29th AUGUST 2015 YAMI TWIN SISTER OF YAM
Yami - Twin Sister of Yama
यमि
According to the Rig Veda, Yami is the twin sister of Yama. Their mother is Saranyu (who is the daughter of Tvashta, the artisan God) and their father is Vivasvant (associated with the sun). She is extremely fond of her brother.
There is a dialogue [R.V.10.10] between her and Yama, where she expresses her love for him and invites him to her bed. He rejects her advances, saying that "The Gods are always watching us, and shall punish the sinful." She is heart-broken.
In another story, Yama finds the way to the land of his fathers. He voluntarily choses death, and becomes the first man to die. Yami could not stop crying, so great was her grief. When the Gods tried to console her, she replied, "How can I not mourn, for today is the day of my brother's death!". To cure her, the Gods created night. From then on, night follows day and the cycle of time began. This story is cited as an example of the power of time as the healer of grief.
Yama
supposed to catch hold of his victims and a mace in the other, which represents the weapon of punishment.
As being the judge of the dead, he is said to hold a court, in which he is the presiding officer. He has another small god to assist him, who is called CHITRAGUPTA. Chitragupta is supposed to keep an account of the actions of men. If the actions of the deceased in his lifetime have been wicked, he is sent to suffer in a particular part of hell, while a man with noble deeds is sent to a part of heaven.
Yama is regent of the south quarter and as such is called DAKSHINASAPATI. His abode is named as YAMALYA on the south side of the earth and has an interesting legend around it. This account is taken from the Mahabharata. The narration is that after Brahma had created the three worlds, viz. EARTH, HEAVEN and PATAL (i.e., subterranean region), he recollected that a place for judgment and punishment of the wicked was wanting. He therefore asked the architect Vishwakarma to prepare a suitable place for this purpose. Vishwakarma prepared a magnificent palace and opposite its south door he created four pits to punish the wicked. Three other doors were reserved for the entrance of the good so that they might not see the place of punishment when they went to be judged. Brahma named this palace SANJEEVANI. Brahma ordered the architect to form a vast trench around and fill it with water, which came to be called VAITAMEE. Brahma next ordered Agni (the fire god) to enter this river so that the water might boil. After the death each person is obliged to swim across this Vaitamee river, which gives harmless passage to good souls but the evil ones have to suffer torments and pangs while crossing this river’s boiling water.
To the virtuous and to the sinner Yama appears in different forms. To the virtuous he appears to be like Vishnu. He has four arms, a dark complexion and lotus shaped eyes. His face is charming and he wears a resplendent smile. In the case of the wicked, he is seen with limbs appearing three hundred leagues long. His eyes are deep wells. His lips are thin, the color of smoke, fierce. He roars like the ocean of destruction. His hairs are gigantic reeds, his crown a burning flame. The breath from his wide nostrils blows off the forest fires. He has long teeth. His nails are like winnowing baskets. Stick in hand; clad in skins, he has a frowning brow.The Robert Beer Blog
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Yama and Yami
Posted by Robert Beer on 4/8/2014 1:13:45 AM
YAMA and YAMI
The Rig-Veda, meaning ‘praises of knowledge’, is the first of the Four Vedas or sacred Indo-Aryan scriptures of the ancient Indian tradition, which may possibly date back to earlier than 1900 BC. In the verses of this most primordial of all written scriptural texts the origins of many of the great Vedic gods are given, including that of Yama and Yami, who were the first two mortal humans to be born upon this world. As primordial twins they were born from the union of Surya, the Sun God, and his wife Sanjna, whose name means ‘Conscience’. The original implied meaning of the male Vedic name Yama was ‘twin’, but the term later came to mean ‘restrainer’, or more precisely ‘the restrained one’. And the female name Yami commonly relates to a ‘sister’, who later was personified as Yamuna, one of the great river-goddesses of India.
As twins Yama and Yami were conceived and delivered from Sanjna’s womb, and as in the legend of Adam and Eve from the Book of Genesis, they were both likewise born into a garden of earthly delights. In this natural paradise time seemed to stand still, it was always daytime and the season was always spring-like, the sun always shone while the moon and stars remained hidden behind its brilliant light. The fragrant flowers never wilted, the trees always bore an abundance of delicious fruits, the birds sang sweetly, and all the creatures of the earth lived in harmony with one another. And likewise did Yama and Yami live in harmony with one another, and as they grew so did their love for each other blossom. But the restrained sentiments of Yama were different from that of his sister Yami, who sought to unite with her twin brother in an incestuous relationship.
