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77-410: The Hindu calendar is lunisolar but most festival dates are specified using the lunar portion of the calendar. A lunar day is uniquely identified by three calendar elements: māsa (lunar month), pakṣa (lunar fortnight) and tithi (lunar day). Furthermore, when specifying the masa, one of two traditions are applicable, viz. amānta / pūrṇimānta . If a festival falls in the waning phase of

154-500: A pakṣa , the Moon advances 180° with respect to the Earth-Sun axis. A cāndramāsa ( Sanskrit : चन्द्रमास ) is the time taken by the moon to move from a new moon to the next new moon (as per the amānta [ Sanskrit : अमान्त ] tradition ) or a full moon to the next full moon (as per the pūrṇimānta [ Sanskrit : पूर्णिमान्त ] tradition). In other words a cāndramāsa is the synodic period of

231-399: A shudra called Vidura due to being cursed by a sage for being too harsh in his punishments. From the A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada / Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) translation: As long as Vidura played the part of a śūdra, being cursed by Maṇḍūka Muni [also known as Māṇḍavya Muni], Aryamā officiated at the post of Yamarāja to punish those who committed sinful acts. Vidura,

308-665: A tulasi plant and in the form of diyas , which are placed in front of the doorways of homes. This light is an offering to Yama , the god of death, to avert untimely death during the time of the Diwali festival. This day is a celebration aimed at increasing wealth and prosperity. Dhanteras engages themes of cleansing, renewal, and the securing of auspiciousness as embodied by Lakshmi. In the villages, cattle are adorned and worshiped by farmers as their main source of income. In South India (especially Tamil Nadu ), Brahmin women make marundu (which translates as 'medicine') on Dhanatrayodashi,

385-551: A devotee of Krishna , is the main protagonist in the third canto. In this canto , after being thrown out of his home by King Dhritarashtra (his older half-brother) for admonishing the Kauravas' ignoble behaviour towards the Pandavas , Vidura went on a pilgrimage where he met other devotees of Krishna such as Uddhava and the sage Maitreya , the latter of whom revealed Vidura's true origin to him: I know that you are now Vidura due to

462-412: A gatherer of the people, who gave dead people a place to rest. Out of the three Rigvedic heavens, the third and highest belong to Yama (the lower two belong to Savitr ). Here is where the gods resides, and Yama is surrounded by music. In the ritual sacrifice, Yama is offered soma and ghee , and is invoked to sit at the sacrifice, lead the sacrificers to the abode of the gods, and provide long life. In

539-489: A ghaṭikā, or just under 24 seconds. A prāṇa ( Sanskrit : प्राण ) or asu ( Sanskrit : असु ) is one sixth of a vighaṭikā, or just under four seconds. Sāvana māna ( Sanskrit : सावन मान ) of the Hindu calendar defines civil time . A dina ( Sanskrit : दिन ) is the time between two succeeding sunrises. dina corresponds to the concept of a solar day . The length of a dina varies with daytime length . Apart from

616-400: A heap at the entrance of the bedchamber and lit many lamps. Then she narrated stories and sang songs to keep her husband from falling asleep; the next day, when Yama , the god of death, arrived at the prince's doorstep in the guise of a serpent, his eyes were dazzled and blinded by the brilliance of the lamps and the jewelry. Yama could not enter the prince's chamber, and so he climbed on top of

693-547: A noose') and Dharmaraja ('lord of Dharma '). Yama and Dharmadeva, the god personifying the concept of Dharma , are generally considered to be one and the same person. Author Vettam Mani speculates a reason for this identification: " Vyasa has used as synonyms for Dharmadeva in the Mahabharata the words Dharmaraja, Vṛsa and Yama. Now among the synonyms for the two there are two words in common- Dharmaraja and Yama. This has led to this misunderstanding. Because Kala weighs

