The young wife of King Hima's son defeats a prophecy of death by snakebite by blocking the door with gold and lamps and keeping her husband awake with songs; Yama, in serpent form, is dazzled and leaves at dawn. Lamps are set out for Yama that night, facing south (yamadipadana).
Sources: Dhanteras (Wikipedia)
The childless sage Mrikandu is offered by Shiva a choice: a good son who dies at sixteen or a fool who lives long.
Singers steady themselves and call a man's spirit back for sense, strength and life.
A dove, envoy of Destruction, has come into the house and settled by the fire.
The funeral hymn gives the dead to Pushan, who knows the far road; the Isha Upanishad asks him to uncover the face of the True.
King Prithu, son of Vena, makes the Earth yield grain by milking her as a cow; told as a cosmic milking in the Atharvaveda, a friendly one in the Mahabharata and a chase in the Puranas.
The Sun's wife cannot bear his splendour.
Agni, afraid of the priestly work, hides in the waters and plants.
Yama chooses death, finds the path to the other world and becomes king of those who follow; the funeral hymn directs the dead to him past his two dogs.