愛宕の森と緑を守る会
Atago Forest and Green Protection Association
Rock Cave Bensaitensha
I'm sorry. At the northern foot of Mt. Atago, on the cliff facing Hakata Bay (behind Mt. Atago Elementary School, next to Atago 4-chome Public Hall), there is a natural cave lid, and Benjiten is enshrined in the cave. In the olden days, a treasure mirror was enshrined in the hope of maritime security, but since the Edo period, Benzaiten has been the object of worship as the guardian deity of the sea. Originally it was on the beach. This area (around Atago 4-chome) was called Bentencho until around the 1960s (as a remnant of that, the name of the pumping station in Fukuoka City on the left bank of Atago Ohashi is now "Bentencho Pumping Station". ing).
Kaibara Ekken's "Chikuzen Kokuryo Fudoki" introduces "Rock Cave Benzaiten", and on the east side (on the left) there is a small cave named "Needle Ear", which is low and narrow, but from west to north. It is written that it was bent and communicated. The little cave is missing now. According to the locals, it still existed as a kid and was playing through it. Also, the entrance to the Benzaiten Cave is now wide, surrounded by concrete, but before, the rocks were more overhanging and narrower, and the inside of the cave was bare rock, so it was a little courageous to go all the way in. I heard that it went. The current shape is the result of the construction of the urban expressway, which was opened in October 2001 by cutting Mt. Atago. The walls of the cave were all sprayed with concrete all the way to the back, and now you can't see the sandstone walls. The road public corporation even built the next public hall (public hall).
Benzaiten was originally introduced by the Hindu goddess Saraswati, and what was a statue of eight arms (eight arms) with weapons etc. has been the figure of two arms playing biwa since the Kamakura period. Has also appeared and has been regarded as the god of arts and crafts. By the way, Saraswati has four elbows, often with beads, vedas (scriptures), and venenas (musical instruments). The valve talent heaven has become valve goods heaven is said to be after the Edo era divine favor it has been highlighted as one of the Seven Lucky Gods. Benzaiten is said to be one of the Three Goddesses of Munakata, who was born from the sword of Susanoo-no-Mikoto, and is enshrined at the same time (see the monument of luck).
(Click the image to enlarge it and see the full description)
左手の建物は愛宕4丁目町内会の会館。
壁面はコンクリートで巻かれており、元々の砂岩の壁は見られない。
すぐ後ろは愛宕山の急な崖。
筑前國續風土記には「辨才天」と書かれている。腕が2本の弁天は海の守り神、芸術の神としての弁財天なのだろう。
岩窟弁財天の効能(?)が書かれている。
洞の一番奥に祀られている。
卵は白蛇の好物ということだろうか。
岩窟内はすべてコンクリートで吹き付けられ、天然窟の砂岩の壁を見ることはできない。都市高速道路建設にともなって、道路公社が入口の拡張ともども「整備」した。
筑前國續風土記に記されている岩窟弁財天社
以前は、東側(向かって左側)に通り抜けることができる小さな洞「針の耳」があったが、今は無い。さらに奥を探しても見当たらない。
これが弁財天社東脇の洞「針の耳」を塞いだ石積みだろうか。この近辺には他に石積みはなく、単なる擁壁ではなさそうだ。
国土地理院地形図(1967-72)。現・愛宕4丁目の近辺。
弁天町の名が今でも残っている唯一の場所が「弁天町ポンプ場」。愛宕大橋の西側のたもとにある。
これは日本の三大弁天の一つ、滋賀県竹生島宝厳寺の宇賀弁才天。この時代には武器以外のものも持つようになり、宝珠と鍵に替わっている。残りの2つ、厳島神社の弁才天は八臂、江の島の妙音弁財天(裸弁財天)は二臂。ただし江の島には八臂の弁財天も祭られている。
弁財天の元を辿るとヒンドゥー教の河の神、サラスヴァティである。楽器はヴィーナ。武器等を持つ八臂(8本の腕)の姿をしているといわれるが、どの絵・像でもすべて4本。???
水(河)の神を表す構図になっている。ヒンズー教の女神はすべて美女。日本に伝来する間に、時代を反映して武器を持つ八臂の神へと変化したのだろう。
神主さんが祝詞をあげ、地元の方々が多く参加していました。
九州大学の太鼓サークル「華響」が駆けつけて、奉納太鼓を披露しました。