770-578: A path to the "other world", where deceased ancestral fathers reside. Due to being the first man to die, he is considered the chief of the dead, lord of settlers, and a father. Throughout the course of Vedic literature, Yama becomes more and more associated with the negative aspects of death and eventually becomes the god of death. He also becomes associated with Antaka (the Ender), Mṛtyu (Death), Nirṛti (Decease), and Sleep. Yama has two four-eyed, broad nosed, brindled, reddish-brown dogs, Sharvara and Shyama , who are

847-421: A reason not to commit incest, that Mitra - Varuna are strict in their ordinances, and that they have spies everywhere. By the end of the hymn, Yamī becomes frustrated but Yama remains firm in his stance. However, by RV 10.13.4, Yama is stated to have chosen to leave offspring, but Yamī is not mentioned. Vedic literature states that Yama is the first mortal, and that he chose to die, and then proceeded to create

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924-410: A sāvana dina Above that a nakṣatra dina is divided into ghaṭikā (of 24 modern minutes each) and vighaṭikā (of 24 modern seconds each). These same units are used to subdivide a savana dina using sunrise as the starting point, i.e. the first 24 minutes after sunrise constitute the first ghaṭikā, the next 24 minutes the second ghaṭikā and so on. pitṛpakṣa pitṛpakṣa ( Sanskrit : पितृपक्ष )

1001-464: A water-buffalo. He holds a noose ( pāśa ) of rope in one hand, with which he seizes the lives of people who are about to die. He is also depicted holding a danda which is a Sanskrit word for "staff". Yama is the son of Surya and Saranyu . He is the twin brother of Yami , brother of Shraddhadeva Manu and the step brother of Shani and his son was Katila. There are several temples across India dedicated to Yama. As per Vishnu Dharmottara , Yama

1078-659: Is a pakṣa during which the Sun crosses the equator and transitions overhead the southern hemisphere, i.e. the autumnal equinox occurs within pitṛpakṣa. bhādrapada māsa kṛṣṇa pakṣa is identified with pitṛpakṣa. This identification is not always correct. For instance, in the Gregorian year 2020, bhādrapada māsa kṛṣṇa pakṣa ended with the new moon on 17 September while autumnal equinox occurred five days later, on 22 September. Yama (Hinduism) Yama ( Sanskrit : यम , lit.   'twin'), also known as Kāla and Dharmarāja ,

1155-437: Is also possible that an entire tithi elapses between two sunrises, i.e. the Moon traverses a 12° arc in between two sunrises (it enters the arc after one sunrise and exits the arc before the next sunrise). In this such a case, neither sāvana dina will be associated with this tithi, i.e. this tithi will be skipped over in the calendar. Such a tithi is referred to as a kṣaya ( Sanskrit : क्षय ) (lost) tithi . Subdivisions of

1232-463: Is also provided, beginning with their seizure and journey to Yamaloka ( i.e. Hell ): As a criminal is arrested for punishment by the constables of the state, a personal engaged in criminal sense gratification is similarly arrested by the Yamadutas, who bind him by the neck with a strong rope and cover his subtle body so that he may undergo severe punishment. While carried by the constables of Yamaraja, he

1309-401: Is believed that new " Dhan " (wealth) or some item made of precious metal is a sign of good luck. In modern times, Dhanteras has come to be known as the most auspicious occasion for buying gold, silver, and other metals, especially kitchenware. The day also sees heavy purchases of appliances and automobiles. On this night, the lights are set out in the sky lamps and as offerings at the base of

1386-445: Is considered to be dvādaśī tithi. adhika tithi and kṣaya tithi It is possible that two consecutive sunrises may have the same tithi, i.e. the Moon continues to remain within the same 12° arc across two consecutive sunrises. In such a case, two consecutive sāvana dina will be associated with the same tithi. The tithi associated with the second sāvana dina is referred to as a adhika ( Sanskrit : अधिक ) (additional) tithi . It

1463-486: Is controlled by Him just as a bull is controlled by a rope in its nose. In the tenth canto, Krishna and Balarama travel to Yama's abode to bring back the dead son of their Guru, Sandipani Muni : Lord Janārdana took the conchshell that had grown around the demon’s body and went back to the chariot. Then He proceeded to Saṁyamanī, the beloved capital of Yamarāja, the lord of death. Upon arriving there with Lord Balarāma, He loudly blew His conchshell, and Yamarāja, who keeps

