Vedic Mythology c9.s4.8

c9.s4.8

Death is the path of Yama (1, 38⁵) and once (1, 165⁴; cp. MS. 2, 5⁶; AV. 6, 28³¹. 93¹) he appears to be identified with death (*mṛtyu*)¹¹. Yama’s foot-fetter (*paḍbīśa*) is spoken of as parallel to the bond of Varuṇa¹² (10, 97¹⁶). Owing to such traits and also to his messengers, Yama must to a certain extent have been an object of fear in the RV. But in the AV. and the later mythology Yama, being more closely associated with the terrors of death, came to be the god of death (though even in the Epic his sphere is by no means limited to hell)¹³. In the later Saṃhitās Yama is mentioned beside Antaka, the Ender, Mṛtyu, Death (VS. 39, 13), and Nirṛti, Decease (AV. 6, 29³; MS. 2, 5⁶), and Mṛtyu is his messenger (AV. 5, 30¹²; 18, 2²⁷, &c.). In the AV. Death is said to be the lord of men, Yama of the Manes (AV. 5, 24¹³⁻⁴), and Sleep comes from Yama’s realm (19, 56¹ &c.).