Lord Chitragupta: The Accountant of Lord Yama

Lord Chitragupta is the 17th Manasaputra of Lord Brahma, the God of Creation in Hinduism.  He was created for a specific purpose. Lord Yama, the God of Death, could not fulfill his duties effectively and wanted someone to assist him in keeping his accounts or records. Thus, Brahma created Chitragupta to maintain complete records of human beings' actions on earth. Based on these Akashic records, as they are called, people who die would receive punishments and rewards for their deeds on earth.

Chitragupta is the patron god of Kayasthas, a Hindu community found in India and Nepal. He is also called Yama’s Book-keeper or Accountant and the God of Justice.

Hindu mythology and astrology talk about the importance of karma in a person’s destiny. Karma refers to a person’s actions, good and bad. To attain Moksha or freedom from the cycle of life-death-rebirth, one has to do good karma and lead a blameless life. This makes possible spiritual evolution and growth, which are necessary to attain salvation. In this light, the role played by Chitragupta is very important, as he keeps tabs on our deeds and enters them in his log book called Agrasandhani.

Birth of Chitragupta

Initially, it was Yama who had to preserve the record books. However, due to the large numbers, he made many mistakes, and this caused chaos. So he requested that Brahma give him an assistant. As a temporary measure, Brahma assigned the task to Surya (Sun god). Then, he meditated for 11,000 years. Eventually, Chitragupta emerged from Brahma's mind and body with a pen and paper in his hand. He proved to be very skilled in his task as the keeper of the Akashic records.

Invoke Chitragupta’s Blessings – Clear Your Karmic Debts Today!

As he was born in secrecy, he got the name Chitragupta, which means ‘hidden picture.’ No human being on earth could escape his vigilant eyes. He was also the first deity to use letters. He had two wives, Dakshina Nandini, and Erawati Shobawai, and he had 12 children with them.

There is also another legend related to Goddess Parvati. It says that Parvati asked Brahma to create someone who would keep an account of the deeds of human beings. Brahma then drew a picture on a piece of wood and gave life to it. This story is very popular in south India. According to this story, he emerged with a nail and a palm leaf. He uses the nail to write on the palm leaf.

Chitragupta in the Scriptures

The Padma Purana says that Chitragupta has a position next to Yama. He possesses supernatural wisdom and is also an accomplice of the sacrifices offered to Agni and the gods. Hence, the twice-born (Brahmins) always offer him a share of their food. As he came forth from the ‘kaya’ or body of Brahma, he is referred to as Kayastha of many gotras on earth.

Garuda Purana describes Chitragupta’s imperial throne in Yamaloka, the abode of Yama. It also describes him administering his court, preserving the records of people’s actions, and dispensing justice based on their actions. Once a person dies, their soul reaches Yamaloka, where Chitragupta reads out their actions from his log book. Accordingly, the soul is punished or rewarded for its deeds.

The Mahabharata also talks about the teachings of Chitragupta, who exhorted people to do good deeds and perform Yagnas.

Significance of Chitragupta

In the Hindu religion, there is a belief that people who did wrong things will be reborn after undergoing punishment in hell. Only then can they complete their life cycle.

Chitragupta maintains a record of all the actions of human beings. It is he who decides if a person will attain Moksha or go to heaven or be punished for their sins in hell or another life. He is the one who protects Dharma or righteousness.

He is omnipresent and omniscient. He is also very adept at maintaining records and administration.

Interesting facts

He is believed to have appeared in Kayatha in Ujjain, a famous archeological site over 4000 years old. One can even find a shrine dedicated to him. Chitragupta is the Adi devta for Ketu Graha. Those who worship him can gain prosperity and get relief from the malefic effects of Ketu in the horoscope.

Temples for Chitragupta

There are many temples for Chitragupta in various parts of India. There is one in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad in the state of Andhra Pradesh, and Udaipur in Rajasthan. One can also find shrines for him in Bihar.

Invoke Chitragupta’s Blessings – Clear Your Karmic Debts Today!

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