Yama Dwitiya Vrat Katha

Rishi Valakhilya spoke - "The Dwitiya of Kartik Shukla Paksha is called Yama Dwitiya. On the holy occasion of Yama Dwitiya, one should worship Yama Deva in the evening. There is an ancient story that once upon a time, Shri Yamuna Maharani used to pray to Yama Deva daily saying - 'O brother! Please come to my house for a meal along with all your dear friends.' Yamaraj too would tell her - 'I will come tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. I am extremely busy with work, hence I don't get time off.'

O Rishis! One day Devi Yamuna insistently invited Yama Deva. Upon Yamuna's invitation, Yama Deva reached her house to have a meal on the Dwitiya of Kartik Shukla Paksha. Yama Deva released all living beings from his Yamapasha (Noose of Yama) and arrived at Yamuna's house along with his dear attendants. Yamuna warmly welcomed and served Yama with love and prepared various kinds of dishes and delicacies. Yamuna anointed Yama with fragrant oils, thereafter applied paste (ubtan), etc., and bathed him with clean water. After the bath, she provided Yama with various beautiful clothes, ornaments, sandalwood, garlands, etc. Decorating golden plates with many kinds of savory dishes, she fed Yamaraj with great joy. After the meal, Yamaraj also worshiped Devi Yamuna with various kinds of clothes and ornaments.

Thereafter, Yama Deva said to his sister Devi Yamuna - 'O sister! Ask for whatever wish you have.' Hearing Yama's words, Yamuna said - 'You should come to my house for a meal every year on this day, and for those sinners who have eaten from their sister's hand on this day like you, you should always keep those sinners free from your noose, and whoever eats from their sister's hand in this way, you should always provide them with happiness and prosperity; I only ask for this boon from you.'

Hearing this, Yama Deva said - 'O daughter of the Sun! Those who will perform bath, Tarpana (libations), etc. in you and have a meal and perform worship at the sister's house, those people will never even see the gate of Yamaloka. There is a Yamathirtha in the Ishani direction of Viresh Mahadev, by bathing in it and performing Tarpana for ancestors and deities according to rituals, a person should chant the following names with a refined and focused mind in a steady posture before the Sun at noon -

Yama, Nihanta, Pitraraj, Dharmaraj, Vaivasvat, Dandadhar, Kaal, Bhutadhipa, Dattakritanusari, and Kritant. Thereafter, one should go to the sister's house and the sister too should feed the brother with respect and wish that - 'O brother! I am your younger sister, please accept this holy food for the pleasure of Yama Deva and Yamuna Ji.' Thereafter, satisfy the sister with clothes and ornaments. A person who does this does not see Yamaloka even in a dream. On this day, Kings should also send all the prisoners who are in the dungeon to their sisters' houses for a meal. On this day, I will also release sinners from hell, and whichever kings or emperors imprison someone on this day will surely be worthy of my punishment.

If there is no younger sister, one should go to the house of the Elder Sister to have a meal; if there is no elder sister either, one should go to his Mother's Sister (Mausi); if perchance even she is not there, then one should go to the house of any of the Uncles (Paternal or Maternal) and have a meal from the sister's hand. If none of these are there, one should go to the house of the Maternal Aunt's daughter; otherwise, one should have a meal from the hand of the Maternal Uncle's daughter. If even this is not possible, there must surely be a sister of the Gotra (clan), etc. If even no relative is there, one should have a meal at the house of a sworn or adopted sister. If these also are not possible, then considering a Cow, River, etc., as a sister, one should have a meal near them. If even these are not obtained, then consider a Vanika i.e., a garden as his sister.

O Devi! On the day of Yama Dwitiya, one should never have a meal at one's own house. Those wicked people who have a meal at their own house on the day of Yama Dwitiya fall into hell. On this day, one should consume nourishing items only from the sister's hand with love. On this day, sisters should be given special donations; on the Dwitiya of Shravan, one should have a meal from the hand of the Paternal Uncle's daughter.

On the Dwitiya of Bhadrapada, from the hand of the Maternal Uncle's daughter, and on the Dwitiya of Ashwin, one should have a meal from the hand of the Maternal Aunt's daughter or Paternal Aunt's daughter. But on Kartik Shukla Dwitiya, one must surely have a meal from the hand of one's own sister.' Thus, after describing the glory of Yama Dwitiya, Dharmaraj Yama Deva departed to his city called Sayamani."

Rishi Valakhilya says - "O Munishwars who observe the Kartik fast! Reach the sister's house on the day of Yama Dwitiya and have a meal from her hand. Do not doubt what has been said; this is the ultimate truth. Lord Surya has even gone so far as to say that - 'The person who does not have a meal from the sister's hand on the day of Yama Dwitiya, all his meritorious deeds performed throughout the year are destroyed. Any woman who feeds her brother at her house on the day of Yama Dwitiya and offers him betel leaf never becomes a widow, nor does the lifespan of her brother diminish. On the day when the Dwitiya Tithi lasts until the afternoon (Aparahna Kaal), on that day only the brother should be fed. If due to ignorance, delusion, living in a foreign country, or being imprisoned, someone has not had a meal from the sister's hand, then by listening to the story of Yama Dwitiya, he can obtain the fruit of having a meal from the sister's hand.' Thus, the story of Yama Dwitiya described in Sanatkumara Samhita is completed."

॥ Thus ends the Yama Dwitiya Vrat Katha ॥