noun
recumbent Buddha image; reclining Buddha statue
Refers specifically to a statue or depiction of the Buddha lying down, often representing his entry into nirvana. The reading ねじゃか is a common colloquial variant.
See also: 涅槃像
この寺には有名な寝釈迦が安置されている。
A famous recumbent Buddha statue is enshrined at this temple.
涅槃会では寝釈迦の周りで法要が行われる。
During the Nirvana ceremony, a memorial service is held around the reclining Buddha image.
涅槃像 is a more formal Buddhist term for the same concept, while 寝釈迦 is a colloquial, descriptive term.
Compound of 寝 (ne, 'sleeping') and 釈迦 (Shaka, 'Shakyamuni Buddha'). The reading ねじゃか is a voiced variant common in colloquial speech.