Cerberus, the Dog of Hades: The History of an Idea

...called immediately—to another life of joy.
The righteous forefathers of old who died before have found another good place. In particular, Yama The first mortal to die, who became the king of the dead and a god of justice in Hindu tradition, the first mortal, has gone to the great rivers on high; like a pioneer, he has searched out the way for all his descendants:

“He went before and found a dwelling which no power can bar original: "debar" us from. Our fathers of old have traveled the path; it leads every earth-born mortal there original: "thither". There, in the midst of the highest heaven, beams unfading light and eternal waters flow; there, every wish is fulfilled on the rich meadows of Yama.”

Day after day, Yama sends out two dogs as his messengers to seek out those among men who are destined to join the ancestors who are enjoying a splendid original: "excellent" time in Yama’s company.

THE TWO DOGS OF YAMA

The tenth book of the Rig-Veda The oldest of the sacred Sanskrit scriptures of India, dating back to roughly 1500–1200 BCE contains, in hymns 14 through 18, a collection of funeral verses original: "stanzas" that are completely unrivaled for their mythological and ethnological The study of the characteristics and origins of different peoples and cultures interest in the literature of ancient...