The text of the Rig-Veda is quite explicit on her propositions, where Yami says: “My desire for Yama overwhelms me, to lie with him on the same common couch. I will yield myself as a wife would to her husband. Let us hasten to unite, like the two wheels of a wagon.”
To which Yama replies: “The sentinels of the gods, which wander around us, never stand still, never close their eyes. Associate yourself with someone other than me, and exert yourselves in union, like the two wheels of a wagon. The succeeding times will come when brothers and sisters will perform acts that are unmeet for kinsfolk. But not so for me, O fair one! Seek another husband other than me, and make your arm a pillow for your consort.”
Yami then says: “ Is he a brother whose sister has no lord? Is she a sister when destruction comes? Overcome by love these words I utter, come near me and hold me in your close embrace.”
To which Yama replies: “I will not entwine my arms around your body. They call it a sin when one draws near to his sister. Enjoy your pleasure with someone other than me; for your brother, auspicious one, has no such desire.”
“Alas, Yama, you are weak,” says Yami, “In you I find no trace of heart or spirit. Some other female will embrace you as a creeper clings to a tree.”
“Then find another to embrace you Yami,” replies Yama. “Let another enfold you, even as a creeper circles a tree. Win his heart and let him win your fancy, and he shall form with you a blessed alliance.”
Her advances having thus been shunned, Yami wanders away from her brother, but when she returns later she finds Yama lying still beneath a tree, as if he were asleep. She softly calls his name and gently shakes him, but Yama does not respond. She calls louder and shakes him harder, but Yama still does not stir. Then she notices that Yama’s body is cold and that he does not breathe, and suddenly she realizes that Yama is no longer alive and that she is now completely alone in this world. This revelation is terrible, Yami’s heart has been broken and her grief knows no bounds. Her tears well up and pour from her eyes in a torrent that soon becomes a river (the Yamuna), which began to flood the earth. And because the sun always shines and the day appears to be everlasting, Yami’s great sorrow is likewise eternal and can never be abated, and the world resounds with her soul’s dreadful lamentations that endlessly echo from the pit of her deepest despair.
In vain did the gods seek to comfort Yami, as they assumed visible forms and tried to physically console her, yet the only words she would say were: “But Yama just died today! Yama died today!” Time after time they tried to reason with her about the transient nature of existence, of how all that is born must inevitably die, of how all sorrows and memories will ultimately grow weaker, but always the only words she repeated were: “But Yama only just died today! Yama died today!”
After taking counsel together the gods finally realized that Yami’s sorrow perpetually existed simply because she herself existed in a perpetual interval of time. For within this earthly paradise it was always today, there was no yesterday and no tomorrow. And for her grief to even begin to alleviate the gods reasoned that they must first bring an equal interval of night into being, for only then could today end and tomorrow truly begin. So the great Vedic gods of the earth and sky used their creative powers to bring night into existence by causing the sun to sink below the western horizon and to later rise again above the eastern horizon. During this interval of darkness the moon and stars made their first appearance against the velvet-black vault of the sky, causing the birds and creatures of the air and earth to seek rest and fall into the deep abyss of sleep, and along with these creatures Yami also slept for the first time. She awoke as the dawn sky was breaking with the awareness that Yama had died before the onset of night, and she said to herself: “Why, Yama must have died yesterday!” And when the next sequence of dusk and dawn had come to pass, she said: “Why, Yama died the day before yesterday!”
As the days passed and the seasons began to make their presence known, Yami’s grief slowly began to ease with the diurnal passage of time, for there were now nocturnal intervals of sleep that divided her days, when oblivion came to vanquish the pain of her brother’s death and the memories of their cherished yet brief existence together. And although her grief remained while her waking memories persisted, Yami was the first mortal to experience the true nature of human existence, and she became wise through the acceptance of her suffering.
Yama’s destiny, however, was to follow a different path. For having been the first man ever to be born, he was also the first man ever to have died, and as the Rig-Veda clearly reveals he was also the first human being to: “Find the way home, which cannot be taken away.” For through dying fearlessly as the ‘restrained one’, with all of his senses and moral values under control, Yama left this world without any karmic imprint or sin. Because of this Yama become the first human being or ‘forefather’ to discover the ineffable secrets of life, death, and the cosmic laws that govern existence. Through experiencing death as a portal to immortality he attained the divine status of a god in his own right, becoming the ‘Lord of Death’ or ‘Lord of the Dead’, with the auxiliary title of Dharmaraja, meaning the ‘King of Dharma’ or righteousness.
