Inseparable from her twin sister Ganga in ancient art, goddess Yamuna is often found standing beside or rather behind the divine “Ganga Maa” when it comes to popular depictions and worship. In the culture of India, however, she has an equally significant space, since the Vedic period.
Worshiped as a sacred, purifying mother-goddess, Yamuna has an interesting presence in history, one that needs to be explored in order to understand the sanctity of this stream, materializing as daughter, sister, beloved, and mother in Hindu culture.
The Vedic texts mention Yamuna along with Ganga and other rivers as sacred geographical features. In the Rig Veda, the historic battle of Ten Kings was fought on the banks of the Yamuna River. Various Vedic rituals and sacrifices were conducted on the side of Yamuna, by kings like Ambarisha and Shantanu and sages like Agastya.
The Puranas elaborate upon the story of Yamuna, giving her an illustrious family tree. She is the daughter of the Sun god- Surya and his wife Sanjana and the twin sister of Yama, the god of death. In the Puranas, especially the Bhagavata Purana, several stories of the river goddess are narrated.
One of these legends tells us that the divine Saptarishi or seven sages performed various rituals and Tapasya, in order to bring the heavenly Yamuna to the earth in the form of a sanctifying river. As a result of their devotion, the goddess came into the human realm and went on to become a benevolent mother goddess.
Two images of Ganga and Yamuna have been found from the gateways and temple doorways since the ancient period. Towering divine goddesses, each stood in a graceful pose on their mounts, carrying a spot of their water. Yamuna in art is traditionally shown as a dark-skinned goddess, adorned with exquisite ornaments and garments on her mount- a black turtle, or “krishnakacchapa”.
In later depictions, especially in Rajput paintings that were inspired by devotional poetry and Puranas, Yamuna is shown as a mirror of Krishna’s beauty, blue-skinned and wearing ornaments and garments similar to Sri Hari, who is the river goddess’s beloved and Lord.
The dark color of Yamuna as she flows from the mountains to the plains is a visible feature. As discussed above, many believe it to be an expression of her bond with Krishna. An alternate belief also tells that when Sati self-immolated and Shiva was overwhelmed with rage and pain, he entered the water of Yamuna with the body of his beloved Sati, turning the water of the river dark.
Kalindi River Yamuna on her Vehicle Turtle | Anuj Shastrakar
Ancient Hindu sanctums, following the Vaastu and architectural traditions, had the river-goddesses, Ganga and Yamuna, flanking the doorway that led to the sanctum sanctorum. The wisdom of the ancient sages tells us that the icons of the goddesses sanctified the arena of the temple as well as anyone who entered the space and became guardians of the sacredness of the shrine.
In the Tirtha or pilgrimage tradition of Hinduism, the river Yamuna is a popular and powerful entity. Pilgrims throughout the year, in places where the river stream is flowing, visit the banks of Yamuna, bathe in its waters, and pray for her blessings.
During the Mahakumbha that happens every 12 years in Prayagraj, people gather from all over the world, to take a dip in the meeting point (Sangam) of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati. For the residents of cities, towns, and villages where Yamuna flows, the tradition of Yamuna aarti is as popular and revered as the more famous Ganga-aarti.
The Brija kshetra, the residence of Sri Krishna where his Lilas took place, was watered by the stream of Yamuna. From his birth- when a flooding Yamuna was pacified by the touch of the child god’s lotus feet, to his adolescence and youth when Krishna performed the Lila of Kaliya-Mardan and played with his friends and Gopis on the river bank, Yamuna is the eternal witness to the heavenliness of the dark-skinned Lord. According to many, it is in the love of Krishna, that the river has taken a dark color, mirroring the Shyam-varn of Kanha.
A Vaishnava tradition of Bhakti, formed by Sri Vallabhacharya, Pushti Maarga worships Yamuna as one of the Ashtabhaarya (eight wives) of Sri Krishna. In the traditions of this sect, Yamuna is a prominent deity, who is always worshiped next to Srinathji, the Lord of Nathdwara, which is the center of Pushti Maarga.
In the paintings of Picchwai, Yamuna is often shown alongside Krishna, dressed similarly to him, carrying a floral garland as an offering of her affection. For the followers of this sect, no ritual for Krishna can be complete without remembering the loving Yamuna ji, who blesses them with the Bhakti and Prema of Krishna.
Much like the sacred water of Ganga, the water of Yamuna is considered life-giving and empowering, a remover of negativity and a healer of all illnesses. According to the popular legend of Yama-Dwitiya or Bhai Dooja, a festival celebrated to remember the bond of brother and sister, Yama, the brother of Yamuna was invited by her for a feast and festivities.
Yamuna adorned the forehead of Yama with Tilak and offered him a grand spread of food. Joyously, Yama asked his sister to seek a boon. The kind Yamuna said that any brother who visits his sister and the sister who welcomes him with Tilak and feast, and those who take a bath in her water should not be troubled by Yama and his army.
This Puranic legend has led to a tradition of taking a dip in the Yamuna River during Bhai dooj and festivals, by seekers of longevity and health. As the beloved sister of the god of death, Yamuna removes the fear of death from anyone who finds refuge in her.
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