Suyāma (17096)

Suyāma
Entry 17096, Page 602, Col. 1

(suyAma, suyAma)
Suyāma¦ (= Pali id.), n. of the head of the yāma (q.v.) gods: Suyāmadevaputrapramukhāḥ yāmā (so read with v.l. and Calc., supported by Tib., for Lefm. suyāmā) devāḥ LV 364.15; yāmādhipatiṃ…ca suyāmaṃ Mv i.265.6 (so read for Senart Va-suyāmā, v.l. ca Suyāmā); note also LV 58.21; 302.6, in both of which the official position of S. is clear from the context; apparently the same, in general clearly a single individual, lord of his class, LV 44.10; 58.21; 241.1; 441.17; (formally not clear whether sg. or pl., but surely sg., LV 50.5; 327.18; 328.3;) Mv i.208.13; 230.13; 263.19; ii.11.1; iii.315.6; Mvy 3138; Mmk 69.5 (misprinted Sayāma); Bbh 340.14; cases where Su° seems to be pluralized, as if used for the class of yāma gods as a whole, are prob. only apparent; so daśa ca Suyāma-devarāja-sahasrāṇi Gv 118.22, compare the parallel daśa ca śakra-devendra-śatasahasrāṇi 119.1 (Śakra was certainly a single individual; similar phrases with Vaśavarti 117.21; Sunirmita 118.3; and Saṃtuṣita 118.15); cf. Gv 185.7; similarly in Gv 249.21 Suyāma- devarāja- is followed in 22 by parallel Śakra-devarāja- (and preceded by Vaśavarti- 17, Sunirmita- 18, and Saṃ- tuṣita- 20, all names of the individual rulers of their classes); and likewise Gv 331.8. Accordingly we should interpret Suyāma patiḥ RP 52.18 and Suyāmādhipatir Dbh.g. 53(79).14 as Suyāma the Lord (of yāma gods). In the Dbh.g. passage we find, to be sure, as a parallel, trayas- triṃśādhipo bhavet 53(79).8, which can only mean lord of the Trayastriṃśa (class); but note Saṃtuṣitādhipo 22, Sunirmitādhipo 54(80).1, and Vaśavartīśvaro (the Lord Vaśavartin) bhavet 9 (in all these adhipo, īśvaro may be separate words, not necessarily parts of cpds.!) and esp. Brahmā sāhasrikādhipaḥ 17. So in the RP context we find (52.17, vs) Brahmāpi Śakra api lokapatiḥ bhavate ca Saṃtusita devapatiḥ (may be read as separate words!), (18) Paranirmito 'pi ca Suyāma patiḥ (this may also be two words!)…