"Depart by the former paths by which our forefathers have departed. There shall you behold the two monarchs Yama and Varuna rejoicing in the Svadha." (RV:10.14.7)
"Be united with the forefathers, with Yama, and with the fulfillment of your wishes in the highest heaven. Discarding iniquity, return to your abode, and unite yourself to a luminous body." (RV: 10.14.8)
In Buddhist cosmology Yama’s heaven is ranked as the third of the six heavens of the ‘desire realm’, which are listed as: (1) The Heaven of the Four Great Kings: (2) Indra’s Heaven of the ‘Thirty-three’ Gods (Skt. trayastrimsa): (3) the Heaven of Yama: (4) The ‘Joyful’ Heaven of Tushita: (5) The Heaven of the Gods that delight in Creation: (6) The Heaven of Gods with dominion over others creations.
In the epic Indian poetry of the Mahabharata the heaven of Yama is described as:
“Being neither too hot nor too cold. Where life is without sorrow, where age does not bring frailty, tiredness or bad feelings. Where there is no hunger or thirst, where everything that one would seek is found there. Where the fruits are delicious, the flowers fragrant, the waters refreshing and comforting; where beautiful maidens dance to the tunes of celestial musicians, and where laughter blends with the strains of heavenly music."
"The Pavilion of Yama was fashioned by the divine carpenter Tvashtri, it shines like burnished gold with a radiance equal to the sun. Here the attendants of the Lord of Dharma measure out the allotted days of mortals. Great sages (rishis) and ancestors wait upon and adore Yama, who is the ‘King of the Fathers’ (pitris). Sanctified by holiness, their shining bodies are clothed in swan-white garments, and adorned with jeweled bracelets, golden earrings, exquisite flower garlands and alluring perfumes, which make that building eternally pleasant and supremely blessed. Here hundreds of thousands of saintly beings worship Yama, the illustrious King of the Pitris.”
CHITRAGUPTA
The Vedic scriptures relate that the souls of all human beings are judged after death according to the free and ordained deeds of body, speech and mind they have performed during the course of their lives. As the Lord of the Dead, Yama Dharmaraja was assigned the task of presiding over these afterlife judgments with the help of his attendants or messengers, who are known as yamdhutis. But the sheer number of souls that appeared before him would often overwhelm Yama, he could sometimes be confused as to their identity and then pass the wrong judgment upon them. When Brahma became aware of this he commanded Yama to keep more accurate records of the deeds of all beings, to which Yama replied: “My Lord, how can I alone keep records of the deeds of all beings that are born into the eighty-four hundred thousand different kinds of wombs throughout the three worlds?”
Upon hearing this Brahma entered into a prolonged state of deep meditation, and when he eventually opened his eyes he saw before him the figure of a man holding a reed pen and an ink-pot in his two hands. “You have been created from my body (kaya),” declared Brahma: “And henceforth your offspring shall be known as kayasthas. You were conceived within my mind (chitra) and in secrecy (gupta), and therefore you will be known as Chitragupta.”
Both Yama and his messengers, and Chitragupta as the ‘keeper of secrets’, frequently appear in the near-death experiences of present day Hindus, Jains and Sikhs. Where Chitragupta as a scribe or record-keeper appears holding the book or account of each individual’s human life, and sure enough there some mistakes in Yama’s judgment which Chitragupta has to rectify by sending some individuals back to live out there allotted span on Earth. In this respect they equate with the reluctant individuals of our western realm who are told to return by a deceased relative or a being of light during their life review.
Text by Robert Beer
The Rig-Veda, meaning ‘praises of knowledge’, is the first of the Four Vedas or sacred Indo-Aryan scriptures of the ancient Indian tradition, which may possibly date back to earlier than 1900 BC. In the verses of this most primordial of all written scriptural texts the origins of many of the great Vedic gods are given, including that of Yama and Yami, who were the first two mortal humans to be born upon this world. As primordial twins they were born from the union of Surya, the Sun God, and his wife Sanjna, whose name means ‘Conscience’. The original implied meaning of the male Vedic name Yama was ‘twin’, but the term later came to mean ‘restrainer’, or more precisely ‘the restrained one’. And the female name Yami commonly relates to a ‘sister’, who later was personified as Yamuna, one of the great river-goddesses of India.
As twins Yama and Yami were conceived and delivered from Sanjna’s womb, and as in the legend of Adam and Eve from the Book of Genesis, they were both likewise born into a garden of earthly delights. In this natural paradise time seemed to stand still, it was always daytime and the season was always spring-like, the sun always shone while the moon and stars remained hidden behind its brilliant light. The fragrant flowers never wilted, the trees always bore an abundance of delicious fruits, the birds sang sweetly, and all the creatures of the earth lived in harmony with one another. And likewise did Yama and Yami live in harmony with one another, and as they grew so did their love for each other blossom. But the restrained sentiments of Yama were different from that of his sister Yami, who sought to unite with her twin brother in an incestuous relationship.
