The Evolution of Yama According to the Classical Religious Texts

Mitra Ara

(San Francisco State University, USA)

Abstract: The Evolution of Yama According to the Classical Religious Texts, explores the role of Yama, as the god-king-hero with roots in Indo-European mythology, with a shared belief in the origin and the fate of humankind. Contextualizing and comparing overlapping features of Indian, Iranian, and Near Eastern mythology testify to the existence of a much earlier myth, affirming the ancient Yama as an important figure in the myth’s overall cross-cultural universality. In India, Yama is the king of the Golden Age during the first age of the creation, as both the spiritual and material leader. In Iran, he is the first king, founder of civilization, and educator of all people. He is referred to as the descendant of the first man. Similar to the biblical story of Adam, he is the progenitor of the human race, and his death marks the origin of death. He is referred to as a god, an immortal who is the first to die, the father of the human race, and the king of the dead. Taking these texts as a starting point, the commonalities among Yama and his ancient Near Eastern counterparts are brought to light.

Key words: Indo-Iranian, mythology, anthropology of religion, Vedas, Avesta, Yama, Yima