Lord Yama (also known as Yamraj) is a popular god in Hinduism. He is best known as the god of death and the punisher of sinners, capturing and purifying the souls of all living being. He is the ruler of Naraka, the Hindu equivalent of hell. In the Hindu pantheon, Lord Yama is called by many names, such as Yamaraja, Dharmaraja, Kala, and so on.
The majority of Hindus (and a sizable portion of non-Hindus) strongly believe in the existence of Yamraj. There is also a genuine fear of him that can be seen in society, mainly due to the descriptions of him found in most hindu scriptures.
Yamaraj is said to have such a terrifying appearance that even catching a glimpse of him can cause fear. People who have had dreams of Yamraj are often seen consulting a pundit because they believe it could be a foreshadowing of future events.
People say that when a person dies, the Yamadutas (the servants of Yamraj) come down to earth to take the soul back with them. They bring them first to Yamaloka (the abode of Yamaraj), where the sinful souls are sent to Naraka (or hell) to suffer their deserved punishment, and the good souls are honored and treated respectfully for having lived a righteous life on earth.
Parents Of Lord Yama
Lord Surya (the Hindu sun god) and Devi Sandhya (the daughter of Lord Vishwakarma) are the parents of Lord Yama. Many scholars, however, have doubts about the accuracy of the fact because there are a few inconsistencies about Yamraj’s actual father.
For example, in the Rig Veda, Vivasvat is described as the father of Yamraj, which may be confusing to those unfamiliar with Hindu mythology. Actually, in Hindu mythology Lord Surya is known by many names, and Vivasvat is just one of them. So, Lord Surya is indeed Lord Yama’s actual father.
Brothers & Sisters Of Lord Yama
Lord Yama had three siblings: two brothers and one sister. Shraddhadeva Manu, Lord Shani Dev, and Yami are their names. Lord Shani is Yamraj’s stepbrother, whereas Yami is his twin sister, who is also known as Yamuna. Apart from these three well-known brothers and sisters, other children of Lord Surya are mentioned in various Hindu texts, making them also the brothers and sisters of Yama.
Such as the twin Ashwini brothers (Nasatya and Dasra) from the epic Mahabharata, Karna from the epic Mahabharata, Sugreeva from the epic Ramayana, Bhada (the goddess of hunting and wife of Lord Kubera), Tapati (wife of the Sanvarana), and Suvarchala (the wife of Lord Hanuman) from the epic Ramayana. Keeping all of these considerations in mind, Lord Yama would have six brothers and four sisters.
Wives Of Lord Yama
There is no concrete mention of who was the actual wife of Lord Yama. The actual name and the number of Yamraj’s wives vary from one text to another. But the name which is found predominantly in most texts like the Mahabharata and Vishnu Purana is Dhumorna (also known as Urmila in many legends). She is described as the goddess of the funeral pyre and the only consort of Lord Yama.
However, other texts like the Garuda Purana and Bhavishya Purana mention two more wives of Yama. They are Syamala and Hema-mala. One thing to note here is that Syamala is sometimes also referred to as Vijaya, who was the daughter of a Brahmin.
Sons Of Lord Yama
Lord Yama’s exact number of sons, like the majority of his family members, is unknown. Every text appears to have its own version, but the following three names appear repeatedly in most Hindu texts and are widely accepted as the actual sons of Lord Yama. They are Yama Kumar, Lord Katila, and Yudhishthira (the spiritual son of Yamraj).
Daughter of Lord Yama
Little is known about the daughter of Lord Yama. Only two texts—the Padma Purana and the Bhagavata Purana—give a short glimpse of her life, in which she is described as an ugly woman who was infamous for her bad behavior. She also suffered for the rest of her life as a result of a curse thrown by a gandharva kumar named Sushankha.
Lord Yama’s daughter was known by the name Sunita (or, Sunitha). Despite the fact that these two puranas address Lord Yama by his other name, Mrityu, So don’t be confused. In many Hindu texts, Yamraj is also referred to as Mrityu.