1540-623: Is identified with Yama) is the father of Yudhishthira , the oldest brother of the five Pandavas . Yama most notably appears in person in the Yaksha Prashna and the Vana Parva, and is mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita . In the Yaksha Prashna , Dharmadeva (Yama) appears as a yaksha (nature spirit) in the form of a crane to question Yudhishthira and test his righteousness. Impressed by Yudhishthira's strict adherence to dharma and his answers to

1617-452: Is known as a saṅkramaṇa ( Sanskrit : सङ्क्रमण ) or saṅkrānti ( Sanskrit : सङ्क्रान्ति ). These time periods are defined based on the solstices ( Sanskrit : अयन; IAST : ayana ) and equinoxes ( Sanskrit : विषुवत्; IAST : viṣuvat ). The time taken by the Sun to move from the winter solstice to the summer solstice is known as northward movement ( Sanskrit : उत्तरायण , romanized :  uttarāyaṇa ) and time taken by

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1694-654: Is mentioned in the Puranas as the god of Ayurveda. During his incarnation on earth, Dhanvantari ruled as the King of Kashi, now known as Varanasi . He is also recognized as the great-grandfather of Divodasa, a legendary King of Kashi mentioned in the Vishnu Purana. The festival is celebrated as Lakshmi Puja , which is performed in the evenings when diyas (lamps of clay) are lit. Bhajans or devotional songs are sung in praise of goddess Lakshmi , and traditional sweets are offered to

1771-554: Is overwhelmed and trembles in their hands. While passing on the road [to Yamaloka] he is bitten by dogs, and he can remember the sinful activities of his life. He is thus terribly distressed. In the sixth canto, Yama (not as Vidura nor with Aryama in the post; see third and fourth canto) instructs his messengers, the Yamadutas , when questioned about who has supreme authority in the universe since there are so many gods and demigods: Yamarāja said: My dear servants, you have accepted me as

1848-451: Is said to be represented on a buffalo, with garments like of heated gold, and all kinds of ornaments. He has four arms with the complexion of rain clouds. Dhumorna, his wife, is represented sitting on the left haunch of Yama and she has the colour of a dark blue lotus. In the Rigveda , Yama is the son of a solar deity Vivasvat and Saraṇyū and has a twin sister named Yamī. He is cognate to

1925-477: Is shorter than the saura māna varṣa by about eleven sāvana dina. As a result, unless explicitly synchronised, these two parts of the calendar will diverge over time, as the cāndra māna varṣa will keep "falling behind" the saura māna varṣa. In order to synchronise these two parts of the calendar, an additional cāndramāsa is introduced into some cāndra māna varṣa. Such a cāndramāsa is referred to as adhikamāsa ( Sanskrit : अधिकमास ) . A adhikamāsa takes its name from

2002-405: Is the Hindu god of death and justice, responsible for the dispensation of law and punishment of sinners in his abode, Naraka . He is often identified with Dharmadeva , the personification of Dharma , though the two deities have different origins and myths. In Vedic tradition, Yama was considered the first mortal who died and espied the way to the celestial abodes; as a result, he became

2079-471: Is the lokapala ("Guardian of the realms") of the south and the son of Surya . Three hymns (10, 14, and 35) in the 10th book of the Rig Veda are addressed to him. In Puranas, Yama is described as having four arms, protruding fangs, and complexion of storm clouds, with a wrathful expression; surrounded by a garland of flames; dressed in red, yellow, or blue garments; holding a noose and a mace or sword; and riding

2156-688: Is the mother of the king Vena. Sobhavati, the wife of Chitragupta , is sometimes mentioned to be Yama's daughter. In the Mahabharata, Yudhishthira , the eldest Pandava, was blessed by Dharma to his mother Kunti . Yama Dharmaraja Temple is a Hindu temple located at Thiruchitrambalam in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu , India . The temple is dedicated to Yama. Mentioned in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism , Yama subsequently entered Buddhist mythology in East Asia , Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka as

