Chitragupta (Record keeper of one's deeds)

Om Ganapataye namah, Om Sarasvatyai namah, Om Chitraguptaya namah.

Many people are not aware of this very important person. This article was compiled to make people aware of this great Deva.

Hindu Dharma is based on a multiple phase life cycle involving re-birth. Those who do not attain a balance between their good-deeds and misdoing have to attain re-birth in any living form, to complete the life cycle. The primary duty awarded to Chitragupta is to create a log of the lives of all living beings, judge their lives based on good-deeds and misdoing, and decide, upon ones death, what form they will take in their next life – and to receive redemption from all worldly troubles or, receive punishment for their misdoing in another life form. Chitragupta is the chronicler of the good and bad deeds of individual souls during their sojourn on earth. He is not only the right-hand man of Yamaraj but is equated with to Shri Yamaraj himself. Yamaraj accepts his judgment as to whether the soul of a particular individual should be consigned to hell or lofted to heaven, as final and He orders his Kinkaras (Messengers) to mete out punishment in hell or heavenly bliss_accordingly.

So Chitragupta is the deva assigned with the task of keeping complete records of actions of human beings on the earth, and upon their death, deciding as regards sending them to the heaven or the hell, depending on their actions on the earth. Yamaraja the deva in charge of death, used to become perplexed and confused while deciding the fate of the dead persons and sending them to the hell or the heaven, in the absence any records of the dead persons’ actions, good or evil, on the earth. Sri Yamaraj-ji narrated his predicament to Lord Brahma and prayed for assistance. At the instance of Brahma, Lord Shiva commanded Chitragupta to assume responsibility for this task. Chitragupta is considered a perfect professional and he keeps meticulous, complete and accurate records of the actions of all the human beings from their birth till death. We also know this as the "Akashic Records".

There are two true stories of how Chitragupta appeared. Firstly Chitragupta came into being after Lord Brahma, the Creator, having established the four varnas — Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra — ordained Lord Yamaraj to keep record of the deeds — good and evil — of all life-forms born and yet to be born on the earth, in the heavens above and in the lands below. Lord Yamaraj, however, complained, "O Lord, how can I alone keep record of the deeds of the beings born into 8.4 million (life-forms) in the three worlds?"

Lord Brahma then closed his eyes, meditated for a while and then there appeared a radiant figure with a quill-pen in one hand and an inkpot in another. Lord Brahma named him Chittagupta for he was conceived in his cognitive-self (chitta) and he was lying in Him, dormant and secret (gupta). He was born of Brahma’s body (kaya) and so the Lord decreed that his progenies be called Kayasthas. He was assigned to work as a minister, to write and record for Shri Yamaraj.

And secondly Chitragupta, as the name suggests, was born from a picture drawn by Parvati into which Lord Siva breathed life. As he was born from a picture he was given the name 'Chitragupta.' At the request of Brahma, Lord Siva bade Chitragupta to undertake this job. Lord Chitragupta is so meticulous in his recording that He spares none (not even devas) from what is rightfully due.

There are said to be fourteen temples in South India dedicated to Chitragupta. The one at Kanchi, which is famous for the very large number of temples abounding therein, is majestic in architecture and people belonging to all faiths do worship there. Chitragupta here is believed to be the Adhi Devta (the patron Deva) of Ketu Graha (one of the 9 planets that affects us). Ketu Graha is one of the most feared because of its malevolent aspect. It is believed that worship at the temple of Chitragupta at Kanchi will save one from the inimical aspect of Ketu.

Lord Chitragupta stays in his celestial abode; Amaravati with His three consorts Prabhavati, Nilavati and Karnaki. Karnaki- devi bore eight sons to Him named Gorh, Mathur, Bhatnagar, Saxena, Asthana, Srivastava, Ambastha,_Karn.

When one performs SANKALPA (taking a vow) in the beginning of a havan the priest chants the sankalpa stating the day, time, and place when the havan is taking place. Here Lord Chitragupta notes down the time, place, day and Vedic month and enters it in his records. Without reciting the sankalpa the prayer is considered null and void…

The Garuda Purana Preta Khanda Chapter 33 states the following about this great personality. “ In the centre of the city, just near the entrance of Lord Yamaraja’s palace Citragupta’s palace is situated. There he is seated and he calculates the age of human beings and other beings. He never commits any mistakes in the matter of merit or demerit. Whatever a person acquired in his various births – good or bad- is written down”.

We pay our humble respects to this great and powerful man seeking his blessings and guidance to lead a respectful and satwik life.