In some legends, Yama was the first man, and the first man to die. He is the Lord of the Dead and judges souls, sending them to paradise, one of the many hells, or back to Earth to be reincarnated. Though he has assistants, he sometimes goes to collect souls himself; he uses his mace to beat them down, and his noose/lasso to capture them and haul them down to his palace.
He rides a buffalo, has green or dark skin and is sometimes depicted with two arms, sometimes with four.
While originally Yama was regarded as fairly benevolent, later in the mythology he was seen as a much more sinister and fearsome destroyer.
Yama is also time and justice, because of the inevitable nature of death and his role as judge.
He has a sister, Yami, who among other roles is also the godess of death, especially the protector of female souls.
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