also: うかじん
noun
Uga-jin; god of harvests and wealth
A Japanese deity syncretized with the Buddhist goddess Saraswati (Benzaiten). Often depicted as a heavenly woman, a white snake, or a fox. Primarily a religious and mythological term.
宇賀神は弁財天と習合した神として知られている。
Uga-jin is known as a deity syncretized with Benzaiten.
この神社では
At this shrine, Uga-jin is enshrined in the form of a white snake.
Kana spelling, useful for learners or when the kanji are obscure.
Benzaiten is the Buddhist goddess of music, arts, and wealth, with whom Uga-jin is often syncretized. Uga-jin is a native Japanese harvest deity that became associated with her.
Inari is another Japanese deity associated with harvest, rice, and foxes. Uga-jin shares fox imagery but is more directly linked to Benzaiten and serpent symbolism.
The name 宇賀神 (Uga-jin) literally means 'Uga deity.' The origin of 'Uga' is uncertain, but it may be related to 宇迦 (uka), an old word for food or grain, connecting the deity to harvest and abundance.