The following English lines (7 to 15) in praise to Yama Dharmaraja, the Hindu god of death, are from Devi Bhagavatam (9-31). The goddess Savitri asked many questions about the paths taken by the jivas (souls) after death and Yama Raja answered them in detail. In his response, Yama Dharmaraja describes the glory of Devi. The goddess Savitri was very satisfied with the answers given by the god of death, and in these verses she praised him with gratitude. The last verse says that those who recite verses every morning will be free from sins and the fear of death.
Prayer by Goddess Savithri Lyrics in English:
srinarayana uvaca –
sakterutkirtanam srutva savitri yamavaktratah ।
sasrunetra sapulaka yamam punaruvaca sa ॥ 1॥
savitryuvaca –
sakterutkirtanam dharma sakaloddharakaranam ।
srotṝnam caiva vaktṝnam janmamrtyujaraharam ॥ 2॥
danavanam ca siddhanam tapasam ca param padam ।
yoganam caiva vedanam kirtanam sevanam vibho ॥ 3॥
muktitvamamaratvam ca sarvasiddhitvameva ca ।
srisaktisevakasyaiva kalam narhanti soḍasim ॥ 4॥
bhajami kena vidhina vada vedavidamvara ।
subhakarmavipakam ca srutam nṝnam manoharam ॥ 5॥
karmasubhavipakam ca tanme vyakhyatumarhasi ।
ityuktva ca sati brahman bhaktinamratmakandhara ॥ 6॥
tustava dharmarajam ca vedoktena stavena ca ।
(atha yamastakam ।)
savitryuvaca –
tapasa dharmamaradhya puskare bhaskarah pura ॥ 7॥
dharmam suryah sutam prapa dharmarajam namamyaham ।
samata sarvabhutesu yasya sarvasya saksinah ॥ 8॥
ato yannama samanamiti tam pranamamyaham ।
yenantasca krto visve sarvesam jivinam param ॥ 9॥
kamanurupam kalena tam krtantam namamyaham ।
bibharti danḍam danḍaya papinam suddhihetave ॥ 10॥
namami tam danḍadharam yah sasta sarvajivinam ।
visvam ca kalayatyeva yah sarvesu ca santatam ॥ 11॥
ativa durnivaryam ca tam kalam pranamamyaham ।
tapasvi brahmanistho yah samyami sañjitendriyah ॥ 12॥
jivanam karmaphaladastam yamam pranamamyaham ।
svatmaramasca sarvajño mitram punyakrtam bhavet ॥ 13॥
papinam klesado yastam punyamitram namamyaham ।
yajjanma brahmanom’sena jvalantam brahmatejasa ॥ 14॥
yo dhyayati param brahma tamisam pranamamyaham ।
ityuktva sa ca savitri prananama yamam mune ॥ 15॥
(phalasrutih ।)
yamastam saktibhajanam karmapakamuvaca ha ।
idam yamastakam nityam pratarutthaya yah pathet ॥ 16॥
yamattasya bhayam nasti sarvapapatpramucyate ।
mahapapi yadi pathennityam bhaktisamanvitah ।
yamah karoti samsuddham kayavyuhena niscitam ॥ 17॥
iti srimaddevibhagavate mahapurane’stadasasahasryam samhitayam
navamaskandhe yamastakavarnanam namekatriso’dhyayah ॥ 31॥
