HYMN X.Yama Yami. – Rig Veda – Book 10

ओ चित सखायं सख्या वव्र्त्यां तिरः पुरू चिदर्णवंजगन्वन |
पितुर्नपातमा दधीत वेधा अधि कषमिप्रतरं दिध्यानः ||

न ते सखा सख्यं वष्ट्येतत सलक्ष्मा यद विषुरूपाभवाति |
महस पुत्रसो असुरस्य वीरा दिवो धर्तारौर्विया परि खयन ||

उशन्ति घा ते अम्र्तास एतदेकस्य चित तयजसं मर्त्यस्य |
नि ते मनो मनसि धाय्यस्मे जन्युः पतिस्तन्वमाविविश्याः ||

न यत पुरा चक्र्मा कद ध नूनं रता वदन्तो अन्र्तंरपेम |
गन्धर्वो अप्स्वप्या च योषा सा नो नाभिःपरमं जामि तन नौ ||

गर्भे नु नौ जनिता दम्पती कर्देवास्त्वष्टा सविताविश्वरूपः |
नाकिरस्य पर मिनन्ति वरतानि वेद नावस्यप्र्थिवि उत दयौः ||

को अस्य वेद परथमस्याह्नः क ईं ददर्श क इह परवोचत |
बर्हन मित्रस्य वरुणस्य धाम कदु बरव आहनोवीच्या नॄन ||

यमस्य मा यम्यं काम आगन समाने योनौ सहशेय्याय |
जायेव पत्ये तन्वं रिरिच्यां वि चिद वर्हेव रथ्येव चक्रा ||

न तिष्ठन्ति न नि मिषन्त्येते देवानां सपश इह येचरन्ति |
अन्येन मदाहनो याहि तुयं तेन वि वर्ह रथ्येवचक्रा ||

रात्रीभिरस्मा अहभिर्दशस्येत सूर्यस्य चक्षुर्मुहुरुन्मिमीयात |
दिवा पर्थिव्या मिथुना सबन्धू यमीर्यमस्यबिभ्र्यादजामि ||

आ घा ता गछानुत्तरा युगानि यत्र जामयः कर्णवन्नजामि |
उप बर्ब्र्हि वर्षभाय बाहुमन्यमिछस्व सुभगेपतिं मत ||

किं भरतासद यदनाथं भवाति किमु सवसा यन निरतिर्निगछत |
काममूता बह्वेतद रपामि तन्वा मे तन्वं सम्पिप्र्ग्धि ||

न वा उ ते तन्वा तन्वं सं पप्र्च्यां पापमाहुर्यःस्वसारं निगछात |
अन्येन मत परमुदः कल्पयस्व न तेभ्रात सुभगे वष्ट्येतत ||

बतो बतसि यम नैव ते मनो हर्दयं चाविदाम |
अन्या किलत्वां कक्ष्येव युक्तं परि षवजाते लिबुजेव वर्क्षम ||

अन्यमू षु तवं यम्यन्य उ तवां परि षवजाते लिबुजेवव्र्क्षम |
तस्य वा तवं मन इछा स वा तवाधा कर्णुष्वसंविदं सुभद्राम ||

o cit sakhāyaṃ sakhyā vavṛtyāṃ tiraḥ purū cidarṇavaṃjaghanvan |
piturnapātamā dadhīta vedhā adhi kṣamiprataraṃ didhyānaḥ ||

na te sakhā sakhyaṃ vaṣṭyetat salakṣmā yad viṣurūpābhavāti |
mahas putraso asurasya vīrā divo dhartāraurviyā pari khyan ||

uśanti ghā te amṛtāsa etadekasya cit tyajasaṃ martyasya |
ni te mano manasi dhāyyasme janyuḥ patistanvamāviviśyāḥ ||

na yat purā cakṛmā kad dha nūnaṃ ṛtā vadanto anṛtaṃrapema |
ghandharvo apsvapyā ca yoṣā sā no nābhiḥparamaṃ jāmi tan nau ||

gharbhe nu nau janitā dampatī kardevāstvaṣṭā savitāviśvarūpaḥ |
nākirasya pra minanti vratāni veda nāvasyapṛthivi uta dyauḥ ||

