Hindu Mythology

The colorful deities and demons of India...

YAMA

Hindu Death God

Picture of the Hindu Death God Yama from our Hindu mythology image library. Illustration by Chas Saunders.

Buffalo-headed Indian Lord of Death

He was the first mortal to die and so ended up in his current position by default. There were no other candidates so he got the job without even an interview.

Being the first dead person in the Underworld must have been slightly strange, but there was no shortage of mortals arriving to keep him company afterwards.

He is assisted in his task of dealing with the dead by Chitragupta. Karma is of course top of the agenda. Depending on their special K levels, Yama takes evildoers to Hell or guides them to re-birth. Unlike some other Underworlds we could mention, his version of Hell is not that severe — in fact it is quite pleasurable if you like a bit of sensuality. He does think fleshly passions block enlightenment though.

If that all sounds too naughty and non-judgmental for you, try his more forbidding Chinese equivalent, Yanluo Wang. He also has a branch in the Buddhist Underworld — see Yama.

Yama Facts and Figures

Name: Yama
Pronunciation: Coming soon
Alternative names:

Gender: Male
Type: God
Celebration or Feast Day: Unknown at present

Role:
In charge of: Death
Area of expertise: Death

Good/Evil Rating: NEUTRAL, may not care
Popularity index: 11636

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Article last revised on September 21, 2018 by the Godchecker data dwarves.
Editors: Peter J. Allen, Chas Saunders

References: Coming soon.

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