Yama Yami Samvada (यम यमि सम्वादः)

Yama and Yami Samvada (Samskrit: यम यमि संवादः) is one of the most important samvada suktas of modern day relevance discussed in Rigveda. In Mandala 10, the sukta 10 is a dialogue that occurs between the twin brother and sister where the question of marriage within family members is addressed. Consanguineous marriage between members of the same family has been abandoned in most parts of the world as it is proved to be hazardous for future generations. Hereditary diseases are often found in children from such marriages. Yama and Yami are the twin children of Vivasvana (Surya) and hence they happen to be brother (Yama) and sister (Yami).

This sukta has been widely discussed with various interpretations available in recent centuries. This is a socially important sukta and an attempt is made to bring in a few traditional perspectives regarding marriage rules in ancient India.

परिचय ॥ Introduction

To understand the dharmik concepts of Yama one needs to understand the discussion between Yama and Yami (Rig Veda. 10.10).

1. Who is Yama and Yami?
2. What is the significance of the discussion between Yama and Yami?

If this dialogue is not analyzed with greater understanding it creates misconceptions in the society according to Dr. K. S. Narayanacharya. One meaning of Yama is जोडी (Jodi meaning together). That means either it is couple or siblings. Yama and Yami are siblings, brother and sister respectively. In the Rigveda, we do not find a mention about Yama having the aspects of Dikpalaka, or the role of taking away life at the end of the lifespan of a being. Here we see his role in dharmapalana in a social context.

As per social norms, marriage or a physical relationship between members of the same family, a brother and sister, are considered unacceptable.

Lineage

Vivasvan married Samjna, the daughter of Visvakarma. The first child born to Vivasvan by Samjna was Vaivasvata Manu. The Surya (Solar) dynasty begins from this Vaivasvata Manu. Samjna again gave birth to two children Yama and Yami. Then finding it difficult to bear the fierce brightness of the Surya, Samjna in her place installed Chaya otherwise called Savarna, and went to the house of her father. Visvakarma did not like this action on the part of his daughter. So Samjna took the form of a mare and went to the pastures of North Kuru. Surya thought Chaya to be his wife Samjna. She gave birth to two sons and a daughter. The sons were named Savarni and Sani and the daughter was named Tapati. When he saw her in the form of a mare (अश्व) he also assumed the form of a horse and through their union, the Ashwini devatas were born. Yaska explains this in his Nirukta (12.10). 

The Essence of Yama and Yami’s Samvada

Yama represents one of the principles of Kala (time) - that of destruction. Kala is a generative, maintaining and destructive force. Kala is nourishing in the form of Surya (he represents all aspect time) and Ashwini Kumaras, who give long life and healthy life. Dr. K. S. Narayanacharya gives the following explanation and the embedded esoteric meaning of this sukta.

Summary of the Sukta

Yami tells Yama, "this island is vast and secluded and here I want to unite in love with you, you who are my friend. Let the Srishtikarta (Creator), the give us the best offspring from our union".

Yama responds, "Hey Yami you are सहोदरी (sahodari or sister) and I am सहोदर (sahodara or brother), born of the same womb. As I am your brother I cannot engage in pleasurable union with you and cannot create a child with you. The union between a brother and sister is not permitted by the Devatas."

Yami tries to persuade Yama with these words, "Hey Yama, you are wrong because as I am saying that which the Devatas expect from me. Prajapati had such a relationship, therefore you should act like him. Prajapati became the husband of his daughter and provided all sensual pleasure to her, similarly you also engage in sensual activities with me."

Hearing this, Yama explains

"Hey Yami, this is not correct. What you say has happened in the past should not be done now. I have always spoken the truth. How can you engage me in the activity which is Anruta (उनृत || falsity). We are born in a high family therefore there cannot be in any relationship other than brother and sister."

