Yama - Research Article from Encyclopedia of Religion

This encyclopedia article consists of approximately 5 pages of information about Yama.

Yama - Research Article from Encyclopedia of Religion

This encyclopedia article consists of approximately 5 pages of information about Yama.
This section contains 1,053 words
(approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the Yama Encyclopedia Article

YAMA. In the earliest Ṛgvedic hymns, Yama is a benign god who looks after the well-being of the dead, whom he entertains with food and shelter. His abode and its environment are pleasant and comfortable; survivors supplicate him for the care of their departed relatives.

Yama is the son of Vivasvat and Saraṇyū; he has a twin sister, Yamī. In the Ṛgveda, Amṛta ("ambrosia") is Yama's son, but in the Atharvaveda, Yama has a son, Duḥsvapna ("bad dream"), by Varuṇānī. In the epic-Puranic literature, the Aśvins are his brothers, and Śani and Manu are his half brothers. The Aṅgirasas are his associates.

The name Yama is derived from a stem meaning "twins"; Latin gemini and the Avestan names Yima and Yimeh are cognates. In a Ṛgvedic hymn, Yamī implores Yama to unite with her, but he rejects her advances. The hymn has...

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This section contains 1,053 words
(approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the Yama Encyclopedia Article
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Macmillan
Yama from Macmillan. Copyright © 2001-2006 by Macmillan Reference USA, an imprint of the Gale Group. All rights reserved.