2233-459: Is the time taken by the Sun to orbit the Earth once and return to the starting point with respect to the fixed stars. The starting point is taken to be the position of the Sun when it is in opposition to Spica ( Sanskrit : चित्रा , romanized :  citrā ). . A rāśi ( Sanskrit : राशि ) is a 30° arc of the orbit of the Sun around the Earth (i.e an arc of the ecliptic ). Starting in

2310-409: Is then associated with the entire sāvana dina. To illustrate: consider the Gregorian date 18th Sep 2021 . Instead of referring to it as "2nd dina of kanyā masa" Hindus will refer to it as " bhādrapada māsa, śukla pakṣa, dvitiyā tithi", which is the tithi prevailing at sunrise on that sāvana dina. Even though the Moon moves into the trayodaśī arc soon after sunrise (at 6:54AM), that entire sāvana dina

2387-577: The Vishnudharmottara describe Dhumorna (also known as Urmila) as his consort. In the Garuda Purana , Syamala is the name of Yama's wife. According to some other texts, Yama has three consorts—Hema-mala, Sushila and Vijaya. When identified with Dharmadeva, he also married 10 or 13 daughters of the god Daksha . According to the Brahma Purana , the name of Yama's eldest daughter is Sunita, who

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2464-477: The Atman (i.e. the soul, self) and moksha (liberation). From the translation by Brahmrishi Vishvatma Bawra: Yama says: I know the knowledge that leads to heaven. I will explain it to you so that you will understand it. O Nachiketas, remember this knowledge is the way to the endless world; the support of all worlds; and abides in subtle form within the intellects of the wise. In the epic Mahabharata , Dharmadeva (who

2541-513: The Avestan Yima, son of Vīvanhvant. The majority of Yama's appearances are in the first and tenth book. Yama is closely associated with Agni in the Rigveda. Agni is both Yama's friend and priest, and Yama is stated to have found the hiding Agni. In the Rigveda, Yama is the king of the dead, and one of the two kings that humans see when they reach heaven (the other being Varuna ). Yama is stated to be

2618-508: The Pitris (forefathers), Naraka (hell), or to be reborn on the earth. Yama is one of the Lokapalas (guardians of the realms), appointed as the protector of the south direction. He is often depicted as a dark-complexioned man riding a buffalo and carrying a noose or mace to capture souls. Yama was subsequently adopted by Buddhist , Chinese , Tibetan , Korean , and Japanese mythology as

2695-488: The amānta tradition) or Kartika (according to the Bikram Sambat tradition). Dhanvantari , who is also worshipped on the occasion of Dhanteras, is considered the god of Ayurveda who imparted the wisdom of Ayurveda for the betterment of mankind and to help rid it of the suffering of disease. The Indian ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy announced its decision to observe Dhanteras as

2772-504: The pakṣa , i.e. prathama (first), dvitīya (second) etc. The fifteenth, that is, the last tithi of a kṛṣṇa pakṣa is called amāvāsya (new moon) and the fifteenth tithi of a śukla pakṣa is called pūrṇimā (full moon). The saura māna ( Sanskrit : सौर मान ) of the Hindu calendar is defined by the movement of the Earth around the Sun. It contains sidereal ( Sanskrit : निरयन; nirayana ) and tropical ( Sanskrit : सायन; sāyana ) elements. A saura māna varṣa or sidereal year

2849-456: The "National Ayurveda Day", which was first observed on 28 October 2016. Dhanteras is the worship of Dhanvantari. Dhanvantari, according to Hindu traditions, emerged during Samudra Manthana , holding a pot full of amrita (a nectar bestowing immortality) in one hand and the sacred text about Ayurveda in the other hand. He is considered to be the physician of the devas . Dhanvantari is also considered to be an avatar of Vishnu . Dhanvantari