Yami continued

य॒मस्य॑ मा य॒म्यं१ काम॒ आग॑न्त्समा॒ने योनौ॑ सह॒शेय्या॑य । जा॒येव॒ पत्ये॑ त॒न्वं॑ रिरिच्यां॒ वि चि॑द्वृहेव॒ रथ्ये॑व च॒क्रा ॥७॥ (Rig. Veda. 10.10.7)

"Father Prajapati who is the Creator and the devatas decided prior to our birth that we will become husband and wife. Dyava and Prithvi (Earth) have known this relationship and gave rise to progeny. If this relationship as forbidden, consider that we are in secluded place, not watched by anyone! If the devatas will know about our relationship, you have the power to keep Mitra and Varuna in their divine place. So why are you hesitant and why do you have so many reservations in fulfilling my desire. Let there be a natural inclination for you, Yama, to unite with me and I’ll offer my entire self to you. Like the wheels of the chariot let us together engage in the dharma, artha, kama and become husband and wife." When Yama heard this horrific temptation, he reacts saying

न ति॑ष्ठन्ति॒ न नि मि॑षन्त्ये॒ते दे॒वानां॒ स्पश॑ इ॒ह ये चर॑न्ति । अ॒न्येन॒ मदा॑हनो याहि॒ तूयं॒ तेन॒ वि वृ॑ह॒ रथ्ये॑व च॒क्रा ॥८॥ (Rig. Veda. 10.10.8)

"O Yami, devatas and their associates are always watching us and our actions. Hey sinful lady, why are you tormenting me, if you so desire, engage with someone else and live the life of husband and wife, just like the wheel and chariot. Praying internally, Yama further spoke to Yami:   

आ घा॒ ता ग॑च्छा॒नुत्त॑रा यु॒गानि॒ यत्र॑ जा॒मय॑: कृ॒णव॒न्नजा॑मि । उप॑ बर्बृहि वृष॒भाय॑ बा॒हुम॒न्यमि॑च्छस्व सुभगे॒ पतिं॒ मत् ॥१०॥ (Rig. Veda. 10.10.10)

"O Yami, a brother and sister have to maintain the relationship given by devatas and get married to someone outside their families. As you mentioned, in the past there are those who have gone against Rta the natural order of life’s principle, and performed such unethical act but this in the future generations it can never become dharma. Therefore, please accept somebody else as your husband and let him take rest on your shoulders."

But Yami refutes this by saying:

"My dear brother when you are there why I should take shelter of someone else like an orphan? What kind of brother are you, who can’t fulfil the desires of a sister? If my misery is not your misery, how can I be your sister? I am tormented by lust and therefore, please satisfy my desires. Let this body be united with your body and let us become free from this torment."

This made Yamaraja very angry and he reprimands Yami:

न वा उ॑ ते त॒न्वा॑ त॒न्वं१ सं प॑पृच्यां पा॒पमा॑हु॒र्यः स्वसा॑रं नि॒गच्छा॑त् । अ॒न्येन॒ मत्प्र॒मुद॑: कल्पयस्व॒ न ते॒ भ्राता॑ सुभगे वष्ट्ये॒तत् ॥१२॥ (Rig. Veda. 10.10.12)

"This will never happen! It is a sinful act. O Subhage (auspicious)!  Please go to someone else and unite with him, I can be nothing to you but your brother."

He categorically states that she must choose a right person and have the mortal pleasures and that he will not participate in such adharmik acts. It is evident from this samvada that during the times of Rigveda, marriage between family members was not recommended.

When Yami realizes that her attempts to woo Yama have failed, she tries to condemn her brother saying that he is not powerful, and not potent. But Yama remains firm in his Dharma and says.

"Hey Yami, just as a creeper embraces a tree or the rope is intimately connected to horses, seek that relationship from someone else. May you like each other and let there be love in your mind for him. My greatest happiness would be to see you  have that kind of auspicious relation with him"

Thus though Yami tries hard in convincing her but she was not successful in the argument.

Explanation of Sukta

Yama is personification of dharma. He controls Kama (temptation and desire) and bhoga (enjoyment) by discipline, he controls (sayamana) therefore he is called Yama (यम to control). Yami is the exact opposite of Yama, she represents the Bhoga Shakti (the enjoying spirit). Therefore Yama and Yami are an inherent part of our existence as opposite pairs (dharma and adharma).

1. Samyama and Bhoga (Discipline and Recklessness)
2. Punya and Paapa (loosely translated as piety and sin)
3. Urdhva gati and adho gati (going higher and degradation)    
4. Svarga and naraka (loosely translated as heaven and hell)

Yama and Yami represent the oppositional principle of dharma and adharma and are engaged in a constant battle within us, but ultimately it is Yama who is victorious. But Yami doesn’t give up easily and continues to tempt Yama to engage in activities that are not conducive to dharma.

