What Sort of Entities Become Yamadutas?

[bhaktashab]

Haribol,

I was just wondering if there are any statements in sastra to say what sort of conditioned souls become Yamadutas. Any information on them would be appreciated.

 

Thankyou.

 

------------------

shab.

[Tarun]

bhUtas, pretas, pizAcas, guhyakas, brahma-rAxasas...

Never saw it written, heard it through GRhastha Grapevine..

[theist]

LOL!!Good question.

 

Hell fire and damnation preachers who are also a little bit pious maybe?Just a guess.

 

I don't really know, but would like to. Where do I send my resume?

 

 

[abhi_the_great]

yamaraj@yamaloka.com

[Guest guest]

* Duty Bound Executioners with 100 years experience

* Corporate people good at pulling the strings with 50 years experience (to pull the ropes)

* Cowherd boys - not from Vrindavan. (to drive the ox).

* Practitioners of Pranic Healing - to pull the pranas tying the atma

* Surgeons

* Drivers in New York City

* People who want to fight with Vishnudhoothas and get defeated

 

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by ram (edited 05-27-2002).]

[theist]

Oh I am glad they have a web site abhi.I was nervous about a face to face interview.

[Guest guest]

Originally posted by theist:

Oh I am glad they have a web site abhi.I was nervous about a face to face interview.

I faced their interview many times over. Man, it is gruesome. I hope it does not happen again.

 

But you dont have a choice. They like to personally interview every one - even if you dont apply. Hard core "head hunters". Better prepare for it. I am planning to dress up my resume for that. Any good devotee around who can lend his resume ? I would like to copy some of the projects.

 

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by ram (edited 05-27-2002).]

[Avinash]

There will also be group discussion.

[Guest guest]

Originally posted by Avinash:

There will also be group discussion.

That is the easier part. The toughest part is the interview. You have to face it alone. Unlike Millionaire ahow or Kaun Banega Crorepathi, they dont allow you to ask a friend or audience. You have to go through it all alone.

 

 

[Avinash]

To

Sri Yamaraj,

Yamaloka.

 

<U>SUB: REQUEST FOR GRANTING THE JOB OF YAMADUTA</U>

 

Sir,

With respect I wish to state that I am interested in getting the job of an yamaduta in your esteemed organization.

I have absolutely no hesitation in torturing the sinners (except myself) by forcing them to be in different kinds of hells. In fact, on Earth, I have been making lives of many people as hell. I have been doing so since my birth. I do not remember anything from my previous life. But, I am pretty sure that even in my previous lives, I must have been giving hardships to all those who came in contact with me. So, I have many years of experience in this field. I have also done PhD in how to torture people. My papers have been published in leading journals the world over. Some of the ideas given in these papers are so gruesome that even you will be frightened to read those.

My resume is enclosed herewith. Please give me a chance to serve your prestigious organization.

 

Thanking you,

 

Yours sincerely,

Avinash

 

[This message has been edited by Avinash (edited 05-27-2002).]

[Tarun]

Only Ghosts Need Apply. All others have to take a number.

To approach Sun u must become like Sun => "fiery"

To approach subtler YamadUta birth u must 1st become subtler.

ZrIla ZrIdhardev stated "ghosts" to be higher human species.

Higher in the grosser to subtler aspect, higher than us.

YamadUta-seva is part of ghosts' gradual reformation.

[bhaktashab]

Originally posted by Tarun:

Only Ghosts Need Apply. All others have to take a number.

To approach Sun u must become like Sun => "fiery"

To approach subtler YamadUta birth u must 1st become subtler.

ZrIla ZrIdhardev stated "ghosts" to be higher human species.

Higher in the grosser to subtler aspect, higher than us.

YamadUta-seva is part of ghosts' gradual reformation.

Thanks Prabhu,

I think that is a valid inference. The other thing I was wondering is that Yamaraja's abode is described as very opulent in the Mahabharata. Are there more classifications of Yamadutas? I can't imagine Yamaraja surrounds himself with hideous ghosts. Is there any shastric evidence that clearly identifies the condition of Yamadutas?

 

------------------

shab.

[vsdprasad]

Originally posted by Avinash:

To

Sri Yamaraj,

Yamaloka.

 

<U>SUB: REQUEST FOR GRANTING THE JOB OF YAMADUTA</U>

 

Sir,

With respect I wish to state that I am interested in getting the job of an yamaduta in your esteemed organization.

