Yama

Yama

King of Hell; Keeper of the Dead

ALSO KNOWN AS:

Yom Phra Baan (Thai)

ORIGIN:

India

Yama, Lord of Death, rules Hindu and Buddhist Hells. Yama lives with his minions in the sixteen sealed-up iron cities of Hell. He maintains the Book of Destiny in which life spans allotted to each individual are recorded. Yama himself sometimes comes to collect souls, carrying a rope with which to lasso and herd them to his realm.

According to Thai myth, Yama contracts with individuals at birth, establishing the exact moment of death. Should the individual die before this appointed time (whether because of suicide, violent death or magical causes), his or her soul must linger on Earth as a ghost until the scheduled appointment. Yama will not see anyone early nor does he adjust appointments. No temples are dedicated to him. There are no rituals (at least officially) to beckon or ward him off. Yama arrives at the appointed time, not one second before or after.

Yama maintains a record of all human deeds. He calculates each individual’s karmic debts. He determines how long one must remain in Hell and the nature of one’s next incarnation.

In Hindu cosmology, no event on Earth, regardless how seemingly insignificant, goes unrecorded. The Akashic Records document every single action, thought, and intent that has ever occurred. Yama is among the sacred guardians of these records and among the few to have ready access to them.

Yama and his sister, Yami, are the children of Surya, the Sun, and Saranya, daughter of Tvastr, Vedic celestial artisan. How did Yama achieve his position? According to the Rig Veda, Yama refused to unite with Yami, preferring to die childless rather than commit incest. With no descendentsto facilitate his rebirth, Yama, trapped in the realm of death, became its overlord.

MANIFESTATION:

He may manifest as a man or as a man with the head of a water buffalo.

ATTRIBUTES:

Cup, sword, looped rope (lasso or noose)

Mount:

Black water buffalo

Direction:

East

Bird:

Crow

COLOURS:

Red, black

SEE ALSO:

Enma; Savitri; Yama Dharmaraja; Yamantaka; Yami

SOURCE:

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses – Written by : Judika Illes Copyright © 2009 by Judika Illes.