ko asya veda prathamasyāhnaḥ ka īṃ dadarśa ka iha pravocat |
bṛhan mitrasya varuṇasya dhāma kadu brava āhanovīcyā nṝn ||

yamasya mā yamyaṃ kāma āghan samāne yonau sahaśeyyāya |
jāyeva patye tanvaṃ riricyāṃ vi cid vṛheva rathyeva cakrā ||

na tiṣṭhanti na ni miṣantyete devānāṃ spaśa iha yecaranti |
anyena madāhano yāhi tuyaṃ tena vi vṛha rathyevacakrā ||

rātrībhirasmā ahabhirdaśasyet sūryasya cakṣurmuhurunmimīyāt |
divā pṛthivyā mithunā sabandhū yamīryamasyabibhṛyādajāmi ||

ā ghā tā ghachānuttarā yughāni yatra jāmayaḥ kṛṇavannajāmi |
upa barbṛhi vṛṣabhāya bāhumanyamichasva subhaghepatiṃ mat ||

kiṃ bhratāsad yadanāthaṃ bhavāti kimu svasā yan nirtirnighachat |
kāmamūtā bahvetad rapāmi tanvā me tanvaṃ sampipṛghdhi ||

na vā u te tanvā tanvaṃ saṃ papṛcyāṃ pāpamāhuryaḥsvasāraṃ nighachāt |
anyena mat pramudaḥ kalpayasva na tebhrāta subhaghe vaṣṭyetat ||

bato batasi yama naiva te mano hṛdayaṃ cāvidāma |
anyā kilatvāṃ kakṣyeva yuktaṃ pari ṣvajāte libujeva vṛkṣam ||

anyamū ṣu tvaṃ yamyanya u tvāṃ pari ṣvajāte libujevavṛkṣam |
tasya vā tvaṃ mana ichā sa vā tavādhā kṛṇuṣvasaṃvidaṃ subhadrām ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. FAIN would I win my friend to kindly friendship. So may the Sage, come through the air’s wide ocean,
Remembering the earth and days to follow, obtain a son, the issue of his father.

2 Thy friend loves not the friendship which considers her who is near in kindred as stranger.
Sons of the mighty Asura, the Heroes, supporters of the heavens, see far around them.

3 Yea, this the Immortals seek of thee with longing, progeny of the sole existing mortal.
Then let thy soul and mine be knit together, and as a loving husband take thy consort.

4 Shall we do now what we ne’er did aforetime? we who spake righteously now talk impurely?
Gandharva in the floods, the Dame of Waters-such is our bond, such our most lofty kinship.

5 Even in the womb God Tvaṣṭar, Vivifier, shaping all forms, Creator, made us consorts.
None violates his holy ordinances: that we are his the heavens and earth acknowledge.

6 Who knows that earliest day whereof thou speakest? Who hatb beheld it? Who can here declare it?
Great is the Law of Varuṇa and Mitra. What, wanton! wilt thou say to men to tempt them?

7 I, Yami, am possessed by love of Yama, that I may rest on the same couch beside him.
I as a wife would yield me to my husband. Like car-wheels let us speed to meet each other.

8 They stand not still, they never close their eyelids, those sentinels of Gods who wander round us.
Not me-go quickly, wanton, with another, and hasten like a chariot wheel to meet him.

9 May Sūrya’s eye with days and nights endow him, and ever may his light spread out before him.
In heaven and earth the kindred Pair commingle. On Yam! be the unbrotherly act of Yama.

10 Sure there will come succeeding times when brothers and sisters will do acts unmeet for kinsfolk.
Not me, O fair one,—seek another husband, and make thine arm a pillow for thy consort.

11 Is he a brother when no lord is left her? Is she a sister when Destruction cometh?
Forced by my love these many words I utter. Come near, and hold me in thy close embraces.

12 I will not fold mine arms about thy body: they call it sin when one comes near his sister.
Not me,—prepare thy pleasures with another: thy brother seeks not this from thee, O fair one.

13 Alas! thou art indeed a weakling, Yama we find in thee no trace of heart or spirit.
As round the tree the woodbine clings, another will cling albout thee girt as with a girdle.

14 Embrace another, Yami; let another, even as the woodbine rings the tree, enfold thee.
Win thou his heart and let him win thy fancy, and he shall form with thee a blest alliance.