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Saman (also called Sumana, Samantha, Sumana Saman, (シンハラ語:සුමන සමන් දෙවි)) is a deity, subject to local and indigenous belief and worship in Sri Lanka. The name Saman means "the rising morning sun". His character is of historical significance for the Sinhala people and veneration especially to all the Buddhists. God Maha Sumana Saman is depicted crowned, bejeweled, holding a lotus flower in his right hand and accompanied by a white elephant.〔(【引用サイトリンク】first=Venerable S )〕 According to Mahavamsa, the early chronicle of Sri Lanka, Saman is considered as one of the guardian deities of the island and Buddhism in the country.〔 Natha, Upulvan, Vibhishana and Kataragama are the other guardian deities. Nayakkar dynasty from South India introduced the goddess Pattini replacing god Saman, during the period of Kandyan Kingdom. Saman is the guardian (patron deity) or the presiding deity of Saparagamuva and the Sri Pada mountain. Accordingly his main shrine or devalaya is at Ratnapura, where an annual festival is held in his honor.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title=The Gods & Deity Worship in Sri Lanka )〕Another major shrine dedicated to god Saman is situated at Mahiyangana in Uva Province of Sri Lanka.〔 ==History== According to common belief, Saman may have been a king or a provincial ruler (Mahasumana) of Saparagamuva from the Deva clan, one of the four main clans in ancient Sri Lanka. According to the tradition of ''Sammuthi Deva'' (considered a deity by common acceptance), he is revered as a deity. Another legend discloses that he was a prince who was a younger brother of King Ravana, who ruled Sri Lanka 6000 BC. Following his death, Prince Sumana Saman became a god, by the name of God Maha Sumana Saman. He is also thought to have been a Deva (god) of the heavens, who later became the preciding deity of Sri Pada. Some also relate him to the Mahāyāna bodhisattva Samantabhadra. In the legendary history, Sumana Saman deviyo invited Lord Buddha to the Samanalakanda and on request Lord Gautama Buddha left his foot print on the rock at top of the mountain as a token of symbolic worship, in the absence of the Buddha. God Sumana Saman was there when Lord Buddha visited the island for the first time. Saman became a stream-entrant (sotapanna) after listening to the Buddha, who gave him a handful of hairs with which he erected the Stupa at Mahiyangana.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title=Mahiyangana Cetiya - the first of its kind in Sri Lanka )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Saman (deity)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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