The text of the Rig-Veda is quite explicit on her propositions, where Yami says: “My desire for Yama overwhelms me, to lie with him on the same common couch. I will yield myself as a wife would to her husband. Let us hasten to unite, like the two wheels of a wagon.”
To which Yama replies: “The sentinels of the gods, which wander around us, never stand still, never close their eyes. Associate yourself with someone other than me, and exert yourselves in union, like the two wheels of a wagon. The succeeding times will come when brothers and sisters will perform acts that are unmeet for kinsfolk. But not so for me, O fair one! Seek another husband other than me, and make your arm a pillow for your consort.”
Yami then says: “ Is he a brother whose sister has no lord? Is she a sister when destruction comes? Overcome by love these words I utter, come near me and hold me in your close embrace.”
To which Yama replies: “I will not entwine my arms around your body. They call it a sin when one draws near to his sister. Enjoy your pleasure with someone other than me; for your brother, auspicious one, has no such desire.”
“Alas, Yama, you are weak,” says Yami, “In you I find no trace of heart or spirit. Some other female will embrace you as a creeper clings to a tree.”
“Then find another to embrace you Yami,” replies Yama. “Let another enfold you, even as a creeper circles a tree. Win his heart and let him win your fancy, and he shall form with you a blessed alliance.”
Her advances having thus been shunned, Yami wanders away from her brother, but when she returns later she finds Yama lying still beneath a tree, as if he were asleep. She softly calls his name and gently shakes him, but Yama does not respond. She calls louder and shakes him harder, but Yama still does not stir. Then she notices that Yama’s body is cold and that he does not breathe, and suddenly she realizes that Yama is no longer alive and that she is now completely alone in this world. This revelation is terrible, Yami’s heart has been broken and her grief knows no bounds. Her tears well up and pour from her eyes in a torrent that soon becomes a river (the Yamuna), which began to flood the earth. And because the sun always shines and the day appears to be everlasting, Yami’s great sorrow is likewise eternal and can never be abated, and the world resounds with her soul’s dreadful lamentations that endlessly echo from the pit of her deepest despair.
In vain did the gods seek to comfort Yami, as they assumed visible forms and tried to physically console her, yet the only words she would say were: “But Yama just died today! Yama died today!” Time after time they tried to reason with her about the transient nature of existence, of how all that is born must inevitably die, of how all sorrows and memories will ultimately grow weaker, but always the only words she repeated were: “But Yama only just died today! Yama died today!”
After taking counsel together the gods finally realized that Yami’s sorrow perpetually existed simply because she herself existed in a perpetual interval of time. For within this earthly paradise it was always today, there was no yesterday and no tomorrow. And for her grief to even begin to alleviate the gods reasoned that they must first bring an equal interval of night into being, for only then could today end and tomorrow truly begin. So the great Vedic gods of the earth and sky used their creative powers to bring night into existence by causing the sun to sink below the western horizon and to later rise again above the eastern horizon. During this interval of darkness the moon and stars made their first appearance against the velvet-black vault of the sky, causing the birds and creatures of the air and earth to seek rest and fall into the deep abyss of sleep, and along with these creatures Yami also slept for the first time. She awoke as the dawn sky was breaking with the awareness that Yama had died before the onset of night, and she said to herself: “Why, Yama must have died yesterday!” And when the next sequence of dusk and dawn had come to pass, she said: “Why, Yama died the day before yesterday!”
As the days passed and the seasons began to make their presence known, Yami’s grief slowly began to ease with the diurnal passage of time, for there were now nocturnal intervals of sleep that divided her days, when oblivion came to vanquish the pain of her brother’s death and the memories of their cherished yet brief existence together. And although her grief remained while her waking memories persisted, Yami was the first mortal to experience the true nature of human existence, and she became wise through the acceptance of her suffering.
Yama’s destiny, however, was to follow a different path. For having been the first man ever to be born, he was also the first man ever to have died, and as the Rig-Veda clearly reveals he was also the first human being to: “Find the way home, which cannot be taken away.” For through dying fearlessly as the ‘restrained one’, with all of his senses and moral values under control, Yama left this world without any karmic imprint or sin. Because of this Yama become the first human being or ‘forefather’ to discover the ineffable secrets of life, death, and the cosmic laws that govern existence. Through experiencing death as a portal to immortality he attained the divine status of a god in his own right, becoming the ‘Lord of Death’ or ‘Lord of the Dead’, with the auxiliary title of Dharmaraja, meaning the ‘King of Dharma’ or righteousness.