I have absolutely no hesitation in torturing the sinners (except myself) by forcing them to be in different kinds of hells. In fact, on Earth, I have been making lives of many people as hell. I have been doing so since my birth. I do not remember anything from my previous life. But, I am pretty sure that even in my previous lives, I must have been giving hardships to all those who came in contact with me. So, I have many years of experience in this field. I have also done PhD in how to torture people. My papers have been published in leading journals the world over. Some of the ideas given in these papers are so gruesome that even you will be frightened to read those.

My resume is enclosed herewith. Please give me a chance to serve your prestigious organization.

 

Thanking you,

 

Yours sincerely,

Avinash

 

[This message has been edited by Avinash (edited 05-27-2002).]

-----------

 

Sometime ago my friends fwded this message while the news in the air was about sept11 attacks.

So, Avinash can have a better chance if he gets adm into a terror school. he shud get reco something like this :-

<font color="#800000">

 

To

Dear Osama,

 

I take great pleasure in recommending Mr VenkatKhan (venky) for admission into ur esteemed terrorist grad sch, Al Quedeera. I have knoem him right from childhood & taught him theory classes of neck throttling, silent murders, aircraft driving etc. Venky has participated in many communal riots, murders, border terrorist actv etc. He has lot of research skills in using his gun efficiently.

I still remember the day when Venky got up at 3 AM and took 2 AK39's and shot dead 4 inspectors, not to mention his success 'coz of his strong fundamental concetps in gun usage. His research abilities r commendable. He was once asked to crash a plane into a big tower & he shoot up with a parachute instead of commiting suicide.

Venky is luscivious, libidinious, skeptical, arrogant and lustful that adds to his character. He has participated in many smoking and drinking competitions and won

laurels to our group, AL jazeera. He has also done a project in killing a president with a embedded system of 2mm pistol.

 

Venky is an active member of the Al jazeera and gives international seminars on diligent terrorism. He has also submitted paper to the Al-ul-haq terrorist meet, on "militancy and terrorism". Seeing his motivation & commitment to the ISLAMIC group, I sincerely feel that Venky will turn into an desparado to ur sch & and come up with flying suicide

bombers.I strongly recommend his admission into ur graduate school with full financial support.

 

sincerely yours

Al-huq.

----

</font>

<u>And this was the reply from Al-Queda!!:</u>

<font color="#800000">

Dear applicant,

 

We are glad to recieve a request from u.

Its been ages since we joined such a violent rebel as u. As u have satisfied the basic requirements to join us, we r sending u the admission details.

 

U have to initially take the general test of

GRE (greatest ruthless expectent). The competition is high for admission into our school and u shud obtain fairly high scores to get admission into this school. If ur native language is not urdu then u'll have to take TOUNL(test of urdu as a native language)OR TOANL(test of arabic as a native language)and score a minimum of 299/300.

 

U'll have to submit transcripts from all the terror schools previously attended. As we have already recieved ur reco....please send ur SOP giving details about why u wish to enroll in our prestigious institution.

 

The application packet maybe sent to the following address,from where there is free delivery to our place:

 

The White House,

Washington DC,

USA

 

we look forward to ur enthusiasm and help u reach ur career terroristic goals.

regards,

 

hail Osama!!!

 

signed(------)

director ,

admission of bakras,

kandahar.

 

</font>

----

 

GoodLuck

 

-Prasad

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by vsdprasad (edited 05-29-2002).]

[bhaktashab]

Ok,

Maybe Jahnava Nitai dasa can field this question in Tattva Prakasha?

 

Any possibility of this?

 

------------------

shab.

[bhaktajoy]

SB 5.26.6 - Yama

 

yatra ha vava bhagavan pitr-rajo vaivasvatah sva-visayam prapitesu sva-purusairjantusu samparetesu yatha-karmavadyam dosam evanullanghita-bhagavac-chasanah sagano damam dharayati.

 

yatra - where; ha vava - indeed; bhagavan - the most powerful; pitr-rajah - Yamaraja, the king of the pitas; vaivasvatah - the son of the sun-god; sva-visayam - his own kingdom; prapitesu - when caused to reach; sva-purusaih - by his own messengers; jantusu - the human beings; samparetesu - dead; yatha-karma-avadyam - according to how much they have violated the rules and regulations of conditional life; dosam - the fault; eva - certainly; anullanghita-bhagavat-sasanah - who never oversteps the Supreme Personality of Godhead's order; saganah - along with his followers; damam - punishment; dharayati - executes.

