The Hymn of Eight Verses to Yama

Verse 1 (devibhagavatam.9.31.1)

श्रीनारायण उवाच । शक्तेरुत्कीर्तनं श्रुत्वा सावित्री यमवक्त्रतः । साश्रुनेत्रा सपुलका यमं पुनरुवाच सा

śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca | śakterutkīrtanaṁ śrutvā sāvitrī yamavaktrataḥ | sāśrunetrā sapulakā yamaṁ punaruvāca sā

Sri Narayana said: Having heard the glorification of Shakti from Yama's own mouth, Savitri, her eyes filled with tears and her body thrilling with joy, spoke again to Yama.

Verse 2 (devibhagavatam.9.31.2)

सावित्र्युवाच । शक्तेरुत्कीर्तनं धर्म सकलोद्धारकारणम् । श्रोतॄणां चैव वक्तॄणां जन्ममृत्युजराहरम्

sāvitryuvāca | śakterutkīrtanaṁ dharma sakaloddhārakāraṇam | śrotṝṇāṁ caiva vaktṝṇāṁ janmamṛtyujarāharam

Savitri said: O Dharma, the glorification of Shakti is the very cause of universal deliverance; it removes birth, death, and old age for both those who hear it and those who speak it.

Verse 3 (devibhagavatam.9.31.3)

दानवानां च सिद्धानां तपसां च परं पदम् । योगानां चैव वेदानां कीर्तनं सेवनं विभो

dānavānāṁ ca siddhānāṁ tapasāṁ ca paraṁ padam | yogānāṁ caiva vedānāṁ kīrtanaṁ sevanaṁ vibho

O Lord, this glorification and service of hers is the supreme goal of Danavas and Siddhas, of austerities, of yogas, and of the Vedas.

Verse 4 (devibhagavatam.9.31.4)

मुक्तित्वममरत्वं च सर्वसिद्धित्वमेव च । श्रीशक्तिसेवकस्यैव कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम्

muktitvamamaratvaṁ ca sarvasiddhitvameva ca | śrīśaktisevakasyaiva kalāṁ nārhanti ṣoḍaśīm

Liberation, immortality, and the attainment of every siddhi — none of these equal even a sixteenth part of what belongs to the servant of Shri Shakti.

Verse 5 (devibhagavatam.9.31.5)

भजामि केन विधिना वद वेदविदांवर । शुभकर्मविपाकं च श्रुतं नॄणां मनोहरम्

bhajāmi kena vidhinā vada vedavidāṁvara | śubhakarmavipākaṁ ca śrutaṁ nṝṇāṁ manoharam

By what method should I worship her? Tell me, O foremost among the knowers of the Veda. I have heard of the ripening of good karma for men, and it is delightful.

Verse 6 (devibhagavatam.9.31.6)

कर्माशुभविपाकं च तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि । इत्युक्त्वा च सती ब्रह्मन् भक्तिनम्रात्मकन्धरा

karmāśubhavipākaṁ ca tanme vyākhyātumarhasi | ityuktvā ca satī brahman bhaktinamrātmakandharā

"Please now explain to me the ripening of evil karma as well." Having said this, O Brahman, the virtuous woman, her neck bowed low in devotion,

Verse 7 (devibhagavatam.9.31.7)

तुष्टाव धर्मराजं च वेदोक्तेन स्तवेन च । सावित्र्युवाच । तपसा धर्ममाराध्य पुष्करे भास्करः पुरा

tuṣṭāva dharmarājaṁ ca vedoktena stavena ca | sāvitryuvāca | tapasā dharmamārādhya puṣkare bhāskaraḥ purā

— praised Dharmaraja with a hymn declared in the Veda. Savitri said: Having worshipped Dharma with austerity, of old, at Pushkara, the Sun —

Verse 8 (devibhagavatam.9.31.8)

धर्मं सूर्यः सुतं प्राप धर्मराजं नमाम्यहम् । समता सर्वभूतेषु यस्य सर्वस्य साक्षिणः

dharmaṁ sūryaḥ sutaṁ prāpa dharmarājaṁ namāmyaham | samatā sarvabhūteṣu yasya sarvasya sākṣiṇaḥ

— obtained Dharma as his son. I bow to Dharmaraja, whose impartiality toward all beings makes him the witness of everything.

Verse 9 (devibhagavatam.9.31.9)

अतो यन्नाम शमनमिति तं प्रणमाम्यहम् । येनान्तश्च कृतो विश्वे सर्वेषां जीविनां परम्

ato yannāma śamanamiti taṁ praṇamāmyaham | yenāntaśca kṛto viśve sarveṣāṁ jīvināṁ param

Therefore I bow to him whose Name is Shamana, the "Pacifier"; by whom, in this world, an end is ultimately brought for all living beings.

