noun
kimnara
Buddhist term for celestial beings who serve as musicians and protectors of the dharma. Often depicted with human bodies and animal heads, or as half-human, half-bird. The word is a transliteration of Sanskrit kiṃnara.
緊那羅は仏教を守護する音楽の神とされています。
Kimnara are considered musical deities who protect Buddhism.
この寺院の天井画には緊那羅が描かれている。
A kimnara is depicted in the ceiling painting of this temple.
Both are celestial musicians in Buddhist mythology, but 迦陵頻伽 (kalaviṅka) is specifically a bird with a beautiful voice, while 緊那羅 (kiṃnara) is a broader class of half-human, half-animal musicians and protectors.
天部 is the general category of celestial beings in Buddhism, which includes 緊那羅 as one of the eight kinds of divine protectors (八部衆).
Transliteration of Sanskrit kiṃnara, a class of celestial musicians and guardians in Buddhist and Hindu mythology. The kanji 緊那羅 are used phonetically (ateji) to represent the sound.