THE YAMA SABHA

SRIMAD MAHABHARATA - SABHA PARVA - LOKAPALA SABHAKHAYANA (UPA) PARVA - CHAPTER 8 - THE YAMA SABHA

“Narada said, ‘O Yudhishthira, I shall now describe the Sabha of Yama, the son of Vivaswat (Lord Surya), which, O Paartha (Yudhishthira), was built by Vishwakarma. Listen now to me. O monarch, bright as burnished gold, that Sabha covers an area of much more than a hundred yojanas. Possessed of the splendour of the Sun, it yields everything that one may desire. Neither very cool nor very hot, it delights the heart. In that Sabha, there is neither grief nor weakness of age, neither hunger nor thirst. Nothing disagreeable finds a place there, nor any kind of evil feelings there. Every object of desire, divine or human, is to be found in that Sabha. All kinds of enjoyable articles, as also of sweet, juicy, agreeable, and delicious edibles in abundance that are licked, sucked, and drunk, are there, O chastiser of all enemies (Yudhishthira).

“The floral arrangements in that Sabha are of the most delicious fragrance, and the trees that stand around it yield fruits that are desired of them. There are both cold and hot waters and these are sweet and agreeable. O child (Yudhishthira), in that Sabha, many Raja Rishis of great sanctity and Brahma Rishis also of great purity, cheerfully wait upon and worship Yama, the 

son of Vivaswat.

“Yayaati, Nahusha, Pooru, Mandhaataa, Somakaa, Nriga; the Raja Rishi Trasadasyu, Kritaveerya, Srutasravaa; Arishtanemi, Siddha, Kritavega, Kriti, Nimi, Pratarddana, Shibi, Matsya, Prithvaksha, Brihadratha, Yedaa, Marutta, Kushika, Saankaashya, Saankriti, Dhruva, Chaturashwa, Sadashwormi and king Kaartaveerya; Bharata, Suratha, Suneethaa, Naishadhaa, Nala, Divodaasa, Sumanaa, Ambareesha, Bhagiratha; Vyashwa, Sadashwa, Vadhryashwa, Panchahasta, Prithushrava, Rushadgu, Vrushasenaa, Kshupa, Sumahaabala; Rushadashwa, Vasumanaa, Purukutsaa, Dhwajee and Rathee; Arshtisena, Dwilipa, and the high-souled Ushinara; Ausheenara, Pundarika, Sharyaati, Sharabha, and Shuchi; Anga, Rishta, Vena, Dushmanta, Srinjaya and Jaya; Bhaangaaswari, Suneetha, Nishadaa, Tvisheeratha; Karandhamaa, Baahlika, Sudymna, and the mighty Madhu; Aila and the mighty king of earth Maruta; Kapotaroma, Trinaka, Sahadeva, and Arjuna also. Vysawa; Sashwa and Krishashwa, and king Sashavindu; Rama – the son of Dasharatha, Lakshmana, and Pratarddana; Alarka, Kakshasena, Gayaa, and Gaurashwa; (Parashu) Rama – the son of Jamadagnya, Naabhaaga, and Sagaraa; Bhooridyumna, Mahashwa, Prithvashwa, and also Janaka; King Vainyaa, Vaarishena, Purujaa, and Janamejaya; Brahmadatta, Trigarta, and king Uparichara also; Indradyumna, Bhimajaanu, prishta, Nayonaga; Padma, Muchukunda, Bhooridyumna, Prasenajit; Aristanemi, Pradymna, Prithugashwa, and Ajaka also; a hundred kings of the Matsya race and hundred of the Neepa and a hundred of the Haya races; a hundred kings of the name of Dhritarashtra, eighty kings of the name of Janamejaya; a hundred monarchs called Brahmadatta, and a hundred kings of the name of Vairinaa; more than two hundred Bhishmas, and also a hundred Bhimas; that king of kings Shantanu, and your father Paandu, Ushadgava, Shataratha, Devaraja, Jayadratha; the intelligent Raja Rishi Vrishaadarbha with his ministers; and a thousand other kings known by the name of Sashabindu, and who have died, having performed many grand Ashwamedha (yagna) with large Dakshina to Brahmanas – these holy Raja Rishis of grand achievements and great knowledge of the Shaastraas, wait upon, O King (Yudhishthira), and worship the son of Vivaswat (Yama) in that Sabha.

“Agastya, Matanga, Kaalaa, and Mrityu (Death), performers of yagnas, Siddhaas, and many Yogins; Agnishvaattaa Pitrus, Fenapaa Pitrus, Ushmapaa Pitrus, Swadhaavantaa Pitrus, and Barhishadaa Pitrus, as also those others that have forms; the wheel of time (Kaala Chaakram in Sanskrit), and the illustrious conveyer himself of the yagna butter; all sinners among human beings, as also those that have died during Dakshinaayana; these officers of Yama who have been appointed to count the allotted (mortal) days of everybody and everything; the Simshapa, Paalaashaa, Kaashaa, and Kushaa trees and plants, in their embodied forms; these all, O king (Yudhishthira), wait upon and worship the Dharmadeva (Yama) in that Sabha of his.

“These and many others are present at the Sabha of the king of the Pitris (Yama). So numerous are they that I am incapable of describing them either by mentioning their names or actions. O Paartha (Yudhishthira), the delightful Sabha, moving everywhere at the will of its owner, is of wide extent. It was built by Vishwakarma after a long course of severe Tapas. O Bharata (Yudhishthira), glowing with his own extreme brightness, it stands glorified in all its beauty. Sannyasis of severe Tapas, of excellent Vrata, of truthful speech, peaceful and pure and purified by holy activities, of shining bodies and dressed in spotless garments, decked with bracelets and floral garlands, with ear-rings of brightened gold, and adorned with their own holy acts as with the marks of their order (painted over their bodies), constantly visit that Sabha.

“Many illustrious Gandharvas, and many Apsaras fill every part of that Sabha with music; both instrumental and vocal and with sounds of laughter and dance. O Paartha (Yudhishthira), excellent perfumes, sweet sounds and garlands of divine flowers always contribute towards making that Sabha supremely blessed. Hundreds of thousands of persons of Dharma, of divine beauty and great wisdom, always wait upon and worship the illustrious Yama, the lord of created beings in that Sabha. Such, O monarch (Yudhishthira), is the Sabha, of the illustrious king of the Pitris! I shall now describe to the Sabha of Varuna also called Pushkaramaalini!’”