NOTEBOOK Slide 2. Condensed Visual Classroom Guide to Daikokuten Iconography in Japan. © Mark Schumacher 2017.
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Various Forms, Associations, Emblems of Japan’s Daikokuten (Japanese pronunciations)
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Aruki Daikokuten 歩き大黒天 (Walking Daikokuten)
Bumon Daikokuten 武門大黒天 (Warriors’ Daikokuten)
Chie Bukuro 智慧袋 (wisdom sack, treasure sack; term
also refers to a very wise person)
Daikoku Bashira 大黒柱 (main pillar of house or kitchen)
Daikoku-san 大黒さん (wife of temple monk; lady of thehouse, especially the kitchen)
Daikoku Zukin 大黒頭巾 (Daikoku’s distinctive cap / hood)
Dōro Shōgun 道路将軍 (Commander of Destiny; General ofthe Ways, General of Roads)
Enmusubi no Kami 縁結びの神 (Marriage God)
Fūfu Daikoku 夫婦大黒 (Happily Married Couple)
Fūjin 風神 or Fujin Sonten 風神尊天 (Wind Lord)
Fuku no Kami 福の神 (Luck God)
Hashiri Daikokuten 走り大黒天 (Running Daikokuten)
Hebi 蛇 (Snake)
Hōju 宝珠 or Hōju no tama 宝珠の玉 (wish-granting jewel)
Kaiun Shusse Daikokuten 開運出世大黒天 (Daikokuten asFortune God)
Kamado no Kami 竈の神 (Kitchen Stove God)
Kaze no Saburō 風の三郎 (Wind God)
Kenrō Jijin 堅牢地神 (Earth God)
Kin-un no Kami 金運の神 (Money God)Kōjin 荒神 (Literally “Wild Deity;” worshipped as god ofdomestic fire, i.e., the kitchen fire)
Matarajin 摩多羅神 (lord of song/dance; considered bysome to be a form of Daikokuten)
Miwa Daimyōjin 三輪大明神 (aka Ōmononushi 大物主, akaŌkuninushi no Mikoto 大国主命)•••••••••••••••••••

Nezumi 鼠 (Rat); linked to both Daikokuten & ŌkuninushiŌkuninushi no Mikoto 大国主命 (“Great Land Master;”conflated in popular culture with Daikokuten in 17th C.)
Roku Daikokuten 六大黒天 (Six Forms of Daikokuten)
Sanmen Daikokuten 三面大黒天 (3-Headed Form ofDaikokuten)
Sawaru Daikokuten 触る大黒天 (“Rub Me” Daikokuten)
Shichi Fukujin 七福神 (Seven Lucky Gods)
Shōge Shin 障礙神 (God of Obstructions)
Shōgun Daikokuten 将軍大黒天 (GeneralissimoDaikokuten)
Shugo Shin 守護神 (God of Protection)
Shusse Daikokuten 出世大黒天 (Daikokuten as God ofWorldly Success)Tabi-sugata Daikokuten 旅姿大黒天 (Traveling Daikokuten)
Tamon Daikokuten 多門大黒天 (Vaiśravaṇa Form of Deity)
Ta-no-Kami 田の神 (God of the Rice Paddy / Rice Field)
Tawara 俵 (bales of rice)
Tsubute 礫 (stone throwing). Magical spell to get richinvolving Mahākāla’s seed syllable, mantra, & cintāmaṇijewel (stone). A related practice is “fuku-nusubi” 福ぬすび(“stealing luck”) or fuku musubi 福結び (connecting toluck). It involves pilfering small effigies of Daikokuten fromshop displays.
Uchide no Kozuchi 打ち出の小槌 (wealth-pounding mallet)
Ugajin 宇賀神 (kami of wealth, snake body, old man'shead; connected to Benzaiten / Daikokuten)
Usagi 兎 (Rabbit) – associated with ŌkuninushiZaifuku no Kami 財福の神 (Wealth God)

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Hindu / Buddhist Deities Closely Associated With Japan’s Daikokuten
Arranged alphabetically. Many deities have both wrathful and benign forms. S = Sanskrit, J = Japanese, C = Chinese Characters.
