The First to Die and Lord of the Realm of the Dead in Hinduism
In Hindu tradition, Yama is held to be the first mortal to experience death, and thereby the lord of the realm of the dead, judging the good and evil of departed souls. This figure, entering China with Buddhism, fused with local underworld beliefs to become "King Yama," a household underworld judge in East Asian popular faith, his image and role considerably localized from the Hindu original.
Hindu tradition holds that Yama was the first to die, and so opened the road to the world of the dead; thereafter all who die follow that road, and Yama, for this "pioneering" experience, was given the office of judging the souls who came after.
Entering China with Buddhism, Yama fused with local underworld beliefs to become "King Yama," a household underworld judge in East Asian popular faith, his image and role considerably localized from the Hindu original — a typical case of the cross-cultural spread and localization of religious faith.
Below are how modern works borrow or reinterpret this name or story — not the original material. The two differ, so keep them apart.
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