Yama and His Book of Accounts:

by Devdutt Pattanaik

According to the law of karma, every 'jiva' or soul is obliged to experience the reactions of all actions. Only actions remain in our control while the reactions are simply to be borne. How one handles those reactions is believed to be the real test of one's existence on earth according to Hindu mythology.

Desire and Destiny are the governing principles of the universe. What we desire, what we do to fulfill those desires and how we act upon our destinies—they all add up as credits and debits in our life's ledger, maintained by none other than Yama, the God of death. And he maintains this ledger for a to determine what happens to us after we die.

Read on as Devdutt Pattanaik unravels the various beliefs associated with death in Hindu mythology in Yama and His Book of Accounts.

Genres: Mythology, Hinduism, Nonfiction

68 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 10, 2018

About the author

Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik (born December 11, 1970) is an Indian physician turned leadership consultant, mythologist and author whose works focus largely on the areas of myth, mythology, and also management. He has written a number of books related to Hindu mythology, including Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology, a novel, The Pregnant King, and Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata (2010).
He is the Chief Belief Officer of Future Group, one of India’s largest retailers, bringing the wisdom of Indian mythology into Indian business, especifically in human resource management. He also writes a column for the newspaper MID DAY.
He has also written a novel based on a tale from the Mahabharata titled 'The Pregnant King' published by Penguin Books India

Reviews

[Udit Nair · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author manages to cover most of the beliefs regarding death in Hinduism. It is indeed a great read just for the sake of curiosity. The accuracy can be debated about since there are many versions of a belief in Hinduism and hence many interpretations. The book is short and sweet which kind of makes things perfect.

[Priyanka · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is well-written but does not seem to have a flow. Not sure what the author is trying to say about Yama and his Book of Accounts. The beginning explanation about Truth and Myth, Sat and Mithya is quite good. Rest, it is a good quick read. Was not aware that it is this small but happy to finish it.

[Pradosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gets over before it starts - won't even last an hour! Seriously!
And while the fables are nice to read, I WISH Devdutt would not spoil the stories by giving the moral/message of each story BEFORE the actual story 🤷

[Gooogleion · Rating 4 out of 5]

What one can always control is their actions. But we have this rebellion inside us that wants us to fight and hence we suffer. The memories we make are the leading cause for all of our pains. But it’s in our hands to create these memories.

[Radhakrishna Mishra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good one but too brief

The book is good but it's very brief. It would be better if the author comes up with a more elaborate version

[Sarthak Shrivastava · Rating 3 out of 5]

After all, it's a balance sheet!

[Shrey Jain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Book

Excellent explanation about the cycle of birt and rebirth, as well as about Yama and His Book of Accounts concept.

[Jehan Chawla · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was good and brief to the point. It was nice to read about hindu rituals we've seen often.
Interesting read.

[Salini · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very brief book, it was a good read but it would have been better if it was more detailed

[Niket Sheth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book with a very short description and terminologies from the Hindu mythology. A very high level birds eye view of Hindu traditions and beliefs.

[Aman Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read the Gita, that would be enough. :)
Worrying too much about the Karma, the effects and Yama will not give any benefit.

[Arjun · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Yama and His Book of Accounts" by Devdutt Pattanaik offers a fascinating exploration of the Hindu deity Yama and the concept of life's balance. Through insightful stories and interpretations, Pattanaik delves into the intricate relationship between life, death, and judgment. A thought-provoking read that deepens understanding of mythology and philosophy.

[Shivakukatla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and intresting one.