50. Yama

Volume I: Part I pp. 522–528

The textual presence of Yama is notable, beginning with direct quotations found in the Vasiṣṭha Dharma Sūtra, specifically at chapters eighteen and nineteen. Beyond these, various printed compilations in verse are ascribed to Yama, including the significant Bṛhad Yama, which comprises five chapters and one hundred and eighty-two verses. Commentators such as Viśvarūpa and others extensively cite Yama, preserving over three hundred of his verses spanning all topics, notably including vyavahāra, with some of these now traceable in printed editions. Furthermore, Aparārka quotes a few prose passages attributed to Yama. His wisdom is also reflected in the Anuśāsanaparva, where specific gāthās of Yama are quoted in chapter one hundred and four. The chapter then delves into some of Yama's particular views concerning vyavahāra, drawing from sources like Bṛhad Yama and Laghu Yama. Significantly, Yama is profusely quoted across the various kāṇḍas of the monumental Kalpataru, underscoring his enduring authority in Dharmaśāstra.

— Synopsis by P.V. Kane, from History of Dharmaśāstra

50. Yama

The Vasiṣṭha-dharmasūtra (18. 13–15 and 19. 48) cites four ślokas of Yama and quotes (11. 20) one verse in which Yama is spoken of as an authority. All the ślokas except one are found in Manu.⁵ Vasiṣṭha quotes a śloka of Prajāpati wherein Yama’s view is set forth. Yama is one of the sages enumerated in the list of Yājñavalkya. Govindarāja (on Manu 5. 16) and Aparārka quote a verse of Śaṅkha wherein the flesh of certain birds could be eaten is referred to.⁶ Aparārka (p. 1231) also cites a verse of Śaṅkha in which the view of Bhagavān Yama that one should save one’s life in all ways (even by incurring sin) is relied upoṇ

In Jīvananda’s collection (part I. pp. 560-568) there is a smṛti of Yama in seventyeight verses on prāyaścitta and purification (śuddhi). In the smṛti Yama himself is cited in the third person (verse 65). One verse (33) refers to the view of Bhāsvati (son of the Sun, by which may be meant either Manu or Yama himself).⁷ Some of the verses are identical with those of Manu (e g verses 26, 28 are the same as Manu 11. 178 and 3. 19). Verse 44 is in the Upajāti metre. In the Ānandāśrama collection there is a Yamasmṛti in 99 verses on prāyaścitta, śrāddha and purificatioṇ Most of the topics of this smṛti are the same as those of the Calcutta text, but most of the verses are not identical. A few verses are found in both, e. g. the verses about the seven lowest castes⁸ ( antyajas ). Verse 11 quotes the view of Śātātapa. This Smṛti contains the well-known text that a woman passes on marriage into the gotra of her husband, which is cited by the Mit. ( on Yāj. I. 254 ).⁹ In the same collection there is a smṛti of Bṛhad-Yama ( pp. 99-107 ). It is divided into five chapters and contains 182 verseṣ It deals with prāyaścittas for various lapses, purification from various kinds of contacts ( śuddhi ), śrāddha, partition and a few matters of medical procedure. In this smṛti Yama is frequently cited by name. Śātātapa is cited on partition ( V. 20 ). Many of the verses of this text are identical with those of Yama in Jivananda’s text. For example, Jīvananda ( p. 561 ) verses 15-17 are the same as Bṛhad-Yama III. 1–3, Jīvananda p. 563 verses 29–33 are the same as Bṛhad-Yama III. 34–38, Jīvananda verses 35-36 are the same as Bṛhad-Yama III. 16-17. The verse in the Upajāti metre, Jīvananda 44 ) is Bṛhad-Yama III. 61. Two of the verses at the end of chap. V. are the same as Yāj. II. 17 and 23.

The numerous msṣ of Yama contain either one or other of the above three texts or different texts bearing on the same topicṣ For example, the Govt. Msṣ Collection at the Bhandarkar Institute, Noṣ 209-211 of A 1881-82 and No. 153 of 1895-1902 are the same as the Yamasmṛti in the Ānanda- śrama collectioṇ No. 401 of 1891-95 seems to be the same as Bṛhad-Yama in the Ānandāśrama collectioṇ But the I. O. Cat. No. 1334 p. 390 contains 37 ślokas, the last 20 of which are in the Indravajrā metre.