2926-399: The Earth on its axis. This definition is not used in practice but is required for defining the following smaller units of time. Ā dina is ~4 minutes short of 24 hours. A ghaṭikā ( Sanskrit : घटिका ) or nāḍī ( Sanskrit : नाडी ) is one sixtieth of a nakṣatra dina, or just under 24 minutes. A vighaṭikā ( Sanskrit : विघटिका ) or vināḍī ( Sanskrit : विनाडी ) is one sixtieth of

3003-422: The Earth. Ṛtu corresponds to the concept of a season. The six ṛtu of the year are known as Nākṣatra māna ( Sanskrit : नाक्षत्र मान ) is defined with respect to the fixed stars, so all elements are sidereal in nature. A dina ( Sanskrit : दिन ) is the time taken by the celestial sphere to complete one sidereal rotation around the Earth. In reality, this movement is caused by the diurnal rotation of

3080-452: The Gods and an incarnation of Vishnu ) emerged carrying a jar of the elixir on the day of Dhanteras. A legend ascribes the occasion to the story of the 16-year-old son of King Shilp. His horoscope predicted his death by a snakebite on the fourth day of his marriage. On that particular day, his newlywed wife did not allow him to sleep. She laid out all her ornaments and many gold and silver coins in

3157-531: The Hindu calendar The Hindu calendar defines nine measures of time ( Sanskrit : मान IAST : māna ): Of these, only the last four are in active use and are explained here. The candra māna ( Sanskrit : चन्द्र मान ) of the Hindu calendar is defined based on the movement of the Moon around the Earth. The new moon ( Sanskrit : अमावास्य , romanized :  amāvāsya ) and full moon ( Sanskrit : पूर्णिमा , romanized :  pūrṇimā ) are important markers in this calendar. The candra māna of

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3234-439: The Hindu calendar defines the following synodic calendar elements: A pakṣa ( Sanskrit : पक्ष ) is the time taken by the Moon to move from a new moon to a full moon and vice versa. The waxing phase of the moon is known as the bright side ( Sanskrit : शुक्ल पक्ष , romanized :  śukla pakṣa ) and the waning phase is known as the dark side ( Sanskrit : कृष्ण पक्ष , romanized :  kṛṣṇa pakṣa ). During

3311-404: The Moon, or two pakṣas . During a cāndramāsa , the Moon advances 360° with respect to the Earth-Sun axis. A candra māna varṣa or lunar year is made up of 12 consecutive candramāsa . These twelve candramāsa are designated by unique names caitra , vaiśākha , etc. In some instances an additional candramāsa , known as an adhikamāsa , is added to synchronise the candra māna varṣa with

3388-415: The Sun to move from the spring equinox ( ecliptic longitude 0°) to the autumnal equinox (ecliptic longitude 180°) is known as devayāna ( Sanskrit : देवयान ). The time taken by the Sun to move from the autumnal equinox to the spring equinox is designated as pitṛyāṇa ( Sanskrit : पितृयाण ). Due to the axial tilt of the Earth, the Sun appears to be in the north celestial sphere during devayāna and

3465-487: The Sun to move from the summer solstice to the winter solstice is called southward movement Sanskrit : दक्षिणायन , romanized :  dakṣiṇāyana . Due to the axial tilt of the Earth, the Sun appears to move towards the north from the Tropic of Capricorn to the Tropic of Cancer during uttarāyaṇa , and towards the south from the tropic of Cancer to the tropic of Capricorn during dakṣiṇāyana . The time taken by

3542-451: The Supreme, but factually I am not. Above me, and above all the other demigods, including Indra and Candra, is the one supreme master and controller. The partial manifestations of His personality are Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva, who are in charge of the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this universe. He is like the two threads that form the length and breadth of a woven cloth. The entire world

3619-564: The Vedas) emerged from the navel of Vishvakarman . During a conversation with his servant, Yama states that he is subordinate to Vishnu. While establishing the relationship between Vishnu and Lakshmi, the Chapter ;8 of Book 1 describes Dhumorna as Yama's consort. Varying information about Yama's consorts and children are found in Hindu texts. The Mahābhārata , the Vishnu Purana and

