Yama Ashtakam is a divine stotra that depicts the nature and resemblance of the Lord of Death, the Yama. Yama is the God of death, sins, and freedom. The other name of Yama is Yamaraja.
Yama is the son of Surya. Yama is the Lord who takes away the “prana” or life force of any creature in this world at the time of death. Perhaps, Yama is the most feared deity in the Hindu culture.
It has been told in the last verse that those who recite the verses of Yama Ashtakam daily in the morning will be free from sins and also from fear of death.
Yama Ashtakam Text
||यमाष्टकम् ||
तपसा धर्ममाराध्य पुष्करे भास्करः पुरा |
धर्मं सूर्यः सुतं प्राप धर्मराजं नमाम्यहम् ||१||
Tapasā dharmamārādhya puṣkarē bhāskaraḥ purā |
dharmaṁ sūryaḥ sutaṁ prāpa dharmarājaṁ namāmyaham ||1||
In the olden times Sun God got Yamuna and Dharma Raja as children,
And the Son who is the follower of Dharma, was named as king of dharma.
समता सर्वभूतेषु यस्य सर्वस्य साक्षिणः |
अतो यन्नाम शमनं इति तं प्रणमाम्यहम् ||२||
Samatā sarvabhūtēṣu yasya sarvasya sākṣiṇaḥ |
atō yannāma śamanaṁ iti taṁ praṇamāmyaham ||2||
He treated every living being as equal and is the witness of everything,
And thus he was equal to his name and I salute him.
येनान्तश्च कृतो विश्वे सर्वेषां जीविनां परम् |
कर्मानुरूपं कालेन तं कृतान्तं नमाम्यहम् ||३||
yenaantashch krto vishve sarveshaan jeevinaan param |
karmaanuroopan kaalen tan krtaantan namaamyaham ||3||
He made all beings of the world die ,
At the proper time and I salute him who puts an end.
भिभर्ति दण्डं दण्डाय पापिनां शुद्धिहेतवे |
नमामि तं दण्डधरं यश्शास्ता सर्वजीविनाम् ||४||
bhibharti dandan dandaay paapinaan shuddhihetave |
namaami tan dandadharan yashshaasta sarvajeevinaam ||4||
He gave punishment using his scepter to the sinners to make them pure,
I salute he who holds the scepter, who is the teacher of all duties.
विश्वं च कलयत्येव यस्सर्वेषु च सन्ततम् |
अतीव दुर्निवार्यं च तं कालं प्रणमाम्यहम् ||५||
Viśvaṁ ca kalayatyēva yas'sarvēṣu ca santatam |
atīva durnivāryaṁ ca taṁ kālaṁ praṇamāmyaham ||5||
Since he was swallowing the world and he always takes away all souls,
At highly exceptional circumstances and I salute that Kala.
तपस्वी ब्रह्मनिष्टो यः सम्यमी सन् जितेन्द्रियः |
जीवानां कर्मफलदः तं यमं प्रणमाम्यहम् ||६||
tapasvee brahmanishto yah samyamee san jitendriyah |
jeevaanaan karmaphaladah tan yaman pranamaamyaham ||6||
An ascetic following the Vaishnava Dharma, one who has won over his senses,
And one who awards the results of Karma to beings is Yama and I salute him.
स्वात्मारमश्च सर्वज्ञो मित्रं पुण्यकृतां भवेत् |
पापिनां क्लेशदो नित्यं पुण्यमित्रं नमाम्यहम् ||७||
Svātmāramaśca sarvajñō mitraṁ puṇyakr̥tāṁ bhavēt |
pāpināṁ klēśadō nityaṁ puṇyamitraṁ namāmyaham ||7||
Rejoicing in his own self, one who knows all, one who is a friend of those who do good deeds,
And one who troubles sinners is the son of Sun God and I salute him.
यज्जन्म ब्रह्मणोंशेन ज्वलन्तं ब्रह्मतेजसा |
यो ध्यायति परं ब्रह्म तमीशं प्रणमाम्यहम् ||८||
Yajjanma brahmaṇōnśēna jvalantaṁ brahmatējasā |
yō dhyāyati paraṁ brahma tamīśaṁ praṇamāmyaham ||8||
He took birth in the clan of Brahma and shined with effulgence of Brahmana,
And he meditates on the divine Brahmam, and I salute the clan of Brahma.
यमाष्टकमिदं नित्यं प्रातरुत्ताय यः पटेत् |
यमात् तस्य भयं नास्ति सर्वपापात् विमुच्यते ||९||
yamaashtakamidan nityan praataruttaay yah patet |
yamaat tasy bhayan naasti sarvapaapaat vimuchyate ||9||
Oh sage after saying this Savithri saluted that Yama,
And Yama heard her praise of Lord Vishnu due to her ripening of her Karma.
If this octet on Yama is read daily as soon as one gets up in the morning,
He will have no fear of Yama and would get rid of all his sins.
Oh Narada, if a great sinner reads it daily with devotion,
Yama will make him pure from at the time of his soul seperatring from body.
श्रीव्यास जी कहते हैं- इस पवित्र यमाष्टक को जो पढ़ता या सुनता है, वह सब पापों से मुक्त हो विष्णुलोक चला जाता है। भगवान् विष्णु की भक्ति को बढ़ाने वाला यमराज का यह उत्तम वचन मैंने इस समय तुमसे कहा है।
इस यमाष्टक का नित्य पूजन में भक्तिमय पाठ करने से मनुष्य यमपाश से मुक्त होकर भगवान् विष्णु की विशेष कृपा प्राप्त करता है। वैष्णव पद्धति द्वारा दीक्षित होकर विशेष संख्या में यमाष्टक पाठ करने से मनुष्य महान संकट से छूटकर परमसौभाग्य प्राप्त करता है।
