yama

Yama is a deity associated with death and the afterlife in Hinduism and, in various forms, in Buddhist traditions. In many accounts, he is the cosmic guardian of moral order who judges the souls of the departed and determines their fate in the next life. The name Yama is also used more generally to refer to death itself in some Hindu scriptures and folk practice.

In Hinduism, Yama is traditionally described as the son of Surya, the Sun, and the elder of the twins Yama and Yami (the sister often identified with the Yamuna). He is said to have been the first mortal to die, and as a result he became ruler of the world of the dead, known as Yamaloka. He judges the deeds of the deceased, guiding souls toward appropriate destinations based on karma. His responsibilities are connected with dharma (cosmic law) and the maintenance of order in the afterlife. Iconography commonly depicts Yama riding a buffalo, with a noose (pasha) or rope for pulling souls, and sometimes a mace or staff.

In Buddhist and East Asian contexts, Yama functions as a ruler or guardian of the underworld. He appears as a dharmapala or judge of the dead in certain sutras and Jataka tales, and his influence spread into Chinese and Japanese iconography where he is known as Yanluo (Yánluó Wáng) or Enma Ō. These depictions emphasize moral reckoning and the weighing of karma, though the precise role of Yama varies across traditions.

The figure of Yama has permeated literature, ritual practice, and popular culture as a symbolic personification of death and karmic justice, with different communities adapting the character to their own cosmologies and iconography.