3696-473: The births were as usual." This led to an increase in the population and the Earth sinking down "for a hundred yojanas. And suffering pain in all her limbs." The earth sought the protection of Narayana , who incarnated as a boar ( Varaha ) and lifted her back up. In the Udyoga Parva , it is stated that the wife of Yama is called Urmila. In the Bhagavad Gita , part of the Mahabharata, Krishna states: Of

3773-512: The celestial Naga snakes I am Ananta; of the aquatic deities I am Varuna. Of departed ancestors I am Aryamaa and among the dispensers of law I am Yama, lord of death. Yama and his abode are frequently mentioned in the Puranas . Some Puranas like Agni Purana and Linga Purana mention him as son of Rajni and Surya. In the third and fourth cantos of the Srimad Bhagavatam , Yama was incarnated as

3850-440: The conditioned souls in check, came as soon as he heard the resounding vibration. Yamarāja elaborately worshiped the two Lords with great devotion, and then he addressed Lord Kṛṣṇa, who lives in everyone’s heart: "O Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, what shall I do for You and Lord Balarāma, who are playing the part of ordinary humans?" The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Suffering the bondage of his past activity, My spiritual master’s son

3927-402: The cows and the defenceless creatures are My [Krishna's] own body. Those whose faculty of judgement has been impaired by their own sin look upon those as distinct from Me. They are just like furious serpents, and they are angrily torn apart by the bills of the vulturelike messengers of Yamaraja, the superintendent of sinful persons. A detailed account of the punishment of a sinner upon their death

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4004-427: The cursing of Māṇḍavya Muni and that formerly you were King Yamarāja, the great controller of living entities after their death. You were begotten by the son of Satyavatī , Vyāsadeva , in the kept wife of his brother. Krishna also states Yama punishes sinners, as relayed to Vidura (again, an incarnation of Yama) by Maitreya during their conversation about the origin and creation of the multiverse : The brahmanas ,

4081-420: The cāndra māna and sāvana māna of the calendar define the concept of a day as tithi and dina respectively. dina are not named and are not used for calendric purposes. The tithi takes precedence instead. Human life is regulated by the rising of the Sun and not by the movement of the Moon through a 12° arc. Hence, the position of the Moon at sunrise is used to determine the tithi prevailing at sunrise. This tithi

4158-459: The day of Dhanatrayodashi, the goddess Lakshmi is believed to have appeared from the ocean of milk during the churning of the ocean. Hence, the goddess Lakshmi is worshipped on the day of Trayodashi. According to a popular legend, when the devas and asuras performed the Samudra Manthana (churning of the ocean) for amrita (the divine nectar of immortality), Dhanvantari (the physician of

4235-473: The dialogue hymn between Yama and Yamī (RV 10.10), as the first two humans, Yamī tries to convince her twin brother Yama to have sex with her. Yamī makes a variety of arguments, including continuing the mortal line, that Tvashtar created them as a couple in the womb, and that Dyaush and Prithvi are famous for their incest. Yama argues that their ancestors, "the Gandharva in the waters and the watery maiden," as

4312-409: The eve of Naraka Chaturdashi . The marundu is offered during the prayer and eaten early on Naraka Chaturdashi before sunrise. Many families hand over the recipes of the medicine to their daughters and daughters-in-law. The marundu is consumed to eliminate the imbalance of tridoshas in the body. Usually, Gujarati families will enjoy a meal of daal baath and malpua to ring in the new year. On

4389-467: The evil and good in man he got the name Dharmaraja. Dharmadeva got that name because he is the incarnation of Dharma. The real name of Kāla is Yama. Dharmadeva got the name Yama because he possesses 'Yama' (control of the self for moral conduct)." Mani believes that Yama and Dharmadeva are two different deities, citing that the Puranic scriptures attest different myths about the deities — In Hinduism , Yama

