sīla Divine General Makora," which was mistranslated as "Mahoraga," despite the furigana for the both of them being distinct. A golden cursed tool with the power of lightning, and shaped similarly to adornments of the electric-themed Vajra named “Kamutoke” also makes an appearance.
- In the Seventh Touhou game, Perfect Cherry Blossom, the boss of the Extra Stage uses a spellcard called "Feast of the Twelve General Gods".
References
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20121109064255/https://picasaweb.google.com/harshad1942/TwelveHeavenlyGeneralsChineseJapanese Album of 12 Heavenly Generals at Ngong Ping]
{{Chinese Buddhist Pantheon}}