A yojijukugo referring collectively to all Shinto deities, both heavenly (天神) and earthly (地祇). Used in formal or religious contexts.
At the shrine, we offer prayers to the gods of heaven and earth.
神々 is a general term for 'gods' or 'deities' without the specific heaven/earth distinction of 天神地祇.
Standard kanji spelling for this yojijukugo.
Variant using 祗, an older form of 祇; marked as out-dated kanji usage.
A Sino-Japanese expression from Classical Chinese 天神地祇, combining 天神 “gods of heaven” and 地祇 “deities of the earth.” It was adopted into Japanese religious and ceremonial vocabulary.