Myths featuring Yama

Mulian, a devoted disciple of the Buddha, uses his supernatural powers to locate his deceased mother in the underworld. To his horror, he finds her reborn as a hungry ghost, unable to eat or drink due to her past misdeeds. Following the Buddha's guidance, Mulian performs a great act of merit that establishes the Ullambana Festival, ultimately securing his mother's release from suffering.

Savitri, a princess of the Madra Kingdom, marries the exiled prince Satyavan despite a prophecy that he will die within a year. When Yama, the god of death, comes to claim Satyavan's soul, Savitri relentlessly follows him through the wilderness and the underworld. Through her wisdom, devotion, and clever use of boons, she eventually outwits the god of death to restore her husband's life and...

The sage Markandeya was destined to die at the age of sixteen, but his unwavering devotion to Lord Shiva led him to seek refuge at a sacred lingam in Thirukadaiyur. When Yama, the God of Death, arrived to claim his soul and cast his noose around both the boy and the lingam, Shiva erupted from the stone in his wrathful form as Kalantaka. Shiva defeated Yama to protect his devotee, granting...