Deva (ten) or guardian deity
Ranba
藍婆
Ranba is one of the Ten Rasetsu Women (Jū Rasetsunyo) who appear in chapter 26, "Dharani," of the Myōhō Renge Kyō (Lotus Sutra), and is named first in the sutra text. Together with Kishimo, her children and her retinue, the Ten Rasetsu Women vow to protect those who recite and uphold the Lotus Sutra, and they recite dharani before the Buddha.
The vow of the Ten Rasetsu-nyo in the sutra and the later explanations of each figure's form and original Buddhist form (honjibutsu) are introduced with their sources kept separate.
English pages are the site’s own translations of its Japanese pages. The sources cited are in Japanese. 日本語で読む
The name and role of Ranba
Listed as one of the group of the Ten Rasetsu. She is said to have originally been a demonic being who clung to people and took their lives, and her honji-butsu is described as Ashuku Nyorai.
Source: 飛不動尊 正宝院・飛不動尊 正宝院・飛不動尊 正宝院・東寺
Tracing the form and traditions
She is said to wear armor and hold a sword and a sutra scroll, and she is described as a goddess.
Source: 飛不動尊 正宝院・飛不動尊 正宝院・飛不動尊 正宝院・東寺
The Ten Rasetsu Women in chapter 26, "Dharani"
Ranba is one of the Ten Rasetsu Women (Jū Rasetsunyo) who appear in chapter 26, "Dharani," of the Myōhō Renge Kyō (Lotus Sutra), and is named first in the sutra text. Together with Kishimo, her children and her retinue, the Ten Rasetsu Women vow to protect those who recite and uphold the Lotus Sutra, and they recite dharani before the Buddha.
Source: 日蓮宗 長崎教化センター
A story of a vow: from demons to benevolent deities
Shōhōin introduces how the rasetsu women, having heard the Lotus Sutra preached, vowed to Shaka to protect believers. This vow is a tradition shared by all ten. The differences in individual names and attributes are not taken to mean that each will surely grant a separate wish; they are introduced in the context of protecting the Lotus Sutra.
Source: 飛不動尊 正宝院
The vow to protect those who uphold the Lotus Sutra
In the Dharani chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the Ten Rasetsu Women, together with Kishimojin and others, vow to protect those who uphold the teaching of the Lotus Sutra. The Nichiren school explains protection from the various obstacles that hinder believers as the heart of this chapter. It is read as a vow shared by all ten, and no separate benefits are added to individual deities.
Source: 日蓮宗
Related kami and buddhas
Sources (in Japanese)
- 飛不動尊 正宝院「仏様の世界：藍婆」（2026-10-14 確認）
- 飛不動尊 正宝院「仏様の世界：目次」（2026-10-14 確認）
- 飛不動尊 正宝院「仏様の世界：十羅刹」（2026-10-14 確認）
- 東寺「天、菩薩、明王、如来」（2026-10-14 確認）
- 日蓮宗 長崎教化センター「法華経ウェブ版：妙法蓮華経 陀羅尼品第二十六（真読）」（2026-10-15 確認）
- 日蓮宗「陀羅尼品｜ざっくり納得 法華経のすべて」（2026-10-17 確認）