ID: 901000885 Page link: http://vocab.getty.edu/page/ia/901000885	Record Type: Character/Person

	Yama (Hindu-Buddhist deity)

Note: In the mythology of India, the god of the dead. The Vedas describe him as the first man who died, blazing the path of mortality down which all humans have since followed. He is the guardian of the south (the region of death) and presides over the resting place of the dead, which is located under the earth. In the Vedas, Yama was represented as a cheerful king of the departed ancestors, not as a punisher of sins, but in later mythology he became known as the just judge (Dharmaraja) who weighs the good and evil deeds of the dead and determines retribution. He is described as majestic in appearance, green or black, with red eyes and red garments. He carries a noose and a mace, which may be ornamented with a skull, and rides a buffalo. His two four-eyed dogs guard the entrance to his kingdom, and the crow and the pigeon act as his messengers. Yama has also passed over into Buddhist mythology in Tibet, China, and Japan, where he occupies a similar but minor role as the guardian of the abode of the dead.

Names:

	Yama (Hindu-Buddhist deity) (preferred,English-P,D,N)
	Gśin-rje (Hindu-Buddhist deity) (undetermined,U,N)
	Yamarāja (Hindu-Buddhist deity) (undetermined,U,N)
	Imra (Hindu-Buddhist deity) (undetermined,U,N)

Hierarchical Position:

		Legend, Religion, Mythology (P)
		....<Hindu iconography> (P)
		........<Hindu characters> (P)
		............Yama (Hindu-Buddhist deity) (I)

Related Iconography:

	consort/spouse of .... Chamunda
	..........(Legend, Religion, Mythology, Hindu iconography, Hindu characters, Chamunda (Hindu deity)) [901000868]

	child of .... Surya
	..........(Legend, Religion, Mythology, Hindu iconography, Hindu characters, Surya (Hindu deity)) [901000883]

Other Relationships:

	role/characteristic is .... deity
	.....(people in religion, people in religion and related occupations, people in the humanities, people by occupation, people (agents), People (hierarchy name)) (AAT)

	culture/religion is .... Hindu-Buddhism
	.....(religions (belief systems, cultures), religions and religious concepts, Associated Concepts (hierarchy name)) (AAT)

	originated in .... India
	.....(Asia) (TGN)

	deity of .... death
	.....(personal life events, events (activities), Events (hierarchy name)) (AAT)

Sources:

	Yama (Hindu-Buddhist deity)
	................Encyclopedia Britannica Online (2002-)
	................Library of Congress Authorities online (2002-) sh 85148946
	................Metropolitan Museum of Art [online] (2001-) http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/61718
	................British Museum [online] (1999-)
	Gśin-rje (Hindu-Buddhist deity)
	................Library of Congress Authorities online (2002-)
	Yamarāja (Hindu-Buddhist deity)
	................Encyclopedia Britannica Online (2002-)
	Imra (Hindu-Buddhist deity)
	................Encyclopedia Britannica Online (2002-)

Iconography Record Sources:

	................ Library of Congress Authorities online (2002-) sh 85148946
	................ Encyclopedia Britannica Online (2002-) "Yama," accessed 17 June 2017
	................ Metropolitan Museum of Art [online] (2001-) http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/61718