"Depart by the former paths by which our forefathers have departed. There shall you behold the two monarchs Yama and Varuna rejoicing in the Svadha." (RV:10.14.7)
"Be united with the forefathers, with Yama, and with the fulfillment of your wishes in the highest heaven. Discarding iniquity, return to your abode, and unite yourself to a luminous body." (RV: 10.14.8)
In Buddhist cosmology Yama’s heaven is ranked as the third of the six heavens of the ‘desire realm’, which are listed as: (1) The Heaven of the Four Great Kings: (2) Indra’s Heaven of the ‘Thirty-three’ Gods (Skt. trayastrimsa): (3) the Heaven of Yama: (4) The ‘Joyful’ Heaven of Tushita: (5) The Heaven of the Gods that delight in Creation: (6) The Heaven of Gods with dominion over others creations.
In the epic Indian poetry of the Mahabharata the heaven of Yama is described as:
“Being neither too hot nor too cold. Where life is without sorrow, where age does not bring frailty, tiredness or bad feelings. Where there is no hunger or thirst, where everything that one would seek is found there. Where the fruits are delicious, the flowers fragrant, the waters refreshing and comforting; where beautiful maidens dance to the tunes of celestial musicians, and where laughter blends with the strains of heavenly music."
"The Pavilion of Yama was fashioned by the divine carpenter Tvashtri, it shines like burnished gold with a radiance equal to the sun. Here the attendants of the Lord of Dharma measure out the allotted days of mortals. Great sages (rishis) and ancestors wait upon and adore Yama, who is the ‘King of the Fathers’ (pitris). Sanctified by holiness, their shining bodies are clothed in swan-white garments, and adorned with jeweled bracelets, golden earrings, exquisite flower garlands and alluring perfumes, which make that building eternally pleasant and supremely blessed. Here hundreds of thousands of saintly beings worship Yama, the illustrious King of the Pitris.”
CHITRAGUPTA
The Vedic scriptures relate that the souls of all human beings are judged after death according to the free and ordained deeds of body, speech and mind they have performed during the course of their lives. As the Lord of the Dead, Yama Dharmaraja was assigned the task of presiding over these afterlife judgments with the help of his attendants or messengers, who are known as yamdhutis. But the sheer number of souls that appeared before him would often overwhelm Yama, he could sometimes be confused as to their identity and then pass the wrong judgment upon them. When Brahma became aware of this he commanded Yama to keep more accurate records of the deeds of all beings, to which Yama replied: “My Lord, how can I alone keep records of the deeds of all beings that are born into the eighty-four hundred thousand different kinds of wombs throughout the three worlds?”
Upon hearing this Brahma entered into a prolonged state of deep meditation, and when he eventually opened his eyes he saw before him the figure of a man holding a reed pen and an ink-pot in his two hands. “You have been created from my body (kaya),” declared Brahma: “And henceforth your offspring shall be known as kayasthas. You were conceived within my mind (chitra) and in secrecy (gupta), and therefore you will be known as Chitragupta.”
Both Yama and his messengers, and Chitragupta as the ‘keeper of secrets’, frequently appear in the near-death experiences of present day Hindus, Jains and Sikhs. Where Chitragupta as a scribe or record-keeper appears holding the book or account of each individual’s human life, and sure enough there some mistakes in Yama’s judgment which Chitragupta has to rectify by sending some individuals back to live out there allotted span on Earth. In this respect they equate with the reluctant individuals of our western realm who are told to return by a deceased relative or a being of light during their life review.
Text by Robert Beer
Morality(?) in Vedas.
November 23, 2006 at 3:25 pm | Posted in लेख, Great Writings | 5 Comments
If you think vedas as the base of your religion,take the evidence of the morality(?) in your Vaidik Dharma. Following is the translation of the original text in Rigveda taken from ‘Riddles In Hinduism’ by Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar:-
As to morality there is hardly any discussion about it in the Rig-Veda. Nor does the Rig-Veda contain elevating examples of moral life. Three illustrations of cases on the other side may well be given:
First is the conversation between Yama and Yami who were brother
and sister.
“(Yami speaks). I invite my friend to friendship, having come over the vast and desert ocean may Vedhas, after reflecting, place in the earth the offspring (of thee) the father, endowed with excellent qualities.”
“(Yama speaks). Thy friend desires not this friendship, for although of one origin, she is of a different form; the hero sons of the great Asura (are) the upholders of heaven, enjoying vast renown.”