 

"The King of the pitas is Yamaraja, the very powerful son of the sun-god. He resides in Pitrloka with his personal assistants and, while abiding by the rules and regulations set down by the Supreme Lord, has his agents, the Yamadutas, bring all the sinful men to him immediately upon their death. After bringing them within his jurisdiction, he properly judges them according to their specific sinful activities and sends them to one of the many hellish planets for suitable punishments."

 

Quote from Hindu Dictionary by Manurishi Foundation

 

Yama - Restrainer. Pluto, etc. In the Vedas Yama is god of the dead, with whom the spirits of the departed dwell. He was the son of Vivasvat (the Sun) and had a twin-sister named Yami or Yamuna. These are by some looked upon as the first human pair, the originators of the race; and there is a remarkable hymn, in the form of a dialogue, in which the female urges their cohabitation for the purpose of perpetuating the species. Another hymn says that Yama "was the first of men that died, and the first that departed to the (celestial) world." It was Yama who found the way to the home which cannot be taken away. "Those who are now born follow) by their own paths to the place where our ancient fathers have departed.But," says Muir, "Yama is nowhere represented in the Rigveda as having anything to do with the punishment of the wicked." So far as is yet known, "the hymn of that Veda contain no prominent mention of any such penal retribution... Yama is still to some extent an object of terror. He is represented as having two insatiable dogs with four eyes and wide nostrils, which guard the road to his abode, and which the departed are advised to hurry past with all possible speed. These dogs are said to wander about among men as his messengers, no doubt for the purpose of summoning them to their master, who is in another place identified with death, and is described as sending a bird as the herald of doom." In the epic poems Yama is the son of the Sun by Sanjna (conscience) and brother of Vaivasvata (Manu). He was the father of Yudhishthira. He is the god of departed spirits and judge of the dead. A soul when it quits its mortal form goes to his abode in the lower regions; there the recorder, Citragupta, reads out his account from the great register called Agrasandhani, and a just sentence follows, when the soul either ascends to the abodes of the Pitris (Manes), or is sent to one of the twenty-one hells according to its guilt, or it is born again on earth in another form. Yama is regent of the south quarter, and as such is called Dakshinashapati. He is represented as having a green color and clothed with red. He rides upon a buffalo, and is armed with a ponderous mace and a noose to secure his victims. In the Puranas a legend is told of Yama having lifted his foot to kick Chaya, the handmaid of his father. She cursed him to have his leg affected with sores and worms, but his father gave him a cock which picked off the worms and cured the discharge. Through this incident he is called Shirnapada, "Shrivelled foot." Yama had several wives, as Hemamala, Sushila, and Vijaya. He dwells in the lower world, in his city Yamapura. There, in his palace called Kalichi, he sits upon his throne of judgment, Vicharabhu. He is assisted by his recorder and councillor, Citragupta, and waited upon by his two chief attendants and custodians, Canda or Mahacanda, and Kalapurusha. His messengers, Yamadutas, bring in the souls of the dead, and the door of his judgment-hall is kept by his porter, Vaidhyata. Yama has many names descriptive of his office. He is Mrityu, Kala, and Antaka, "death"; Kritanta, "the finisher"; Shamana "the settler"; Dandi or Dandadhara, "the rod-bearer"; Bhimashasana, "of terrible decrees"; Pashi, "the noose-carrier"; Pitripati, "lord of the manes"; Pretaraja, "king of the ghosts"; Shraddhadeva, "god of the exequial offerings"; and especially Dharmaraja, "king of justice." He is Audumbara, from Udumbara, "the fig-tree," and from his parentage he is Vaivasvata. There is a Dharmashastra which bears the name of Yama.

 

<font color=red face=verdana size=4>How to become a Yamaduta</font>

 

"Those who have passed several years in the dreadful hell and have no descendants (to offer gifts) in their favor become messengers of Yama." (Garuda Purana 2.18.34)

 

<font color=red face=verdana size=4>Avoiding Yamaraja: Ajamila's story</font>

 

Ajamila's story is given in the Bhagavata Purana (Astama Skandha, Chapter 1) as an example to illustrate that even the most wicked person can attain Visnupada (salvation).