4466-409: The four māna explained above, the concept of nakṣatra is an important characteristic of the Hindu calendar. This term has multiple meanings: The four māna explained above are used in combination in the Hindu calendar. adhikamāsa As seen above, both the cāndra māna and saura māna of the calendar define a varṣa comprising twelve māsa, but the duration of the varṣa differ; the cāndra māna varṣa

4543-413: The god of Death Yama hastened to that place. He was holding his sceptre (rod of chastisement). His physical body was yellow in colour. In prowess he was comparable to none. He was unparalleled in brilliance, strength and power of demanding obedience. His limbs were well developed and he wore garlands. In the Garuda Purana , Yama and his realm where sinners are punished are detailed extensively, including in

4620-427: The goddess of wealth and prosperity. Small footprints are drawn with rice flour and vermilion powder all over the house to indicate her long-awaited arrival. On the night of Dhanteras, the diyas (lamps) are ritually kept burning all through the night in honour of Lakshmi and Dhanvantari. Hindus consider this an extremely auspicious day for making new purchases, especially of gold or silver articles and new utensils. It

4697-553: The goddess. A peculiar custom in Maharashtra exists where people lightly pound dried coriander seeds with jaggery and offer the mixture as naivedya . On Dhanteras, homes that have not yet been cleaned in preparation for Diwali are thoroughly cleansed and whitewashed. Dhanvantari, the god of health and Ayurveda, is worshiped in the evening. The main entrance is decorated with colorful lanterns and holiday lights, and traditional motifs of rangoli designs are made to welcome Lakshmi,

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4774-406: The heap of gold coins and sat there the entire night listening to the stories and songs. In the morning, he silently went away. Thus, the young prince was saved from the clutches of death by the cleverness of his new bride, and the day came to be celebrated as Dhanteras. This practice came to be known as yamadipadana as the women of the house light earthen lamps ( dipas ), kept burning throughout

4851-525: The highest heaven. The Atharvaveda states Yama is unsurpassable and is greater than Vivasvat. The Taittirīya Aranyaka and the Āpastamba Śrauta state that Yama has golden-eyed and iron-hoofed horses. In the Katha Upanishad , Yama is portrayed as a teacher to the Brahmin boy Nachiketa . Having granted three boons to Nachiketa, their conversation evolves to a discussion of the nature of being, knowledge,

4928-471: The king of hell. In modern culture, Yama has been depicted in various safety campaigns in India. The word " Yama " means 'twin' (Yama has a twin sister, Yami ), and later came to mean 'binder' (derived from " yam "); the word also means 'moral rule or duty' (i.e. dharma ), 'self-control', 'forbearance', and 'cessation'. Yama is also known by many other names, including Kala ('time'), Pashi (one who carries

5005-497: The moon, these two traditions identify the same lunar day as falling in two different (but successive) masa. Dhanteras ( Hindi : धनतेरस ), also known as Dhanatrayodashi ( Sanskrit : धनत्रयोदशी ), is the first day that marks the festival of Diwali or Tihar in most of India and Nepal It is celebrated on the thirteenth lunar day (Trayodashi) of Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) in the Hindu calendar month of Ashwin (according to

5082-420: The name of the cāndramāsa which follows, viz. adhika āśvina precedes āśvina. Most times every cāndramāsa witnesses a saṅkramaṇa . If a cāndramāsa does not witness a saṅkramaṇa, that cāndramāsa is designated as a adhikamāsa thus resulting in the cāndra māna varṣa "catching up" with the saura māna varṣa. This happens approximately once every two and a half (solar) years. dina and tithi As seen above, both

5159-441: The night glorifying Yama. Thirteen diyas made of wheat flour are lit and placed facing the southern direction. In Jainism , this day is celebrated as Dhanyateras instead of Dhanteras , which means the "auspicious day of thirteenth". It is said that on this day Mahavira was in the state of leaving everything in this world and meditating before Moksha , which made this day auspicious or dhanya . Astronomical basis of