“(Yami speaks). The immortals take pleasure in (a union) like this which is forbidden to every mortal; let thy mind then concur with mine, and as the progenitor (of all) was the husband (of his daughter), do thou enjoy my person”
“(Yama speaks). We have not done what was done formerly; for how can we who speak truth, utter now that which is untrue? Gandharva (the sun) was in the watery (firmament), and the water was his bride. She is our common parent, hence our near affinity.”
“(Yami speaks). The divine omniform generator Twashtri, the progenitor, made us two husband and wife, even in the womb; none frustrate his undertaking; earth and heaven are conscious of this our (union).”
“(Yama speaks). Who knows anything of this (his) first day (of existence)? Who has beheld it? Who has here revealed it? The dwelling of Mitra and of Varuna is vast. What sayest thou, who punishest men with hell?”
“(Yami speaks). The desire of Yama hath approached me Yami, to lie with him in the same bed; I will abandon my person as a wife to her husband; let us exert ourselves in union like the two wheels of a wagon.”
“(Yama speaks). The spies of the Gods, which wander upon earth, never stop, never close their eyes. Associate quickly, destructress with some other than with me, and exert yourselves in union, like the two wheels of a wagon.”
“(Yami speaks). To him (Yama) let every whorshipper sacrifice both day and night, on him let the eye of the Sun repeatedly rise; (for him may) the kindred pair (day and night unite) with heaven and earth. Yami will adhere to the non-affinity of Yama.”
“(Yama speaks). The subsequent ages will come, when sisters will choose one who is not a brother (as a husband); therefore, auspicious one, choose another husband than me, and make thine arm a pillow for thy mate.”
“(Yami speaks). Is he a brother whose sister has no lord? Is she a sister (whose brother) misfortune approaches? Overcome by desire, I strongly urge this one request; unite thy person with mine.”
“(Yama speaks). I will not unite my person with thine; they call him who approaches a sister, a sinner. Enjoy pleasure with some other than me; thy brother, auspicious one, has no such desire.”
” (Yami speaks). Alas, Yama, thou art feeble; we understand not thy mind or thy heart. Some other female exbrances thee as a girth a horse, or as a creeper a tree.”
“(Yama speaks). Do thou, Yami, embrace another; and let another embrace thee as a creeper a tree; seek his affection, let him seek thine; and make a happy union.”
“May Agni, the destroyer of the Rakshasas consenting to our prayer, drive hence (the evil spirit) who (in the form of) sickness assails thine embryo, who, as the disease durnaman, assails thy womb.”
“May Agni concurring in our prayer, destroy the cannibal who, as sickness, assails thine embryo, who, as the disease durnaman, assails thy womb.”
” May we exterminate from hence (the evil spirit) who destroys the impregnating energy, the germ as it settles, the moving embryo, who seeks to destroy (the babe) when born.”
” May we exterminate from hence (the evil spirit), who separates thy thighs, who lies between husband and wife, who entering thy womb, devours (the seeds). May we exterminate from hence (the evil spirit), who in the form of brother, husband, or paramour, approaches thee, and seeks to destroy thy offspring.”
” May we exterminate from hence (the evil spirit) who, having beguiled thee by sleep or darkness, approaches thee, and seeks to destroy thy offspring.”
I may state that I have deliberately omitted a good many obscene passages to be found in the Rig-Veda and Yajur-Veda. Those who have any curiosity in the matter might look up the conversation between Surya and Pushan in Rig-Veda Mandal X. 85.37 and between Indra and Indrani in Rig-Veda. Mandal X. 86.6. A further obscenity will also be found in the Ashvamedha Section of the Yajur-Veda.
Leaving these obscenities aside and confining oneself to the prayer portion of the Rig-Veda can any one say that these are morally or spiritually elevating prayers?
As to philosophy there is nothing of it in the Rig-Veda. As Prof. Wilson observes there is in the Rig-Veda, which is the stock Veda, scarcely any indication or doctrinal or philosophical speculation, no allusion to the later notions of the several schools, nor is there any hint of metempsychosis, or of the doctrine intimately allied to it, of the repeated renovation of the world. The Vedas may be useful as a source of information regarding the social life of the Aryans. As a picture of primitive life it is full of curiosity but there is nothing elevating. There are more vices and a few virtues.
Yama
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | The lead section of this article may need to be rewritten. The reason given is: unbalanced—too much detail in the first paragraph (most which should be moved down to the main part of the article) and the lead as a whole does not summarize all major points of the article. (June 2015) |
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2015) |
This article is about the Asian deity generally. For other uses, see Yama.