Viśvarūpa, Vijñāneśvara, Aparārka, the Smṛticandrikā and other later works quote over three hundred verses of Yama on all topics of dharmaśāstra including vyavahāra. This establishes that they had an extensive work of Yama before them from which it is probable that various abridgments corresponding with the printed works were made. Viśvarūpa quotes about ten verses of Yama on water as purifier (on Yāj. I, 187 ), on śrāddha ( on Yāj. I 225 and 252 ) and on prāya- ścitta for killing a cow ( on Yāj. III. 262 ). The identical verses are not found in the printed textṣ Some of the verses quoted from Yama in Aparārka and the Smṛticandrikā can be traced in the printed text. For example, Aparārka (p. 42) quotes a verse of Yama in which Yama himself is referred to as an authority.¹⁰ It occurs in Jīvānanda’s text ( verse 65 ). The two verses in Jīvānanda’s text ( verses 26, 28 ) that are identical with Manu are cited in the Smṛticandrikā as Yama’ṣ Aparārka p. 1135 quotes a prose passage of Yama, यमः- वृक्षलतागुल्मछेदनॆ वृद्धवृच्छकः फलवर्ती प्राजापत्यम् :- Two verses of Brhad-Yama ( III. 20–21 ) about the proper age of marriage in the case of girls are quoted as Yama’s in the Smṛti- candrikā.¹¹ In some of the verses quoted by Aparārka from Yama, the opinions of Manu are cited which can be identified with the views of the Manusmṛti. For example, according to Yama food polluted by the touch of hair, moths and insects, or seen by sinners and women in their courses is purified by water, holy ashes etc.¹² This refers to Manu V, 125. Similarly, the Smṛticandrikā quotes a verse of Yama which says that according to Manu those who administer poison, who are incendiaries and robbers and those guilty of homicide and abetment thereof should pay the extreme penalty of death.¹³ Aparārka (p. 988 on Yāj. III. 109 ) quotes five verses of Yama which refer to the 26 tattvas well-known in the Sāṅkhya system, regard Puruṣottama as a 26th tattva and propound that he who correctly understands the 25 tattvas, in whatever āśrama he may be, reaches the highest abode of Viṣṇu. Aparārka quotes a few prose passages from Yama on the garments to be worn by brahmacārins,¹⁴ on prāyaścitta for killing various kind of birds and insects, for cutting trees and bushes, for drinking wine, for stealing gold and for the other deadly sins etc.¹⁵

The Anuśāsanaparva of the Mahābhārata (Chap. 104 verse 72 ) states that those who are conversant with ancient times recited verses (gāthās) of Yama and then follow 84 verses which are more or less like verses found in several smṛtis e. g. the verse 'ūrdhvam prāṇā...pratipadyate' occurs as Anuśāsana 104. 64-65 ( and is Manu II, 120 ); so also 'Dūrādāvasathāṇ.dūre kāryam hitaiṣiṇā'. This is Anuśāsana 104. 82 (Manu IV. 151). The verse Ācārāllabhate hyāyur-ācāro hantyalakṣaṇam' ( Anu. 104. 155 ) occurs in Manu IV. 156. It is possible that the final redactor of the Mahābhārata had before him a Smṛti ascribed to Yama or it is likely that a few verses ascribed to Yama were first cited and the author of the Epic added a few more from other sourceṣ Yama is profusely quoted in the various Kāṇḍas of Kalpataru.

The Smṛticandrikā quotes a verse of Yama which speaks of the Sun being in the zodiacal sign Virgo.¹⁶

Yama required the king to look into the disputes of litigants carefully and impartially.¹⁷ Yama cites the authority of Manu for the proposition that everything brought about by coercion such as a gift or a deed was liable to be set aside.¹⁸ This is almost identical with Manu 8. 168. Yama lays down that a Brāhmaṇa was never to be awarded corporal punishment, but that a Brāhmaṇa guilty of crimes was to be imprisoned and made¹⁹ to work. Yama like Yāj. (II. 145), prescribed that the strīdhana of a woman married in the Āsura form went to her father²⁰ if she died childlesṣ Aparārka (p. 822) quotes two verses of Yama that prescribed the first ammercement for him who, though forbidden, wrongfully takes the water of a lake or disturbs a water-course and the highest ammercement for him who breaks a lake. Aparārka (p. 860) also cites Yama for the fine of five kṛṣṇalas in the case of adultery with another's wife of the same caste as that of the paramour and twelve paṇas in case the wife is of a lower caste. The Smṛticandrikā and the Vyavahāramayūkha on the other hand direct that the king should punish the Brāhmaṇa woman guilty of adultery with a Śūdra by throwing her to dogs and by forcible tonsure and riding on an ass in case of adultery with a Kṣatriya or Vaiśya. The Smṛticandrikā, Parāśara-Mādhavīya and Vyavahāramayūkha quote a verse of Yama about a debtor, who, being able to pay, does not want only pay, being punished by taking twice the amount. Yama remarks that the order of Saṁnyāsa is not allowed to women in the Vedas or in the śāstra²¹ (dharmaśāstra) and that her real dharma is to be the mother of children from one of her own caste.

