Lord Yama is the Hindu god of death, dharma, and justice. He rules the yamaloka (also known as naraka) and is responsible for carrying the afterlife justice to one’s soul after death. He punishes the sinners and rewards those who have lived a righteous life.
According to the Shiva Purana, he is mentioned as the first mortal who was later made the god of death by Lord Shiva. In Hindu philosophy, it’s believed that Lord Yama gets assisted by the five elements of nature in doing his duty of identifying and capturing the most sinful souls.
Those are time (kaal), fever (jwara), disease (vyadhi), anger (krodha), and jealousy (asuya). The overall nature and appearance of Lord Yama make him a terrifying deity in the eyes of average people. The result of that is that people often get worried if they see yama in their dreams.
The 14 Name Of Lord Yama
However, many who worship Yama believe that he could also be the saviour of their souls if they try to live a righteous life and follow the path of dharma. Therefore, being one of the most influential gods in the entire Hindu pantheon, Lord Yama (also known as Yamdev) is also addressed by other names; fourteen to be exact.
These names reflect his diverse set of characteristics as the god of death and punisher of bad souls. These names are used during Yama worship in various Hindu festivals, particularly on the day before Diwali.
| Yama (यम) | Chitragupta (चित्रगुप्त) |
| Dharmaraja (धर्मराज) | Vaivaswat (वैवस्वत) |
| Mrtyu (मृत्यु) | Kaal (काल) |
| Antak (अन्तक) | Dadhna (दध्न) |
| Sarva Bhoot Akshay (सर्वभूतक्षय) | Neel (नील) |
| Audumbar (औदुम्बर) | Parmeshthi (परमेष्ठी) |
| Chitra (चित्र) | Vrkodar (वृकोदर) |