 

Ajamila was a brahmana who was once sent by his father to the jungle to fetch samit (leaves and twigs to make the sacrificial fire). Ajamila met there a beautiful sudra woman. Forgetting everything, the brahmana made her his wife and children were born to them. When that brahmana, who was the very embodiment of all vices, reached the age of eighty-seven, the time came for him to die. Yamadutas (agents of Yama, the god of death) had arrived. The frightened Ajamila shouted loudly the name of his eldest son, "Narayana". Hearing the repeated call of his name "Narayana", servants of Visnu appeared there and dismissed the agents of Yama. From that day Ajamila became a devotee of Visnu and did penance on the bank of the Ganges and after some years attained salvation.

 

Ajamila was saved from hell because he chanted "Narayana" as the Yamadutas approached him. Afterwards Yamaraja forbade his servants from touching devotees who "even if by mistake or because of bewilderment or illusion... sometimes commit sinful acts," because "they are protected from sinful reactions because they always chant the Hare Krsna mantra."

 

Yamaraja then told the Yamadutas:

 

"Paramahamsas are exalted persons who have no taste for material enjoyment and who drink the honey of the Lord's lotus feet. My dear servants, bring to me for punishment only persons who are averse to the taste of that honey, who do not associate with paramahamsas and who are attached to family life and worldly enjoyment, which form the path to hell.

 

"My dear servants, please bring to me only those sinful persons who do not use their tongues to chant the holy name and qualities of Krsna, whose hearts do not remember the lotus feet of Krsna even once, and whose heads do not bow down even once before Lord Krsna. Send me those who do not perform their duties toward Visnu, which are the only duties in human life. Please bring me all such fools and rascals."

 

<font color=red face=verdana size=4>They came in through the open window!</font>

 

By Tribhuvannatha Das

 

A devotee named Jeremy was with us on our Festival 98' tour of East & Central Africa. Jeremy is more of a congregational member of ISKCON and is just starting to understand the commitment that there is in Krsna Consciousness. He caught malaria and had to come back early.

 

Upon his return I spoke to him on the phone. I mentioned how he should be careful not to fall down from the process of KC. Two weeks later he was back to his 'old ways' but still a devotee - not as strict as before though.

 

He'd been out with his girlfriend, and while admiring some waterfalls in the mountains of Wicklow, Ireland, he slipped and fell 60 ft down the side of the mountain - lucky for him he chanted at the top of his voice Krsna! Krsna! as he went tumbling down the side of the mountain, the bushes slowed his pace, but then over the edge... another 160 ft sheer drop to death! He screamed "Krsna" and suddenly he stopped... 'smack' he had landed on the only rock jutting out from the side of the mountain. He was damaged - broken pelvis, leg, etc. but still alive.

 

The rock had an unusual inward curve, just the right size to cushion his body. If it had been a normal rock he would have simply bounced off it, to his death!

 

The rescue team said that they could not believe his fortune. Ten others before him had fallen from the same spot, nine died, one crippled. Then in hospital (where he is making a full recovery) in comes Michael who has just fallen off a crane. His head hit a steel girder on the way down (his luck was he had a hard hat on), the whole top of his head, peeled like an orange. Miraculously his heavy coat had got caught on the way down and saved his life.

 

He came over to see Jerry - by this time in his life he has gone from been one of the most debauched personality to almost a saint, even setting up his own alter at the hospital!

 

He had heard that Jerry was a 'Hare Krsna' and was intrigued to meet him. After some conversation Jerry complained about the 'nightmares' he was getting.

 

"Nightmares!" says Michael. "I was attacked by five horrible-looking monsters that came in through the window. They said they had come to get me." (While in intensive care Michael was 'dead' three times, in the same night). He described them in detail. He was so frightened at their appearance that he threw a chair at the window, four nurses had to restrain him! They had come to get him, he even mentioned that one appeared to have a rope.

 

"They came back again, and said they were coming to get me very soon. "Was it just a nightmare?" asked Jerry. "No!" said Michael, "these guys were as real as you or me... These guys were very real!"

