Yamasukta
From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia
By Swami Harshananda
Origin of Yamasukta[edit]
The Yamasukta is a part of the Ṛgveda.[1] It comprises 16 ṛks or mantras. Yama, the god of death and dharma,[2] is the rsi or the sage to whom it was revealed. Yama, the pitṛs[3] and Sārameyas[4] are the devatās[5] to whom the sukta is addressed.
Content of Yamasukta[edit]
- The first mantra urges the yajamāna[6] to worship Yama with oblations.
- Yama is the person who takes the souls of beings who have performed good deeds, to higher worlds safely avoiding the two fierce dogs of Yama.[7]
- At the same time, prayer is offered to Yama in the eleventh mantra to see that his dogs protect this spirit.
- The twelfth mantra describes how the two dogs of Yama move about in this world among persons who are about to die to take them to Yama.
- In the thirteenth mantra, there is an appeal or a direction to the ṛtviks[8] to press the soma juice to be offered to Yama.
- In the fourteenth mantra, the ṛtviks are requested to offer the oblation of ghee to Yama so that he can grant a long life.
- In the fifteenth mantra there is an appeal to the ṛtviks to give sweet oblations of puroḍāśa to Yama.
- Then obeisance is offered to the ancient ṛṣis.
- The last sixteenth mantra describes Yama as taking part in three kinds of sacrifice:
- Jyotih
- Gauh
- Āyuh
- This sacrifice occupies six regions of creation to witness the doings of all the living beings.
- Some of these mantras are used in aparakarmas or the rites performed after the death of a person.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore