Naraka Chaturdashi Yama Tarpanam Vidhi: Oil Bath on Ashvayuja Krishna Chaturdashi and Tilanjali to Yama's 14 Names

Sunday, 8 November 2026 / Ashvayuja Krishna (Bahula) Chaturdashi

The main duties of this day are worship of Sri Krishna with Satyabhama, the Yama tarpanam and the abhyanga snan (oil bath).

The merit of the oil bath (Dharma Sindhu)

"Taile lakṣmīr jale gaṅgā dīpāvalyāś caturdaśī | prātaḥsnānaṁ tu yaḥ kuryāt yamalokaṁ na paśyati ||": "On the Chaturdashi of Deepavali, Lakshmi dwells in oil and Ganga in water; whoever bathes at dawn does not see the realm of Yama."

An oil bath with sesame oil at dawn on Ashvayuja Chaturdashi is said to remove the sufferings of Yama and of naraka. So bathe before sunrise. After your daily rites, perform the Yama tarpanam.

Yama tarpanam

After the oil bath early on Chaturdashi, the Dharma Sindhu prescribes an offering of tilanjali, water with sesame seeds, to Yama Dharmaraja under his 14 names, for his grace and for freedom from the sufferings of naraka.

Nirnaya Sindhu and Smriti Muktavali: Yama tarpanam for Naraka Chaturdashi

Sankalpa: Ācamya prītyarthaṁ yama-prītaye apamṛtyu-parihāra-dvārā dīrghāyuṣya-siddhyarthaṁ naraka-caturdaśī mahāparvaṇi puṇyakāle yama-tarpaṇaṁ kariṣye. ("After achamana, for the pleasure of Yama, to ward off untimely death and to attain long life, I shall perform Yama tarpanam at this holy time of the great festival of Naraka Chaturdashi.")

Kūrcāsane dakṣiṇābhimukho bhūtvā prācīnāvītī: sit on a darbha (kusha grass) seat facing south, with the sacred thread worn in the prachinaviti position (over the right shoulder), and offer:

1. Om yamāya namaḥ – yamaṁ tarpayāmi
2. Om dharmarājāya namaḥ – dharmarājaṁ tarpayāmi
3. Om mṛtyave namaḥ – mṛtyuṁ tarpayāmi
4. Om antakāya namaḥ – antakaṁ tarpayāmi
5. Om vaivasvatāya namaḥ – vaivasvataṁ tarpayāmi
6. Om kālāya namaḥ – kālaṁ tarpayāmi
7. Om sarvabhūtakṣayāya namaḥ – sarvabhūtakṣayaṁ tarpayāmi
8. Om audumbarāya namaḥ – audumbaraṁ tarpayāmi
9. Om dadhnāya namaḥ – dadhnaṁ tarpayāmi
10. Om nīlāya namaḥ – nīlaṁ tarpayāmi
11. Om parameṣṭhine namaḥ – parameṣṭhinaṁ tarpayāmi
12. Om vṛkodarāya namaḥ – vṛkodaraṁ tarpayāmi
13. Om citrāya namaḥ – citraṁ tarpayāmi
14. Om citraguptāya namaḥ – citraguptaṁ tarpayāmi

Savyaṁ yathāsthānaṁ upaviśya: then return the sacred thread to the normal (savya) position.

Recite the fourteen names, offering three tilanjalis for each name, 42 offerings in all.

The Yama tarpanam shloka

Yamāya dharmarājāya mṛtyave cāntakāya ca | vaivasvatāya kālāya sarvabhūtakṣayāya ca ||

Audumbarāya dadhnāya nīlāya parameṣṭhine | vṛkodarāya citrāya citraguptāya te namaḥ ||

Anena yama-tarpaṇena bhagavān sarvātmakaḥ śrī-parameśvaraḥ suprīṇātu | śrī-parameśvarārpaṇam astu ||: "By this Yama tarpanam may the all-pervading Lord Parameshvara be pleased; may it be an offering to Him."

The rest of the day

After worshipping Yama, families eat dishes made with urad dal (minumulu), and after sunset light lamps at the doorstep and burst crackers. Burst crackers only safely and within the hours local rules allow.

Note: the tarpanam procedure can vary by family tradition; ask your family priest if in doubt.

🌷 Om yamāya namaḥ 🌷

Related: Naraka Chaturdashi and Diwali 2026: the Dharmashastra ruling and Naraka Chaturdashi 2026.