Yama Dharmarāja (Yama Dam-can Chos-kyi rGyal-po), an important protector in Buddhism, is Lord of the realm of Hell. As the emanation of Buddha in the realms of Hell, he corresponds to Sākyamuni in the human realm. It is Yama's function to assess at the time of death the positive and negative actions (karma) performed by sentient beings during their lives and to determine the appropriate realm into which they will be reborn. Visualisation of his attributes brings protection and spiritual wellbeing to the individual and to the wider community. Yama Dharmarāja is usually depicted as blue in colour and bull-headed, clad in bone ornaments. His body is here represented in the centre by a cymbal-wielding skeleton, with his hand implements: the cudgel surmounted by a skull (thod-dbyug) on the left and the black rope-snare or lasso on the right.