Verses of Bṛhadyama are cited²² by the Mit. on Yāj. III. 255, 260, 289 and by Aparārka, who, on p. 496, quotes also from Laghuyama a verse and a half.

Yama is cited 46 times in the Kalpataru (Brahmacārī Kāṇḍa) and 13 times in the Mokṣakāṇḍa (in which it quotes 70 verses). In Brahmacārī° (pp. 23-24) it cites two verses of Yama in which the names of twenty Dharmaśāstrakāras are given including the name of Yama himself and it is added that they are extremely authoritative and should not be nullified (lit. killed) by mere ratiocination ( tānyevātipraṇītāni na hantavyāni hetubhiḥ ) we should read ‘atipramāṇāni for atipraṇītāni ). On pp. 243, 270 there are prose passages On p. 24, it quotes two Upajāti verseṣ In the Mokṣakāṇḍa Lakṣmīdhara quotes on pp. 101, 102 five verses of Yama which set out the eight prakṛtis of the Sānkhya system and the 16 vikṛtis thereof, the 25th tattva viz. ‘avyakta’ and adds Puruṣottama or Viṣṇu as the 26th ( pañcaviṁśakam- avyaktam ṣaḍviṁśaḥ puruṣottamaḥ । Pañcaviṁśatitattva- jño, Yāti Viṣṇoḥ param padam ॥ In Śrāddhakāṇḍa Lakṣmī- dhara quotes about 150 verses of Yama ( 17 on pp. 64–65 and 19 on pp. 82–83 ). Vyavahārakāṇḍa quotes about 47 verses of Yama.

