|
Yama
Yama is the god of death whose first recorded appearance is in the Vedas of
early Hinduism in India. He is one of the most ancient mythological beings,
and in one form or another has also been found all over Eurasia. He is known
as Yima by Zoroastrians, Jimmu in Japanese legend, and Ymir in Norse legend.
In Hinduism, Yama is the god of death. He is a Lokapala and an Aditya. In art,
he is depicted with with green skin, red clothes and riding a buffalo. He
holds a loop of rope in his left hand with which he pulls the soul from the
corpse.
In Vedic belief, Yama (twin) refers to the first mortal to die, and having
discovered a way to the other world, he is the guide of the dead. He is the
son of Surya (Sun) and twin brother of Yami, traditionally the first human
pair in Hindu mythology. Later, he was deified and worshiped as a son of
Vivasvat and Saranya. He is one of the Ashta-Dikpalas, representing the south.
He reports to Lord Shiva the Destroyer, an aspect of Trimurti (Hinduism's
triune Godhead). Three hymns in the Rig Veda Book 10 are addressed to him
(hymn 10, 14, 135).
The Yamas are codified as "the restraints" in numerous scriptures including
the Shandilya and Varuha Upanishads, Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Gorakshanatha,
the Tirumantiram of Tirumular and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. All the above
texts list ten yamas, with the exception of Patanjali's work, which lists only
five. They comprise the "shall-nots" in our dealings with the external world.
The ten traditional yamas are:
Ahimsa: abstinence from injury, harmlessness, the not causing of pain to any
living creature in thought, word, or deed at any time. This is the "main"
Yama. The other nine are there in support of its accomplishment.
Satya: truthfulness, word and thought in conformity with the facts.
Asteya: non-stealing, non-coveting, non-entering into debt.
Brahmacharya: divine conduct, continence, celibate when single, faithful when
married.
Kshama: patience, releasing time, functioning in the now.
Dhriti: steadfastness, overcoming non-perseverance, fear, and indecision;
seeing each task through to completion.
Daya: compassion; conquering callous, cruel and insensitive feelings toward
all beings.
Arjava: honesty, straightforwardness, renouncing deception and wrongdoing.
Mitahara: moderate appetite, neither eating too much nor to little; nor
consuming meat, fish, shellfish, fowl or eggs.
Shaucha: purity, avoidance of impurity in body, mind and speech. (Note:
Patanjali's Yoga Sutras list Shaucha as the first of the Niyamas.)
Source:
Wikipedia.org |