• J Benzaiten 弁才天 = Goddess of fertility & fortune; name later changed to 弁財天; sometimes considered Daikokuten’s consort.
• S Bhairava 陪臚 = The “terrible one.” Blood-thirsty form of Hindu god Śiva; equated with Buddhist deity Mahākāla (aka Daikokuten).
• J Bishamonten 毘沙門天 = Lord of the north; many overlapping links with Daikokuten, including mongoose / rat / Kubera.
• J Dakiniten 荼吉尼天 = Flesh-eating demonesses subdued by Mahāvairocana; the latter took Daikokuten’s form in the process.
• J Daijizaiten 大自在天 = Another name for Mahêśvara; appears in outer west court in Womb World Mandala, usually atop bull.
• S Gaṇapati 迦那鉢底, Gaṇādhipa = Two of the many names and forms of the elephant-headed Gaṇeśa.
• S Gaṇeśa (term not found in Buddhist texts) = Fat elephant-headed creator/remover of obstacles; son of Śiva/Pārvatī; close links to Daikoku.
• S Hāritī 鬼子母神 = Ogress-cum-goddess of fertility; paired with Mahākāla in India’s temple kitchens (J = Kariteimo / Kishimojin).
• S Īśāna 伊舍那 = Form of Mahêśvara; “Ishanaten” in Japan; protects NE; member in various groups of 8, 10, 12 directional gods.
• S Īśvara 自在天 = Another name for Mahêśvara; “Jizaiten” in Japan; seldom transliterated; rare example is "Ishura-ten" 伊首羅天.
• S Jambhala 苫婆羅 = Buddhist god of wealth; Pāñcika’s double; Kubera’s double; often holds mongoose spewing treasure.
• S Kālarātri = 黒暗天・暗夜天・黒夜神 = Goddess of Midnight.
• J Kangiten 歡喜天 = Dual-bodied elephant-headed “Bliss Deva;” aka dual-bodied Vināyaka.
• S Kubera or Kuvera = 倶吠羅・倶乞羅 = Pot-bellied Indic wealth god; holds purse or mongoose (rat); conflated with Daikokuten.
• S Mahādeva 大天 = One of Mahêśvara's titles. Pronounced “Daiten” in Japan.
• S Mahākāla 摩訶迦羅 = Terrible Buddhist form of Śiva. Pronounced “Makakara” in Japan. His benign form is Daikokuten.
• S Mahākāla 摩訶迦羅 = Other names include Pāli = Mahākāḷa, Tibet = Nag-po chen-po, China = Dàhēi tiān 大黒天.
• S Mahêśvara 摩醯首羅 = Buddhist form of Hindu god Śiva. Pronounced “Makeishura” in Japan.
• S Mātṛkā 摩怛里 = Seven (or eight) divine mothers, said to be Mahākāla’s attendants. “Shichi Matari” in Japanese.
• S Pāñcika = 半只・半支迦・半支迦夜叉神 = Husband of Hāritī; holds purse or mongoose; closely related with Kubera.
• S Pṛthivī = 堅牢地神 = Earth Goddess, known as Kenrō Jijin (male) in Japan; Daikokuten is conflated with Kenrō Jijin.
• S Sarasvatī = 弁才天 = Hindu Goddess of the river, speech and learning; aka Benzaiten in Japanese Buddhism.
• S Śiva = Supreme Hindu god of creation / destruction. His many Buddhist forms include Mahêśvara, Mahākāla, Īśāna, and Īśvara.
• S Śiva's Śakti (Consorts) = Umā 烏摩, Durgā 突迦, Kālī 大黑女, Pārvatī 雪山神女, Bhīmā 毘摩.
• J Shōten 聖天 = aka Vināyaka / Binayaka; intimately connected to Daikokuten; aka Gaṇeśa, Kangiten.
• S Vaiśravaṇa = 毘沙門天 = See Bishamonten above.
• S Vināyaka 毘那夜迦 = Demonic aspect of Hindu god Gaṇeśa; aka (J) Binayaka, Kangiten, Shōten.