Yasmah-Adad is most well known for the criticism he received from his father. Yasmah-Adad was accused of being lazy, self indulgent and not applying himself to his kingly duties. He was once chided for dallying with women and abandoning his duties for his sexual pleasures. The correspondence between the father and sons was found in the archives of the city of Mari and provides an interesting and at times humorous look into the dynamics of this family. He was ridiculed frequently by both his brother Ishme-Dagan and his father and was accused of inactive leadership over his district. Yasmah-Adad's character was attacked within a letter from his father Shamshi-Adad I, which states, "How long do we have to guide you in every matter? Are you a child, and not an adult? Don't you have a beard on your chin? When are you going to take charge of your house? Don't you see that your brother is leading vast armies? So, you too, take charge of your palace, your house!" Another letter from his father indicates Shamshi-Adad I's irritation with his youngest son's behavior, comparing Yasmah-Adad to his older brother, a successful warrior: "While here your brother is victorious, down there you lie about among the women." Many of these critiques arose from Yasmah-Adad's failure to perform the political duties that were his to deal with, regardless of what his father was doing. It was Yasmah-Adad's responsibility to fill certain positions within his district, such as appointing a governor of Terqa, or delegating the position of mayor for the Mari palace, and his failure to fulfill these duties was the basis of many of his father's terse letters.