 

<font color=red face=verdana size=4>Encounter with Yamadutas</font>

 

By Vaidyanatha Das

 

One day a very freakish artist came to old "steel wagon" Sochi temple with Sri Isopanisad in his hand and told devotees his story:

 

"I was looking for you, people, for three days and I am unbelievably glad I have finally found you. One day I bought this book (he couldn't even name its name and author, Srila Prabhupada, but only stammered something) and tried to read it. But it was very difficult to understand, so many strange words. Therefore I put it on the shelf and cared no more about it. I was drinking lot of alcohol. One day while lying drunk in my bed I heard strange voices nearby. It was something absolutely new. I was looking for the source and saw two persons indistinctly. They were speaking about me - about my life and how sinful it was. They were recounting all my sins in great detail which I even didn't remember and also a few good things. Finally they came to conclusion: "He must go to hell!" I was screaming in protest: "I don't want to hell and don't know what is going on at all." But anyway, at once one of them put a stringent rope on my neck. I tried to get rid of it and run away but to no avail - the rope was very tight. I was almost finished but suddenly a cover picture of this book (Sri Isopanisad with Lord Kesava and Sesa Naga) appeared before my eyes. It was actually not picture but reality. The snake was moving and out of sudden a flame emanated from his many mouths. Totally bewildered about it I asked those persons - what does it all mean? They answered: "This is just the hell where you are going to go." But all of sudden everything disappeared and I awoke in my bed, completely shocked. Immediately I stopped drinking and smoking and tried to find you, devotees, to find explanation about all of this. I beg on my knees, let me stay here somewhere!"

 

(This story refutes the scientists' theory that one's NDE is influenced by his/her cultural background - Easterners are supposed to have different experiences than Westerners. There are more stories of Westerners who "met" the servants of lord of death, Yamaraja.)

 

<font color=red face=verdana size=4>Encounter in a Dream</font>

 

"Before I joined the temple I have been reading Prabhupada's books like anything - sometimes for hours a day - and I developed a deep appreciation for them. At that time I still lived in my rented flat whose owner was one woman living together with her daughter. This girl was a heavy drug addict and often when she had nightmares her screams would wake me up. One night I was awaken by her particularly horrible screaming. I looked at my watch - it was 0:30 AM. Knowing that this time is notorious for its inauspiciousness I was a bit afraid and confused. But then I fell asleep again and in my dream I saw coming to me a strange figure looking like a devil - dark, with big ears and carrying a stick or something similar in its hand. It was looking at me and laughing, "Oh, you read these books! Ho, ho, ho!" and pointed at my Bhagavatam lying beside my bed on a table. At once I realized that I cannot do anything but if Krsna is in the hearts of all the living beings He can protect me. Thus I got a feeling of security. At that moment the dream stopped and I slept peacefully for the rest of the night. This incident even deepened my faith in Prabhupada's books."

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by bhaktajoy (edited 05-28-2002).]

[mahak]

Yamadhutas are very fortunate to be faithful servants of Dharma, and their glorious path is assured by rendering service to the great Vaisnava Lord Yama.

[gHari]

Jihadists after they've deflowered their alloted virgins.

 

What kind of idiot sees heaven as full of virgins to deflower, anyway? Sorry, I just don't buy it - whether I knew anything about Krsna or not, I wouldn't believe it. I sure hope the yamadutas do a real number on such idiots.

[bhaktashab]

Thanks Bhaktajoy

 

------------------

shab.

[Gauracandra]

If you ever see the movie Hellraiser I am 98% positive the writer and director stole the idea from Hinduism esp. about Yamadutas. The movie itself is actually quite philosophical if you can get around the gore. It shows the reactions one must face for causing pain to others, as well as how we are tempted by nothing more than a layer of skin that covers up our muscles and blood etc.... Not for the squeemish, but can be interesting.

[Guest guest]

Has anyone seen the movie "Ghost" with Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. There were Yamadutta like beings portrayed in the movie.

[Guest guest]

Yama is also part of Naryana in which role He ends the physical life of the soul and takes it to another physical existence based on the karma of that soul.

In thousand names of Mahavishnu in Vishnu Sahasranama chanted by Beeshmaacharya and authorised by Shree Krishna it comes. this is from Scripture.

From my personal understanding, I guess While Vishnu doothas are beautiful devotees who surrendered themesleves and sent by Lord to bring His surrendered devotee soul, and yamadoothas (they also must be devotee and thats why they get the opportunity to work for Lord) are sent primarily in ugly form to terrorise the soul that did so much of atrocities during its life time. (Sorry If my explanation is not acceptable, yet I still wanted to beleive my own thoughts, since I never wanted to see yama doothas but see Vishnu doothas during my departure for which my thought keeps me surrendered to Krishna all the time and keeps me humble all the times)