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== Yama as one Devata ==

== Yama as one Devata ==

Amongst the many devatas who are glorified, Yamaraja is one. Varuna, Indra, Soma are also in the same category. ||Dyu loka (land of light ) is under the control of Yama. <blockquote>''||Yatra Raja Vayvasvataha, Yatra avarodhanam Divahah || Rik Samhita 11.113.8”''</blockquote>The upper planets (Urdhva loka) are three in number and two are controlled by  savitri, and one is controlled by Yama. Rig Veda (1.35.6).<blockquote>''तिस्रो दयावः सवितुर दवा उपस्थां एका यमस्य भुवने विराषाट | -''</blockquote><blockquote>''आणिं न रथ्यम अम्र्ताधि तस्थुर इह बरवीतु य उ तच चिकेतत ||''</blockquote><blockquote>''tisro dyāvaḥ savitur dvā upasthāṃ ekā yamasya bhuvane virāṣāṭ |''</blockquote><blockquote>''āṇiṃ na rathyam amṛtādhi tasthur iha bravītu ya u tac ciketat ||''</blockquote>Swarga or heaven are three in number, of which two, the Dyu Loka and Bhu Loka are under the control of the Sun. One is under the control of Yama.  Sayanacharaya says the Yama contorls the middle plantet Anatarisha.     Yama Loka is described as Param Vyoma,   the dead along with the pitris (ancestors)  go to this  place, where Yama is the mentor. This is also explained in the Vedas (ruk Samhita 10.14.8). Therefore, one should not consider Yama Loka (Yama planet) as the land of suffering alone, such understanding denotes a very limited and narrow understanding. This larger understanding as explained in the Vedas demolishes the common notions prevalent among people,  Yamaloka being an infernal place.  Of course, this does not mean that the hellish planet Naraka does not exist. Naraka exists and Yamaraja is the controller of this planet. Yama’s functions as described by  Yaska in the Nirukta (10.2-20) can be summarised as follows,<blockquote>''||Yacchati upa ramayati jivitam sarvam bhuta graman iti Yamaha||''</blockquote>Because causes death to all the beings he is called as Antaka.  Yama’s main responsibility is to give different destination according to the  piety and impiety of jiva, therefore he is called as Antaka .  It is also explained that Yama strolls along with other devatas (Rik Samhita 10.135.1). Therefore it is not correct to say that Yamaraj is only the master of the Naraka loka(hell).  The previous episodes describe Nachiketa’s journey to Yamaloka and the realisation he had was the yama loka was the resting place of his pitris (ancestors). He also heard the playing of the flute (Rik Samhita 10.135.7).

Amongst the many devatas who are glorified, Yamaraja is one. Varuna, Indra, Soma are also in the same category. ||Dyu loka (land of light ) is under the control of Yama. <blockquote>''यत्र रज वय्वस्वतह, यत्र अवरोधनम् दिवहह् || (Rik Samhita 11.113.8)''</blockquote><blockquote>''yatra raja vayvasvataha, yatra avarodhanam divahah || (Rik Samhita 11.113.8)''</blockquote>The upper planets (Urdhva loka) are three in number and two are controlled by  savitri, and one is controlled by Yama. Rig Veda (1.35.6).<blockquote>''तिस्रो दयावः सवितुर दवा उपस्थां एका यमस्य भुवने विराषाट |''</blockquote><blockquote>''आणिं न रथ्यम अम्र्ताधि तस्थुर इह बरवीतु य उ तच चिकेतत ||''</blockquote><blockquote>''tisro dyāvaḥ savitur dvā upasthāṃ ekā yamasya bhuvane virāṣāṭ |''</blockquote><blockquote>''āṇiṃ na rathyam amṛtādhi tasthur iha bravītu ya u tac ciketat ||''</blockquote>Swarga or heaven are three in number, of which two, the Dyu Loka and Bhu Loka are under the control of the Sun. One is under the control of Yama.  Sayanacharaya says the Yama contorls the middle plantet Anatarisha.     Yama Loka is described as Param Vyoma,   the dead along with the pitris (ancestors)  go to this  place, where Yama is the mentor. This is also explained in the Vedas (ruk Samhita 10.14.8). Therefore, one should not consider Yama Loka (Yama planet) as the land of suffering alone, such understanding denotes a very limited and narrow understanding. This larger understanding as explained in the Vedas demolishes the common notions prevalent among people,  Yamaloka being an infernal place.  Of course, this does not mean that the hellish planet Naraka does not exist. Naraka exists and Yamaraja is the controller of this planet. Yama’s functions as described by  Yaska in the Nirukta (10.2-20) can be summarised as follows,<blockquote>''यच्छति उप रमयति जिवितम् सर्वम् भुत ग्रमन् इति यमह ||''</blockquote><blockquote>''yacchati upa ramayati jivitam sarvam bhuta graman iti yamaha ||''</blockquote>Because causes death to all the beings he is called as Antaka.  Yama’s main responsibility is to give different destination according to the  piety and impiety of jiva, therefore he is called as Antaka .  It is also explained that Yama strolls along with other devatas (Rik Samhita 10.135.1). Therefore it is not correct to say that Yamaraj is only the master of the Naraka loka(hell).  The previous episodes describe Nachiketa’s journey to Yamaloka and the realisation he had was the yama loka was the resting place of his pitris (ancestors). He also heard the playing of the flute (Rik Samhita 10.135.7).

== Yama in mahabharata ==

== Yama in mahabharata ==