Ryomen Sukuna’s Malevolent Shrine
Sukuna’s Malevolent Shrine uses the Enmaten hand seal. Enmaten, also known as Yama, is the God of Death in Hindu mythology, much like how Sukuna is considered the King of Curses. Sukuna’s Malevolent Shrine is an open domain that cleaves everything in its path, so it makes sense that he invokes Enmaten considering the similarities in power. Both Sukuna and Enmaten are former humans who became deities in death.
Satoru Gojo’s Unlimited Void
The hand sign Gojo uses for Unlimited Void represents Taishakuten-In. Gojo has one of the strongest domain expansions in the Jujutsu world, so it makes sense that the hand sign used to activate it invokes Taishakuten. Taishakuten-In, also known as Śakra and Indra, is a Hindu god who has been incorporated into Buddhism as one of its greatest protectors. Taishakuten defends both deities and humans from evil, similar to how Gojo uses his overwhelming power to protect jujutsu sorcerers and humans from curses.
Jogo’s Coffin of the Iron Mountain
Jogo ironically invokes Daikokuten, the Japanese deity of health and good fortune. To activate the Coffin of the Iron Mountain, Jogo uses a hand sign referring to Daikokuten, the deity of fortune, health, agriculture, and war. While Daikokuten represents wealth and good fortune, Jogo represents destruction and wrath, making for an ironic invocation. Daikokuten is the fusion of two other deities, Shiva the Destroyer from Hinduism and Ōkuninushi-no-Kami, the Japanese god of medicine, protective magic, and the underworld.
Megumi Fushiguro’s Chimera Shadow Garden
Megumi invokes Yakushi Nyorai-In when he activates his Chimera Shadow Garden. Megumi is a special case, as his Domain Expansion is an extension of his Ten Shadows technique. The Ten Shadows technique allows Megumi to summon 10 shikigami of his choice, with the most powerful being Mahoraga. Mahoraga is also the name of one of the 12 Heavenly Generals who serves Yakushi Nyorai-In (also known as Bhaișajyaguru), making for a direct relationship between Megumi and the deity. In Chinese Buddhism, Yakushi Nyorai is a guardian who’s used to overcome physical, mental, and spiritual sickness.
Mahito’s Self-Embodiment of Perfection
The upper hand sign for Mahito’s domain expansion represents Nyorai. Nyorai, originally known as Tathāgatha in the Pali Canon of the Theravada Buddhist tradition, represents Gautama Buddha’s ascension beyond the human condition, specifically the endless cycle of rebirth and death. This is similar to how Mahito is considered the perfect human being in his own eyes. Mahito’s domain expansion allows him to alter the soul of anyone caught in it, spelling out certain death for most of his enemies.
The lower hand sign for Mahito’s domain expansion refers to Kujaku-Myoo. Kujaku-Myoo is called Mahamayuri in Mahayana Buddhism and was originally a peacock who targeted humans. They were nearly killed by Buddha after eating him, just like how Mahito was almost killed after touching Sukuna’s soul. Buddha redeemed the deity after they promised to renounce their habit of eating humans. Mahamayuri now assists Buddha in different forms, just like how Mahito assists Kenjaku with his body-morphing abilities. Mahamayuri eats poison and can eat all of the toxic chemicals in someone’s body, symbolizing health and detoxification.
Yuta Okkotsu’s Authentic Mutual Love
Okkotsu’s domain expansion hand sign is linked to Dākini, the flesh-eating demon. In early Buddhist and Hindu texts, Dākini was a race of demons who ate human flesh. Dākini is considered the female embodiment of enlightened energy, similar to how Yuta’s love, Rika, became a cursed embodiment of their love after her death. Okkotsu’s domain expansion summons an infinite number of katanas, with each containing a random cursed technique that’s guaranteed to hit the target. The katanas are destroyed after being used once. The cursed techniques within the katanas can only be activated by Yuta.
Dagon’s Horizon of the Captivating Skandha
Dagon’s domain expansion is based on Budai’s infinite treasure bag. While the hand sign is unrelated, Dagon’s domain expansion is based on Budai’s (also known as the Laughing Buddha) infinite bag of treasures. Like Budai, Dagon summons an infinite horde of shikigami fish that he launches at his opponent when he activates his domain. Since his fingers were cut off in battle, Dagon had to draw a cursed seal to complete his technique.
Yuji Itadori’s Unnamed Domain Expansion
Yuji’s domain expansion hand sign represents Jizo Bosatsu-In. Jizo Bosatsu-In (also known as Kshitigarbha) is the Buddhist guardian deity of children and travelers, so it makes sense that Yuji invokes him. From the start of the Jujutsu Kaisen story, Yuji has vowed to help people with his power and guard those he cares about, just like Jizo Bosatsu-In’s inherent protective nature.
Kenjaku’s Womb Profusion
Kenjaku uses an anti-forked palm for his domain expansion. The anti-forked palm Kenjaku uses for his Womb Profusion technique is one of the 18 palm movements used for meditation in esoteric Buddhism. This alludes to the fact that he knows many types of sorcery, which makes sense considering he’s been alive for thousands of years. His domain expansion summons a giant pillar full of cursed spirits that destroy their target on sight. Kenjaku’s use of the anti-forked hand sign represents his arrogance, as it’s the only hand sign among those seen that doesn’t directly reference a deity. This makes sense, as Kenjaku considers himself to be a deity. Kenjaku’s domain expansion is borderless, which is extremely rare.
Naoya Zenin’s Time Cell Moon Palace
Naoya Zenin’s domain expansion invokes Gigeiten, a patroness of the arts. Gigeiten is a minor female deity in Buddhism and the patroness of the arts, making Naoya’s invocation ironic considering his sexist attitude towards women. It makes sense though, as his domain turns his enemies into bloody works of art by restricting their movements to 24 frames of animation. Anyone who tries to move beyond the 24 frames is cut along their body. Naoya’s technique is considered more powerful than Naobito Zenin’s, which only freezes the enemy in a single frame of animation.
Kinji Hakari’s Idle Death Gamble
The hand signs for Kinji Hakari’s domain expansion reference Benzaiten. Hakari’s Idle Death Gamble uses hand signs that call on the goddess Benzaiten. Considering his gambling habit, this makes sense, as Benzaiten is the goddess of love and luck. His domain expansion summons a giant pachinko machine for a game of luck. Hakari has to hit a jackpot in order to receive four minutes of unlimited cursed energy. A pachinko machine is a gambling device that blends pinball and slot machines.
Ryu Ishigori’s Unknown Domain Expansion
Ryu Ishigori uses a hand sign that also invokes Mahamayuri. Mahamayuri is often depicted as benevolent, but their former habit of preying on humans is similar to Ishigori’s insatiable thirst for battle. Ishigori was summoned into the present by Kenjaku, where he was able to indulge in battle during The Culling Games. His domain expansion is never revealed, as Yuta Okkotsu and Takako Uro tried to summon their domain expansions at the same time to cancel out Ishigori’s.
Takako Uro’s Unknown Domain Expansion
Takako Uro invokes Jinja Taishō, the desert and guardian deity. Jinja Taishō (also known as General Shinsha) is a desert and guardian deity who healed diseases during the Heian era. This is similar to Uro, a jujutsu sorcerer from a thousand years ago who was the captain of a group of assassins associated with the Fujiwara family. Her domain expansion is unknown, as it was cancelled out when her, Yuta Okkotsu, and Ryu Ishigori all attempted to summon theirs at the same time.
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