Yama or Yamarāja is a god of death, belonging to an early stratum of Rigvedic deities. In Sanskrit, his name can be interpreted to mean "twin".[1] In the Zend-Avesta of Zoroastrianism, he is called "Yima".[2]According to the Vishnu Purana, his parents are the sun-god Surya[3] and Sanjna, sometimes called Ushas, the daughter of Vishvakarman. Yama is the brother of Sraddhadeva Manu and of his older sister Yami, which Horace Hayman Wilson indicates to mean the Yamuna.[4] According to Harivamsa Purana her name is Daya.[5] There is a one-of-a-kind temple in Srivanchiyam, Tamil Nadu dedicated to Yama.[citation needed]
In the Vedas, Yama is said to have been the first mortal who died. By virtue of precedence, he became the ruler of the departed,[6] called "Lord of the Pitrs".[7]
Mentioned in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism, Yama subsequently entered Buddhist mythology in Tibetan and East Asian Buddhism as a dharmapala under various transliterations. He is otherwise also called as "Dharmaraja".
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[hide]Hinduism[edit]
Main article: Yama (Hinduism)
In Hinduism,[8] Yama is the lokapala ("Guardian of the Directions") of the south and the son of Brahma. Three hymns (10, 14, and 35) in the 10th book of the Rig Veda are addressed to him. He has two dogs with four eyes and wide nostrils guarding the road to his abode (cf. hellhound). They are said to wander about among people as his messengers.[9]
In the Puranas, Yama, although one of the most powerful controllers, is still subordinate to Shiva and Vishnu because they are different aspects of the overruling Brahman. A story of Yama's subordination to Shiva is well-illustrated in the case of Markandeya, where Shiva as Kalantaka ("Ender of Death") stops Yama and rescues his devotee Markandeya from his clutches.
Another story found in the Bhagavata Purana shows Yama's subordination to Vishnu. The man Ajamila had committed many evil acts during his life such as stealing, abandoning his wife and children, and marrying a prostitute.
At the moment of his death, he involuntarily chanted the name of Narayana (another Sanskrit name for Vishnu) and achieved moksha and was saved from the "yamdoot"s - the servants of Yama. Although Ajamila had actually been calling out the name of his youngest son, Narayana's name has powerful effects, and thus Ajamila was released from his great sins. Please note however that the "Vishnudoot"s - the servants of Vishnu didn't take Ajamila with them. Ajamila after having heard directly the conversation between the Yamadoots and Vishnudoots realized the importance of human life, left his family, did intensebhakti in Vrindavan and finally Vishnu appeared and granted him liberation from the death and re-birth cycle.
In art, Yama is depicted with blue skin and red clothes and rides a water buffalo. He holds a loop of rope in his left hand with which he pulls the soul from the corpse. His earthly counterparts in Mahabharata wereYudhisthira and Vidura.
Buddhism[edit]
Main article: Yama (East Asia)
In Buddhism, Yama (Sanskrit: यम) is a dharmapala (wrathful god) said to judge the dead and preside over the Narakas ("Hells" or "Purgatories") and the cycle of rebirth.
The Buddhist Yama has however, developed different myths and different functions from the Hindu deity. He has also spread far more widely and is known in every country where Buddhism is practiced, includingChina, Korea, Vietnam and Japan.
Abode[edit]
Naraka (Hindu)[edit]
Main article: Naraka (Hinduism)
Naraka in Hinduism is similar to the Christian Hell, but serves only as a temporary purgatory where the soul is purified of sin by its suffering. In Hindu mythology, Naraka holds many hells,[10] and Yama directs departed souls to the appropriate one. Even elevated Mukti-yogyas and Nitya-samsarins can experience Naraka for expiation of sins.
Although Yama is the lord of Naraka, he may also direct the soul to a Swarga (heaven) or return it to Bhoomi (earth). As good and bad deeds are not considered to cancel each other out, the same soul may spend time in both a hell and a heaven. The seven Swargas are: Bhuvas, Swas (governed by Indra), Tharus, Thaarus, Savithaa, Prapithaa, Maha (governed by Brahma).
Naraka (Sikhism)[edit]
The idea of Naraka in Sikhism is like the idea of Hell. One's soul, however, is confined to 8.4 million life cycles before taking birth as a human, the point of human life being one where one attains salvation, the salvation being sach khand. The idea of khand comes in multiple levels of such heavens, the highest being merging with God as one. The idea of Hell comes in multiple levels, and hell itself can manifest within human life itself. The Sikh idea of hell is where one is apart from naama and the Guru's charana (God's lotus feet (abode)). Without naama one is damned. Naama is believed to be a direct deliverance by God to humanity in the form of Guru Nanak. A Sikh is hence required to take the Amrit (holy nectar/water) from gurubani, panj pyare (khanda da pahul) to come closer to naama. A true Sikh of the Gurus has the Guru himself manifest and takes that person into sach khand.
