HYMN XIV. Yama. – Rig Veda – Book 10

परेयिवांसं परवतो महीरनु बहुभ्यः पन्थामनुपस्पशनम |
वैवस्वतं संगमनं जनानां यमंराजानं हविषा दुवस्य ||

यमो नो गातुं परथमो विवेद नैष गव्यूतिरपभर्तवा उ |
यत्रा नः पूर्वे पितरः परेयुरेना जज्ञानाःपथ्या अनु सवाः ||

मातली कव्यैर्यमो अङगिरोभिर्ब्र्हस्पतिरकवभिर्वाव्र्धानः |
यांश्च देवा वाव्र्धुर्ये च देवांस्वाहान्ये सवधयान्ये मदन्ति ||

इमं यम परस्तरमा हि सीदाङगिरोभिः पित्र्भिःसंविदानः |
आ तवा मन्त्राः कविशस्ता वहन्त्वेना राजन्हविषा मादयस्व ||

अङगिरोभिरा गहि यज्ञियेभिर्यम वैरूपैरिह मादयस्व |
विवस्वन्तं हुवे यः पिता ते.अस्मिन यज्ञे बर्हिष्यानिषद्य ||

अङगिरसो नः पितरो नवग्वा अथर्वाणो भर्गवः सोम्यासः |
तेषां वयं सुमतौ यज्ञियानामपि भद्रे सौमनसेस्याम ||

परेहि परेहि पथिभिः पूर्व्येभिर्यत्रा नः पूर्वे पितरःपरेयुः |
उभा राजाना सवधया मदन्ता यमं पश्यासिवरुणं च देवम ||

सं गछस्व पित्र्भिः सं यमेनेष्टापूर्तेन परमेव्योमन |
हित्वायावद्यं पुनरस्तमेहि सं गछस्व तन्वासुवर्चाः ||

अपेत वीत वि च सर्पतातो.अस्मा एतं पितरो लोकमक्रन |
अहोभिरद्भिरक्तुभिर्व्यक्तं यमो ददात्यवसानमस्मै ||

अति दरव सारमेयौ शवानौ चतुरक्षौ शबलौ साधुनापथा |
अथा पितॄन सुविदत्रानुपेहि यमेन ये सधमादम्मदन्ति ||

यौ ते शवानौ यम रक्षितारौ चतुरक्षौ पथिरक्षीन्र्चक्षसौ |
ताभ्यामेनं परि देहि राजन सवस्ति चास्मानमीवं च धेहि ||

उरूणसावसुत्र्पा उदुम्बलौ यमस्य दूतौ चरतो जनाननु |
तावस्मभ्यं दर्शये सूर्याय पुनर्दातामसुमद्येह भद्रम ||

यमाय सोमं सुनुत यमय जुहुता हविः |
यमं ह यज्ञोगछत्यग्निदूतो अरंक्र्तः ||

यमाय घर्तवद धविर्जुहोत पर च तिष्ठत |
स नोदेवेष्वा यमद दीर्घमायुः पर जीवसे ||

यमाय मधुमत्तमं राज्ञे हव्यं जुहोतन |
इदं नमर्षिभ्यः पूर्वजेभ्यः पूर्वेभ्यः पथिक्र्द्भ्यः ||

तरिकद्रुकेभिः पतति षळ उर्वीरेकमिद बर्हत |
तरिष्टुब्गायत्री छन्दांसि सर्वा ता यम आहिता ||

pareyivāṃsaṃ pravato mahīranu bahubhyaḥ panthāmanupaspaśanam |
vaivasvataṃ saṃghamanaṃ janānāṃ yamaṃrājānaṃ haviṣā duvasya ||

yamo no ghātuṃ prathamo viveda naiṣa ghavyūtirapabhartavā u |
yatrā naḥ pūrve pitaraḥ pareyurenā jajñānāḥpathyā anu svāḥ ||

mātalī kavyairyamo aṅghirobhirbṛhaspatirkvabhirvāvṛdhānaḥ |
yāṃśca devā vāvṛdhurye ca devāṃsvāhānye svadhayānye madanti ||

imaṃ yama prastaramā hi sīdāṅghirobhiḥ pitṛbhiḥsaṃvidānaḥ |
ā tvā mantrāḥ kaviśastā vahantvenā rājanhaviṣā mādayasva ||

aṅghirobhirā ghahi yajñiyebhiryama vairūpairiha mādayasva |
vivasvantaṃ huve yaḥ pitā te.asmin yajñe barhiṣyāniṣadya ||

aṅghiraso naḥ pitaro navaghvā atharvāṇo bhṛghavaḥ somyāsaḥ |
teṣāṃ vayaṃ sumatau yajñiyānāmapi bhadre saumanasesyāma ||