5236-405: The riddles posed, Yama reveals himself as his father, blesses him, and brings his younger Pandava brothers back to life. The Yaksha [Yama] asked, "What enemy is invincible? What constitutes an incurable disease? What sort of man is noble and what sort is ignoble"? And Yudhishthira responded, "Anger is the invincible enemy. Covetousness constitutes a disease that is incurable. He is noble who desires

5313-600: The ruler of the departed. His role, characteristics, and abode have been expounded in texts such as the Upanishads , the Ramayana , the Mahabharata , and the Puranas . Yama is described as the twin of Yami , and the son of the sun god Surya (in earlier traditions Vivasvat ) and Sanjna . He judges the souls of the dead and, depending on their deeds, assigns them to the realm of

5390-464: The solar year or saura māna varṣa . A tithi ( Sanskrit : तिथि ) is the time taken by the Moon to advance 12° with respect to the Earth-Sun axis. In other words a tithi is the time taken for the Moon's elongation (on the ecliptic plane ) to increase by 12°. A tithi is one fifteenth of a pakṣa and one thirtieth of a cāndramāsa . A tithi corresponds to the concept of a lunar day. Tithi have Sanskrit numbers according by their position in

5467-550: The sons of Saramā . However, in the Atharvaveda, one of dogs is brindled and the other is dark. The dogs are meant to track down those who are about to die, and guard the path to Yama's realm. Scholars who adhere to Theodor Aufrecht's interpretation of RV 7.55 state that the dogs were also meant to keep wicked men out of heaven. The Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā (the White Yajurveda) states Yama and his twin sister Yamī both reside in

5544-407: The south celestial sphere during pitṛyāṇa . In Hindu tradition, the north celestial sphere is consecrated to the gods (deva) and the south celestial sphere is consecrated to the ancestors (pitṛ). Devayāna and pitṛyāṇa are not in active calendric use any longer but do form the basis for pitṛpakṣa . A ṛtu ( Sanskrit : ऋतु ) is the time taken by the Sun to move sixty degrees on its orbit around

5621-587: The twelfth chapter called ' The Realm of Yama '. In this text, the name of Yama's wife is Syamala. In the Matsya Purana , In addition to his battles against the asuras , Yama is mentioned extensively: In the Vishnu Purana , Yama is the son of sun-god Surya (named Vivasvan in the Vedas, also means 'sun') and Sandhya (named Saranya in the Vedas, is another name), the daughter of Vishvakarma (named Tvastar in

5698-403: The vicinity of Zeta Piscium ( IAST : revatī), the twelve (i.e. 360° divided by 30°) rāśi are designated meṣa ( Sanskrit : मेष ), vṛṣabha ( Sanskrit : वृषभ ) etc. A sauramāsa ( Sanskrit : सौरमास ) is the time taken by the Sun to traverse a rāśi. Sauramāsa get their names from the corresponding rāśi. sauramāsa corresponds to the concept of a month. The moment in time when the Sun enters a rāśi

5775-458: The well-being of all creatures, and he is ignoble who is without mercy". In the Vana Parva , when Yudhishthira asks the sage Markandeya whether there has ever been a woman whose devotion matched Draupadi's , the sage replied by relating the story of Savitri and Satyavan . After Savitri's husband Satyavan died, Yama arrived to carry away his soul. However, Yama was so impressed with Savitri's purity and dedication to dharma and to her husband, he

5852-426: Was brought here to you. O great King, obey My command and bring this boy to Me without delay. Yamarāja said, "So be it," and brought forth the guru’s son. Then those two most exalted Yadus presented the boy to Their spiritual master and said to him, "Please select another boon." In the Brahma Purana , Yama is the lord of justice and is associated with Dharma . Mentions include: Riding on his terrible buffalo,

5929-573: Was convinced to instead bring Satyavan back to life. In the Tirtha-yatra Parva (Book 3, Varna Parva, CXLII), Lomasa tells Yudhishthira "in days of yore, there was (once) a terrible time in the Satya Yuga when the eternal and primeval Deity [ Krishna ] assumed the duties of Yama. And, O thou that never fallest off, when the God of gods began to perform the functions of Yama, there died not a creature while

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