Chitragupta

Chitragupta (Sanskrit: चित्रगुप्त, romanized: Citragupta, 'rich in secrets' or 'hidden picture') is a Hindu deity who serves as the registrar of the dead. He is responsible for maintaining a record of the actions of human beings in a register called the Agrasandhanī. Upon the death of a human and their arrival at Yamaloka, Chitragupta reads out their deeds, allowing the god of death, Yama, to decide whether they go to Svarga or Naraka (heaven or hell), depending on their actions on earth. He is referred to as the Hindu God of Data and is the seventeenth manasaputra of Brahma. He is believed to have been created from Brahma's soul and mind (chit) and thus is allotted the right to write Vedas like a Brahmin, and also assigned the duty of a Kshatriya. According to the Garuda Purana, human souls that have not attained moksha receive rewards and punishments according to their sins and merits. The souls of humans following their demise go to Yamaloka, which is presided over by the deities called Yamadutas, who keep records of men's actions and accordingly give them their dues. The principal deity of Yamaloka is Yama — the ruler of Yamaloka, and the king of laws. The Garuda Purana describes the imperial throne of Chitragupta in Yamaloka, holding his court and dispensing justice according to the deeds of men, as well as maintaining their records. The Yama Samhita, an extract from the 9th chapter of Ahilya Kamdhenu, a work of Hindu Law, says that Dharmaraja complained to Brahma about his difficulties in performing his most responsible duties of keeping records of the deeds of men and doing justice to them.