About this stotra
The Yama Ashtakam is an eight-verse hymn addressed to Yama, the Lord of Death and Divine Justice, found in the ninth book of the Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa. The hymn is spoken by Sāvitrī, the legendary princess who famously won back her husband Satyavān from Yama's grasp through her devotion and wisdom. In these verses, she honors Yama through his various names and attributes — as Dharmarāja (King of Righteousness), son of Sūrya born through the Sun's worship of Dharma at Puṣkara; as Śamana (the Tranquil One) who witnesses all beings with perfect equanimity; and as Kṛtānta (the Ender) who brings all creatures to their appointed end in accordance with their karmas.
The hymn presents Yama not as a figure to be feared, but as the impartial upholder of cosmic order whose judgments are rooted in dharma itself. Each verse offers salutation to a different aspect of his nature, building a portrait of the deity as both stern and ultimately just. Devotees recite this aṣṭakam to cultivate right conduct and to seek Yama's grace for a peaceful transition at life's end.
Regular recitation with devotion is said to purify even grave sins, with Yama himself ensuring the devotee's spiritual refinement.
सावित्र्युवाच ।
तपसा धर्ममाराध्य पुष्करे भास्करः पुरा ।
धर्मं सूर्यःसुतं प्राप धर्मराजं नमाम्यहम् ॥ 1 ॥
sāvitryuvācha ।
tapasā dharmamārādhya puṣkarē bhāskaraḥ purā ।
dharmaṃ sūryaḥsutaṃ prāpa dharmarājaṃ namāmyaham ॥ 1 ॥
Sāvitrī said: Long ago, the Sun — through austerity (tapas), having worshipped Dharma at Puṣkara — obtained Dharma as his son, the Dharmarāja. I bow to that Dharmarāja.
समता सर्वभूतेषु यस्य सर्वस्य साक्षिणः ।
अतो यन्नाम शमनमिति तं प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥ 2 ॥
samatā sarvabhūtēṣu yasya sarvasya sākṣiṇaḥ ।
atō yannāma śamanamiti taṃ praṇamāmyaham ॥ 2 ॥
He who is equanimous toward all beings, who is the witness of all — hence his name is Śamana (the pacifier/equalizer). I bow to that Yama, whose very name means Śamana (peace, equanimity).
येनान्तश्च कृतो विश्वे सर्वेषां जीविनां परम् ।
कामानुरूपं कालेन तं कृतान्तं नमाम्यहम् ॥ 3 ॥
yēnāntaścha kṛtō viśvē sarvēṣāṃ jīvināṃ param ।
kāmānurūpaṃ kālēna taṃ kṛtāntaṃ namāmyaham ॥ 3 ॥
He who has made an end (anta) for all living beings in the world — according to their desires, in due time — that Kṛtānta (the one who brings the end determined by karma) I bow to.
बिभर्ति दण्डं दण्डाय पापिनां शुद्धिहेतवे ।
नमामि तं दण्डधरं यः शास्ता सर्वजीविनाम् ॥ 4 ॥
bibharti daṇḍaṃ daṇḍāya pāpināṃ śuddhihētavē ।
namāmi taṃ daṇḍadharaṃ yaḥ śāstā sarvajīvinām ॥ 4 ॥
He who bears the staff (daṇḍa) as a punishment for sinners and for their purification — I bow to that Daṇḍadhara (staff-bearer), who is the ruler of all living beings.
विश्वं च कलयत्येव यः सर्वेषु च सन्ततम् ।
अतीव दुर्निवार्यं च तं कालं प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥ 5 ॥
viśvaṃ cha kalayatyēva yaḥ sarvēṣu cha santatam ।
atīva durnivāryaṃ cha taṃ kālaṃ praṇamāmyaham ॥ 5 ॥
He who gathers and measures all beings continuously in everything — and whose [coming] is extremely difficult to prevent — I bow to that Kāla (Time/Death).
तपस्वी ब्रह्मनिष्ठो यः संयमी सञ्जितेन्द्रियः ।
जीवानां कर्मफलदस्तं यमं प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥ 6 ॥
tapasvī brahmaniṣṭhō yaḥ saṃyamī sañjitēndriyaḥ ।
jīvānāṃ karmaphaladastaṃ yamaṃ praṇamāmyaham ॥ 6 ॥
Who is an ascetic, established in Brahman, self-controlled, with conquered senses — who gives to living beings the fruits of their karma — I bow to that Yama.
स्वात्मारामश्च सर्वज्ञो मित्रं पुण्यकृतां भवेत् ।
पापिनां क्लेशदो यस्तं पुण्यमित्रं नमाम्यहम् ॥ 7 ॥
svātmārāmaścha sarvajñō mitraṃ puṇyakṛtāṃ bhavēt ।
pāpināṃ klēśadō yastaṃ puṇyamitraṃ namāmyaham ॥ 7 ॥
He who is self-delighting (ātmārāma), all-knowing, a friend to those who have performed good deeds — who is a source of affliction to sinners — I bow to that Puṇyamitra (friend of the righteous).
यज्जन्म ब्रह्मणोंऽशेन ज्वलन्तं ब्रह्मतेजसा ।
यो ध्यायति परं ब्रह्म तमीशं प्रणमाम्यहम् ॥ 8 ॥
yajjanma brahmaṇōṃ'śēna jvalantaṃ brahmatējasā ।
yō dhyāyati paraṃ brahma tamīśaṃ praṇamāmyaham ॥ 8 ॥
He whose birth is from a portion of Brahmā — blazing with Brahmic splendor — who meditates on the supreme Brahman — I bow to that Lord (Īśa).
इत्युक्त्वा सा च सावित्री प्रणनाम यमं मुने ।
यमस्तां शक्तिभजनं कर्मपाकमुवाच ह ॥ 9 ॥
ityuktvā sā cha sāvitrī praṇanāma yamaṃ munē ।
yamastāṃ śaktibhajanaṃ karmapākamuvācha ha ॥ 9 ॥
Having said this, Sāvitrī bowed to Yama, O sage. Then Yama spoke to her — she who was devoted to power (śakti-bhajana) — about the ripening of karma.
इदं यमष्टकं नित्यं प्रातरुत्थाय यः पठेत् ।
यमात्तस्य भयं नास्ति सर्वपापात्प्रमुच्यते ॥ 10 ॥
idaṃ yamaṣṭakaṃ nityaṃ prātarutthāya yaḥ paṭhēt ।
yamāttasya bhayaṃ nāsti sarvapāpātpramuchyatē ॥ 10 ॥
Whoever rises in the morning and recites this Yamaṣṭaka — has no fear from Yama, and is freed from all sins.
महापापी यदि पठेन्नित्यं भक्तिसमन्वितः ।
यमः करोति संशुद्धं कायव्यूहेन निश्चितम् ॥ 11 ॥
mahāpāpī yadi paṭhēnnityaṃ bhaktisamanvitaḥ ।
yamaḥ karōti saṃśuddhaṃ kāyavyūhēna niśchitam ॥ 11 ॥
Even a great sinner, if he recites this daily with devotion — Yama surely makes him completely purified through the cycle of bodies (kāya-vyūha).
इति श्रीमद्देवीभागवते महापुराणे नवमस्कन्धे एकत्रिंशोऽध्यायः ।
iti śrīmaddēvībhāgavatē mahāpurāṇē navamaskandhē ēkatriṃśō'dhyāyaḥ ।
Thus [ends] the thirty-first chapter of the ninth skandha of the great Purāṇa — the Śrī Devī Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa.