seven beneficent deities [七福神] ( shichi-fukujin): Also, seven deities of good fortune or seven gods of luck. Seven gods of good fortune and long life. They include deities of Indian, Chinese, and Japanese origin. Belief in the seven beneficent deities prevailed in Japan in the early eighteenth century as a popular cult. They are called, in Japanese, Ebisu, Daikoku-ten ( Mahākāla), Bishamon-ten (Vaishravana), Benzai-ten (Sarasvatī), Hotei (Chin Pu-tai), Fukurokuju, and Jurōjin. Ebisu, Daikoku-ten, and Bishamon-ten are considered gods of fortune; Ebisu is also venerated as the deity of fishing. Benzai-ten is the deity of water and music, and Fukurokuju and Jurōjin are deities of long life.