Naraka (Buddhist)[edit]
Main article: Naraka (Buddhism)
Naraka is usually translated into English as "hell" or "purgatory". A Naraka differs from the hells of western religions in two respects. First, beings are not sent to Naraka as the result of a divine judgment and punishment; second, the length of a being's stay in a Naraka is not eternal, though it is usually very long. Instead, a being is born into a Naraka as a direct result of his or her previous karma (actions of body, speech and mind), and resides there for a finite length of time until his karma has exhausted its cumulate effect.
Chinese and Japanese mythology[edit]
Main article: Diyu and Jigoku
Mandarin Diyu, Japanese Jigoku, Korean Jiog, Vietnamese Địa ngục literally "earth prison", is the realm of the dead or "hell" in Chinese mythology and Japanese mythology. It is based upon the Buddhist concept ofNaraka combined with local afterlife beliefs. Incorporating ideas from Taoism and Buddhism as well as traditional religion in China, Di Yu is a kind of purgatory place which serves not only to punish but also to renew spirits ready for their next incarnation. This is interchangeable with the concept of Naraka.
In Japanese mythology, Enma-O or Enma Dai-O judges souls in Meido, the kingdom of the waiting dead. Those deemed too horrible are sent to Jigoku, a land more comparable to the Christian hell. It is a land of eternal toil and punishment. Those of middle note remain in meido for a period awaiting reincarnation. Others, of high note, become honored ancestors, watching over their descendants.
Related concepts[edit]
Yama and Ymir[edit]
Main article: Proto-Indo-European religion § Brothers
In a disputable[according to whom?] etymology, W. Meid (1992) has linked the names Yama (reconstructed in Proto-Indo-European as *yemos) and the name of the primeval Norse frost giant Ymir, which can be reconstructed in Proto-Germanic as *umijaz or *jumijaz, in the latter case possibly deriving from PIE *ym̥yos, from the root yem "twin". In his myth, however, Ymir is not a twin, and only shares with Yama the characteristics of being primeval and mortal. However, Ymir is a hermaphrodite and engenders the race of giants.
In Iranian mythology[edit]
Main article: Jamshid
A parallel character in Iranian mythology and Zoroastrianism is known as Yima Xšaēta, who appears in the Avesta. The pronunciation "Yima" is peculiar to the Avestan dialect; in most Iranian dialects, including Old Persian, the name would have been "Yama". In the Avesta, the emphasis is on Yima's character as one of the first mortals and as a great king of men. Over time, *Yamaxšaita was transformed into Jamšēd or Jamshid, celebrated as the greatest of the early shahs of the world. Both Yamas in Zoroastrian and Hindu myth guard hell with the help of two four-eyed dogs.[11][12]
In Javanese culture[edit]
There is Yamadipati in Javanese culture, especially in wayang. The word adipati means ruler or commander. When Hinduism first came to Java, Yama was still the same as Yama in Hindu myth. Later, as Islam replaced Hinduism as the majority religion of Java, Yama was demystified by Walisanga, who ruled at that time. So, in Javanese, Yama became a new character. He is the son of Sanghyang Ismaya and Dewi Sanggani. In the Wayang legend, Yamadipati married Dewi Mumpuni. Unfortunately, Dewi Mumpuni fell in love with Nagatatmala, son of Hyang Anantaboga, who rules the earth. Dewi Mumpuni eventually left Yamadipati, however.
See also[edit]
- Death (personification), which also discusses the Grim Reaper
- List of death deities
- Time and fate deities
- Psychopomp
- Lord of Light
- Mrtyu
- Hades
- Pluto
- Thanatos
- Hel
- Norns, the Fates in Norse mythology
- Moirai, the Fates in Greek mythology
- Laima
- Dalia (mythology)
- Giltinė
- Osiris
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Yama - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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In the Vedas, Yama is said to have been the first mortal who died. By virtue of precedence, he became the ruler of the departed, called "Lord of the Pitrs".
Yama (Hinduism) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yama_(Hinduism)
In Hindu mythology, Yama (Sanskrit: यम) is the lord of death, first recorded in the Vedas. Yama belongs to an early stratum of Indo-Iranian theology. In Vedic ...
Yama (East Asia) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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In East Asian mythology, Yama, sometimes known as the King of Hell, is a dharmapala (wrathful god) said to judge the dead and preside over the NarakasYamas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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