prehi prehi pathibhiḥ pūrvyebhiryatrā naḥ pūrve pitaraḥpareyuḥ |
ubhā rājānā svadhayā madantā yamaṃ paśyāsivaruṇaṃ ca devam ||

saṃ ghachasva pitṛbhiḥ saṃ yameneṣṭāpūrtena paramevyoman |
hitvāyāvadyaṃ punarastamehi saṃ ghachasva tanvāsuvarcāḥ ||

apeta vīta vi ca sarpatāto.asmā etaṃ pitaro lokamakran |
ahobhiradbhiraktubhirvyaktaṃ yamo dadātyavasānamasmai ||

ati drava sārameyau śvānau caturakṣau śabalau sādhunāpathā |
athā pitṝn suvidatrānupehi yamena ye sadhamādammadanti ||

yau te śvānau yama rakṣitārau caturakṣau pathirakṣīnṛcakṣasau |
tābhyāmenaṃ pari dehi rājan svasti cāsmāanamīvaṃ ca dhehi ||

urūṇasāvasutṛpā udumbalau yamasya dūtau carato janānanu |
tāvasmabhyaṃ dṛśaye sūryāya punardātāmasumadyeha bhadram ||

yamāya somaṃ sunuta yamaya juhutā haviḥ |
yamaṃ ha yajñoghachatyaghnidūto araṃkṛtaḥ ||

yamāya ghṛtavad dhavirjuhota pra ca tiṣṭhata |
sa nodeveṣvā yamad dīrghamāyuḥ pra jīvase ||

yamāya madhumattamaṃ rājñe havyaṃ juhotana |
idaṃ namaṛṣibhyaḥ pūrvajebhyaḥ pūrvebhyaḥ pathikṛdbhyaḥ ||

trikadrukebhiḥ patati ṣaḷ urvīrekamid bṛhat |
triṣṭubghāyatrī chandāṃsi sarvā tā yama āhitā ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. HONOUR the King with thine oblations, Yama, Vivasvān’s Son, who gathers men together,
Who travelled to the lofty heights above us, who searcbes out and shows the path to many.

2 Yama first found for us a place to dwell in: this pasture never can be taken from Us.
Men born on earth tread their own paths that lead them whither our ancient Fathers have departed.

3 Mitali prospers there with Kavyas, Yama with Aṅgiras’ sons, Bṛhaspati with Rkvans:
Exalters of the Gods, by Gods exalted, some joy in praise and some in our oblation.

4 Come, seat thee on this bed of grass, O Yama, in company with Aṅgirases and Fathers.
Let texts recited by the sages bring thee O King, let this oblation make thee joyful.

5 Come, Yama, with the Aṅgirases the Holy, rejoice thee here with children of Virūpa.
To sit on sacred grass at this our worship, I call Vivasvān, too, thy Father hither.

6 Our Fathers are Aṅgirases, Navagvas, Atharvans, Bhṛgus who deserve the Soma.
May these, the Holy, look on us with favour, may we enjoy their gracious loving-kindness.

7 Go forth, go forth upon the ancient pathways whereon our sires of old have gone before us.
‘Mere shalt thou look on both the Kings enjoying their sacred food, God Varuṇa and Yama.

8 Meet Yama, meet the Fathers, meet the merit of free or ordered acts, in highest heaven.
Leave sin and evil, seek anew thy dwelling, and bright with glory wear another body.

9 Go hence, depart ye, fly in all directions: this place for him the Fathers have provided.
Yama bestows on him a place to rest in adorned with days and beams of light and waters.

10 Run and outspeed the two dogs, Saramā’s offspring, brindled, four-eyed, upon thy happy pathway.
Draw nigh then to the gracious-minded Fathers where they rejoice in company with Yama.

11 And those two dogs of thine, Yama, the watchers, four-eyed, who look on men and guard the pathway,—
Entrust this man, O King, to their protection, and with prosperity and health endow him.

12 Dark-hued, insatiate, with distended nostrils, Yama’s two envoys roam among the People;
May they restore to us a fair existence here and to-day, that we may see the sunlight.

13 To Yama pour the Soma, bring to Yama consecrated gifts:
To Yama sacrifice prepared and heralded by Agni goes.

14 Offer to Yama holy gifts enriched with butter, and draw near:
So may he grant that we may live long days of life among the Gods.

15 Offer to Yama, to the King, oblation very rich in meath:
Bow down before the Ṛṣis of the ancient times, who made this path in days of old.

16 Into the six Expanses flies the Great One in Trkadrukas.
The Gāyatrī, the Tṛṣṭup, all metres in Yama are contained.