Verse 10 (devibhagavatam.9.31.10)

कामानुरूपं कालेन तं कृतान्तं नमाम्यहम् । बिभर्ति दण्डं दण्डाय पापिनां शुद्धिहेतवे

kāmānurūpaṁ kālena taṁ kṛtāntaṁ namāmyaham | bibharti daṇḍaṁ daṇḍāya pāpināṁ śuddhihetave

I bow to him called Kritanta, "the Ender," who acts in due time; who bears the rod of punishment for the purification of sinners.

Verse 11 (devibhagavatam.9.31.11)

नमामि तं दण्डधरं यः शास्ता सर्वजीविनाम् । विश्वं च कलयत्येव यः सर्वेषु च सन्ततम्

namāmi taṁ daṇḍadharaṁ yaḥ śāstā sarvajīvinām | viśvaṁ ca kalayatyeva yaḥ sarveṣu ca santatam

I bow to that Wielder of the Rod, who is the disciplinarian of all living beings; who continually reckons the whole universe, and who dwells within all.

Verse 12 (devibhagavatam.9.31.12)

अतीव दुर्निवार्यं च तं कालं प्रणमाम्यहम् । तपस्वी ब्रह्मनिष्ठो यः संयमी सञ्जितेन्द्रियः

atīva durnivāryaṁ ca taṁ kālaṁ praṇamāmyaham | tapasvī brahmaniṣṭho yaḥ saṁyamī sañjitendriyaḥ

I bow to that Kala, Time itself, who is exceedingly irresistible; who is an ascetic, devoted to Brahman, self-restrained, and of thoroughly mastered senses.

Verse 13 (devibhagavatam.9.31.13)

जीवानां कर्मफलदस्तं यमं प्रणमाम्यहम् । स्वात्मारामश्च सर्वज्ञो मित्रं पुण्यकृतां भवेत्

jīvānāṁ karmaphaladastaṁ yamaṁ praṇamāmyaham | svātmārāmaśca sarvajño mitraṁ puṇyakṛtāṁ bhavet

I bow to that Yama, who gives to living beings the fruit of their karma; who delights in his own Self, is all-knowing, and becomes a friend to those who perform meritorious deeds.

Verse 14 (devibhagavatam.9.31.14)

पापिनां क्लेशदो यस्तं पुण्यमित्रं नमाम्यहम् । यज्जन्म ब्रह्मणोंऽशेन ज्वलन्तं ब्रह्मतेजसा

pāpināṁ kleśado yastaṁ puṇyamitraṁ namāmyaham | yajjanma brahmaṇoṁ'śena jvalantaṁ brahmatejasā

I bow to him who brings suffering upon sinners, that friend of the virtuous; whose birth came from a portion of Brahma, blazing with the radiance of Brahman.

Verse 15 (devibhagavatam.9.31.15)

यो ध्यायति परं ब्रह्म तमीशं प्रणमाम्यहम् । इत्युक्त्वा सा च सावित्री प्रणनाम यमं मुने

yo dhyāyati paraṁ brahma tamīśaṁ praṇamāmyaham | ityuktvā sā ca sāvitrī praṇanāma yamaṁ mune

"I bow to that Lord who meditates upon the Supreme Brahman." Having said this, O sage, Savitri bowed to Yama.

Verse 16 (devibhagavatam.9.31.16)

यमस्तां शक्तिभजनं कर्मपाकमुवाच ह । इदं यमाष्टकं नित्यं प्रातरुत्थाय यः पठेत्

yamastāṁ śaktibhajanaṁ karmapākamuvāca ha | idaṁ yamāṣṭakaṁ nityaṁ prātarutthāya yaḥ paṭhet

Yama then spoke to her of the worship of Shakti and of the ripening of karma. Whoever recites this Yamashtaka daily, upon rising in the morning —

Verse 17 (devibhagavatam.9.31.17)

यमात्तस्य भयं नास्ति सर्वपापात्प्रमुच्यते । महापापी यदि पठेन्नित्यं भक्तिसमन्वितः । यमः करोति संशुद्धं कायव्यूहेन निश्चितम्

yamāttasya bhayaṁ nāsti sarvapāpātpramucyate | mahāpāpī yadi paṭhennityaṁ bhaktisamanvitaḥ | yamaḥ karoti saṁśuddhaṁ kāyavyūhena niścitam

— has no fear of Yama and is freed from all sin. Even if a great sinner recites it daily with devotion, Yama surely purifies him thoroughly through the successive arrangement of the body.