सम्यग्यो रविवाशे च गृही जन्मदिने तथा । मूलपुत्रकलत्रार्थं न कुर्यात्तर्प-णम् ॥ अपरार्क p. 132; स्मृतिच० ( आह्निक p. 123 ) . ↩
नभोन्भसयोर्मध्ये नवौ सर्वा रजस्खलाः । तासु स्नानं न कुर्वति देवादिपितृ- तर्पणम् ॥ अपरार्क p. 235. ↩
स्थावरे विक्रयाधाने विभागे दान एव च । प्रतिग्रहे च कीर्त्ते च नालेख्यं लिखितेनामुयात् सिद्धिमविसंवादमेव च) . According to Vy. N. p. 88 the verse (sthāvare...kriyā) is one of Kātyāyana and it explains that the verse means ' यदिदं कात्यायनोयवचनं तत्त्र्वप्राधान्यपरं न त्वन्य- निवृत्तिपरम् ।'. ↩
अविज्ञातनिवेशत्वात् मूल्यं न लभ्यते । हानिस्तत्र समा कृत्वा क्रेतृनाहिक- योर्दृयोः ॥ अपरार्क p. 775, ↩
अथापि यमगीताश्लोकानुदाहरन्ति । स्मशानमेतत्तत्प्रत्यक्षं ये शूद्राः पापचारिणः । तस्माच्छूद्रसमीपे तु नाध्येतव्यं कदाचन ॥ न शद्राय मतिं दद्यान्नोच्छिष्टं न हविष्कृतम् । न चास्योपदिशेद्धर्मं न चास्य व्रतमादिशेत् ॥ यथास्योपदिशेद्धर्मं यथास्य व्रतमादिशेत् । सोऽसंयृतं तमो घोरं सह तेन प्रपद्यते ॥ वसिष्ठ 18. 13-15. The last two are almost the same as मनु IV. 80-81 and the first is a paraphrase of आप. श्रौ. ‘पशुषु वा एतच्छूशाने यच्छूद्रः । तस्माच्छूद्रसमीपे नाध्येतव्यम्’ . नाघदोपोऽसि राज्ञां वै व्रतिनां न च सत्रणाम् । ऐन्दस्थानमुपासीना ब्रह्मभूता हि ते सदा ॥ वसिष्ठ 19. 48 and मनु V. 93. ‘अथाप्युदाहरन्ति । अथ चेन्मन्त्रविद्युक्तः शारीरैः पङ्क्तिदूषणैः । अदुष्टयं तं यमः प्राह पङ्क्तिपावन एव सः । वसिष्ठ ॥ 11. 20; vide बृहद्यम 3. 41. धूर्त वा यदि वा तैलं विप्रो नाद्यान्नखशयुतम् । यमस्तदशुचिं प्राह तुल्यं गोमांसभक्षणेः ॥ वसिष्ठ 14. 30. ↩
a passage here stands at रेवाखण्डम् 228.8the Smṛtimuktāphalam quotes a passage here, printed 497 →
तित्तिरिरु च मयूरुं च लावकं च कपिञ्जलम् । वाद्रीणसं वर्तकं च मक्ष्यानाह यमः सताम् ॥ (सदा यमः V. 1.) अपराके p. 1167. ↩
ततो देवलकश्चैव भूतो वेदरिकर्षी । एते वर्ज्याः प्रयत्नेन एतद्रास्वलिरब्रवीत् ॥ Compare मनु 3. 180. ↩
रजनकर्मकारश्च नटो बुरुड एव च । कैवर्तमेदमिषाश्च ससेते अन्त्यजाः स्मृताः ॥ Jivananda verse 54, Ānandāśrama verse 33. ↩
स्वगोत्राद्‌भ्रश्यते नारी विवाहात्पसमे पदे । स्वामिगोत्रेण कर्तव्यास्तस्याः पिण्डोदकक्रियाः ॥ verse 78. ↩
the Smṛtimuktāphalam quotes a passage here, printed 610 →
अपः करनखस्पृष्टा य आचामति वै द्विजः । सुरां पिबति स व्यक्तं यमस्य वचनं यथा ॥ This is attributed to यम in the स्मृतिच० also. ↩
the Smṛtimuktāphalam quotes a passage here, printed 57 → crediting अत्रि
अष्टवर्षा भवेद्गौरी नववर्षा च रोहिणी । दशवर्षा भवेत्कन्या अत ऊर्ध्वं रजस्वला ॥ प्राप्ते द्वादशे वर्षे कन्यां यो न प्रयच्छति । मासि मासि रजस्वलाः पिता पिवति शोणितम् ॥ स्मृतिच० ( आह्निक p. 79 ). ↩
a passage here stands at नागरखण्डः 199.127the Smṛtimuktāphalam quotes a passage here, printed 552 → crediting आपस्तम्ब
अवभुक्तं केशपद्मकीटैरदक्यया वा पतितैश्च दृष्टम् । अलातभस्मम्बुहिरण्यमागेः संस्पृष्टमनंशुराद्रे भोज्यम् ॥ अपराक्रे p. 267. ↩
विषाग्निदायकाश्चा घातकाश्चोपघातकाः । स्वशरीरेण दण्ड्याः स्युर्मनुराद्द प्रजापतिः ॥ स्मृतिच० ; vide मनु. 9. 278. ↩
सर्वेषां रौरवाणशौचमापिण्डकानि सामयिकान्यार्द्रवस्त्रोत्तराणि न । अपराक्रे p. 58. ↩
Vide pp. 1130, 1135, 1218, 1222. ↩
हंसे वर्षायु कन्यास्थे &c. स्मृतिच ० ( p. 366 Gharpura ). ↩
राजा मन्त्रिसहायस्तु द्वयोर्विवदमानयोः। सम्यक्कार्यार्ण्यवेक्षेत् रागद्वेषविवर्जितः ॥ अपराकं p. 596. ↩
बलाद्दत्तं बलाद्भुक्तं बलाच्चापि लिखितम् । सर्वान् बलकृतानर्थान् निवत्र्यान्ाहु वै मनुः ॥ 636 स्मृतिच ० ( व्य. p. 130 ). ↩
न शारीरो ब्राह्मणस्य दण्डो भवति कर्हिचित् । क्षुत्ते तु बन्धने बद्ध्वा राजा भक्नं प्रदापयेत् ॥ ... यथापराधं विमे तु विक्रमर्णाण्यपि कारयेत् । अबध्या ब्राह्मणा गावो लोकेस्मिन् वैदिको श्रुतिः ॥ स्मृतिच ० ( व्य. p. 316 ). . ↩
आसुरादिषु यद् द्रव्यं विवाहेषु प्रदीयत । अप्रजायामतीतायां पितैव तु धनं हरेत् ॥ स्मृतिच० ( व्य. p. 286). Note अप्रजायामतीतायां which is the reading in विश्वरूप (p. 172 above). ↩
स्त्रियाः श्रुतौ वा शास्त्रे वा प्रव्रज्या न विद्यते । प्रजा हि तस्याः स्वो धर्मः सवर्णोदित धारणा ॥ स्मृतिच० ( व्य. p. 254). ↩
सयमाण्डस्थितं तोयं यदि कश्चित् पिबेद् द्विजः । कुशमूलविभक्तेन व्यहं क्षीरेण वर्तयेत् ॥ बृह्यम q. by मिता. on III. 255; vide अपरार्क p. 1074 who quotes बृहद्यम as सुराभाण्डस्थितं तोयं यदि कश्चित्पिबेद् द्विजः। स द्वादशाहं क्षीरेण पिबेद् ब्राह्मीं सुवर्चलाम् ॥ ↩

49. Marīci 51. Laugākshi