Thread by @DefiledGod

Everyone knows Brahma and Shiva are great gods. But Yama is only next to them in greatness of knowledge. As a dedication to Lord Yama, here is a translation of the beautiful yamāṣtaka by Savitri from brahmavaivarta purāṇa. Translation done in a hurry, so excuse errors if any.+

harērutkīrtanaṃ dharma svakulōddhārakāraṇam| śrōtlṇāṃ caiva vaktlṇāṃ janmamṛtyujarāharam

[Savitri: Yama, who are Dharma personified! Praise of Hari, speaking about his stories or listening to them, result in purification of one's lineage. It removes birth & death.]+

dānānāṃ ca vratānāṃ ca siddhīnāṃ tapasāṃ param| yōgānāṃ caiva vēdānāṃ sēvanaṃ kīrtanaṃ harēḥ||

[Higher than charity, vows, sacrifices, penances, meditation, study of the Vedas is the praise of Lord Hari]+

muktatvamamaratvaṃ ca sarvasiddhitvamēva vā| śrīkṛṣṇasēvanasyaiva kalāṃ nārhanti ṣōḍaśīm

[Bliss of individual self gained by freedom from distress of prakrti, devatva & yoga-siddhi is not equal to 1/16th part of services to Lord of Sri who sports in bliss of creation]+

bhajāmi kēna vidhinā śrīkṛṣṇaṃ prakṛtēḥ param| mūḍhāṃ māmabalāṃ tāta vada vēdavidāṃ vara

[Lord who knows the Veda! Please tell me about method for worship of that Lord of Sri w/ a blackish complexion. To me who am ignorant & without eligibility as I am a woman]+

ityuktvā sā satī brahman bhaktinamrātmakandharā| tuṣṭāva dharmarājaṃ ca vēdōktēna stavēna ca|

[Thus speaking, that noble woman Savitri bowed down her head in devotion to Dharmarāja and offered praise to him]+

Note: Actual stuti begins from here onwards.

tapasā dharmamārādhya puṣkarē bhāskaraḥ purā| dharmāṃśaṃ yaṃ sutaṃ prāpa dharmarājaṃ namāmyaham|

[Long ago, Sūrya went to Puṣkara Kshetra & meditated on Lord Nārāyaṇa called “dharma” as he is the means. He got a son who is an amśa of Nārāyaṇa, called dharmarāja.]+

samatā sarvabhūtēṣu yasya sarvasya sākṣiṇaḥ| atō yannāma śamanamiti taṃ praṇamāmyaham|

[Lord Yama has impartiality towards all beings despite dispensing punishment and he sees the merits and demerits of all (thus reckons their punishments).....]

[...He is thus known as “Saman” or one who calms the minds of all by his instructions on Hari. I bow to him]

The idea is, as he knows the natures of all, and is impartial, he is an ideal one to be resorted to for knowledge.+

yēnāntaśca kṛtō viśvē sarvēṣāṃ jīvināṃ param| karmānurūpakālēna taṃ kṛtāntaṃ namāmyaham||

[He who ends lives of beings in the world by his assistant Mrityu, He who by virtue of measuring punishments acc to karmas, brings their sinful actions to an end, I worship him.]+

bibharti daṇḍaṃ daṇḍyāya pāpināṃ śuddhihētavē| namāmi taṃ daṇḍadharaṃ yaḥ śāstā sarvakarmaṇām

[He bears the rod of authority (to dole out punishments) & is the rod of chastisement for sinners as a means to purify them....]+

[... I worship he who sustains “daṇḍa” (daṇḍadharaṃ) which is the administration of rules of dharma, the Ruler of all beings whose actions are sinful.]+

viśvē ca kalayatyēva sarvāyuścāpi santatam| atīva durnivāryaṃ ca taṃ kālaṃ praṇamāmyaham||

[He who measures actions of all beings in the Universe (as sinful or not) & their lives (by his assistant Mrtiyu), who is irresistible for sinnes, I bow down to that Lord of Death]+

tapasvī vaiṣṇavō dharmī yaḥ saṃyamī vijitēndriyaḥ| jīvināṃ karmaphaladaṃ taṃ yamaṃ praṇamāmyaham||13||

[He (ie, Nārāyaṇa) provides fruits of actions for those doing austerities to attain svarga etc (tapasvī), those meditating on Viṣṇu (Vaiṣṇava)...]+

[...those doing karma yoga to realize the self (dharmī), jnāna-yogīs with controlled internal senses & organs to meditate on the self (saṃyamī vijitēndriyaḥ). I bow down to the controller of all (Yama), who gives the fruits of actions to the bound selves.]+

That shloka superimposed qualities of Brahman (Nārāyaṇa) on Yama as it talked about mokshaphala as well. The brahma sūtra brahmadhrṣtiutkarṣāt says that any pure object can be meditated as a symbol of Brahman by superimposing qualities on it.+

If you are wondering how a woman can meditate in such manner as she lacks eligibility, ans is she is not doing that meditation but merely showing Yama can be meditated as a symbol. Next shloka states he can be meditated as Brahman since he is pure, on account of being a devotee+

svātmārāmaśca sarvajñō mitraṃ puṇyakṛtāṃ bhavēt| pāpināṃ klēśadō yasya puṇyaṃ mitraṃ namāmyaham

[The one who is contented in experience of his own self that is Nārāyaṇa, cognizant of all dharmās, an ally to all as he advises them on Brahman, who does pure acts...]+

[...I bow to that Lord whose friend or well-wisher (in the form of giving approval for action) is Nārāyaṇa called “puṇya”, giving anguish to sinners.]+

yajjanma brahmaṇō vaṃśē jvalantaṃ brahmatējasā| yō dhyāyati paraṃ brahma brahmavaṃśaṃ namāmyaham||

[I bow down to He who is in the lineage of brahmā, full of the radiance arising from knowledge of the Vedas...]

[...who is always meditating on Nārāyaṇa (param brahma), who is aiding the Universe by his acts (brahmavaṃśaṃ)]

Note: brahmavaṃśa – “van” root – sambhaktau – to aid, “brahma” – the Universe.+

ityuktvā sā ca sāvitrī praṇanāma yamaṃ munē| yamastāṃ viṣṇubhajanaṃ karmapākamuvāca ha||

[Thus speaking, Savitri bowed in reverence to Yama, upon her praise of Viṣṇu (as Yama’s innerself) which is a fruit of her actions dedicated to the Lord….]

Thus ends the stuti.+

Small dedication to the Lord of Death, who gives knowledge of Hari, instructed Nachiketa, Savitri and Mudgala and who is also recognized by the Azhwars as a knower of Brahman.//