Why do they appear as twins?

The twins are personified dharmik and adharmik powers. Such duality exists within the human system, and in they co-exist at the same time. Just like the day and the night, there is adharma and dharma. It is only because of opposition from adharma that dharma can shine. It is only because Yami tempts and pushes Yama into a difficult situation that Yama’s यमत्व yamathva (his self control) is established.

What is the meaning of Yami inviting Yama for sensual activity?

This is explained as adharma trying to seduce dharma to become अधार्मिक (adharmik).

If one wants to see this dialogue from Yami’s perspective, it is seen as the will of the shrishtikartha (Creator). Yami wants to and destroy dharma and see the entire world to be adharmic. As per Yama’s perspective, this is not the desire of devatas and Yami should engage with someone else. That means, there are many people who serve the cause of adharma. Let her unite with those who are willing to become adharmic. But Yami remains persistent, as she believes she can tempt  Yama. This is the voice of adharma. Yama accepts Yami as his sister which means that Dharma accepts the existence of adharma and believes that Adharma is also born from same source. Therefore Dharma accepts the same origin of adharma but does not accept the idea of losing dharma’s  identity.    

In the description of Yami’s seduction where she alludes that they are in the midst of the ocean which is completely secluded, the allegory is of the living entity who is in samsara (materialistic world) that is likened to the vast secluded ocean and is constantly confronted by Adharma.  

It also reveals that when a man sits for yogabhyasa or yoga, it is only after performing यम || yama and नियम || niyama, then he can move on the higher steps of yoga like; asana jaya, pranayama, pratyahra, tarka, dharana and samadhi. But in the very first step if Yama is engaged by adharma in wrong path, then to achieve future steps becomes impossible for Yama. Then adharma becomes  victorious and it leads to destruction of the self. Therefore the discussion of Yama/Yami has the connotation of the ill effects and shows the right way to perform ashtanga yoga.

Dharma has got legacy. Therefore Yama constantly allures to this legacy or parampara and answers Yami. Yami who represents  adharma also tries to create legacy. In Yami’s terms there are many impacting meanings:

1. Attempt to make wrong actions appear as right actions. When Yama doesn’t accept it, Yami says, our interaction will remain secret and no one will know and understand. She explains the use of a secluded place to keep her actions hidden but fails to recognize that the consequences of such an action will not be hidden from the world (in the form of children).

2. When Yama answers her question, Yami chastises him as being impotent and valor less. She exhibits her destructive qualities.

3. When Yama is still not yielding, she cries and claims that she is mistreated. Yama speaks very affirmatively against Yami, and harsh words in such instances is required to drive the point home.

There are other such episodes in the vedas and itihasas about establishing dharma. Arjuna and Urvasi samvada in Mahabharata (Vanaparva: Chapter 46) is an example of such social dharma. Urvasi approaches Arjuna saying that she desired to be with him in. Arjuna aghast at such blasphemy and replies saying O Urvasi, you are like my mother Kunti!

Urvasi can be compared to Yami in her desire for Arjuna and she becomes shameless, angry and berates him. Urvasi’s words that many of Arjuna’s ancestors had engaged in sensual activities when they ascended to the svarga loka has symbolic meaning and the evil designs of the Indologists is clear when they deliberately misinterpret this as sanction to engage sexually with one’s mother. This is not alluded to anywhere in the Mahabharatha or in our Shastras.

It is only when we see the discussion between Yama and Yami from an adhyatmik perspective that it makes sense. In general we have discussed how  Yama is known as dispenser of reaction to one’s sinful and pious activities and accordingly he would send the living entities to different lokas. He shows his power to discipline.

Discussion

There are many devious agendas of some Indologists in the translation of the suktas. How does one misinterpret the Yama Yami discussion? A foolish person will see that a sister wishes to have union with a brother, as she is unable to control her kaama (desire). And therefore she persuades her brother to engage in lustful activities. Anthropologists and psychologists in their practices are well aware of such behavior in many instances. Often many self-styled Indologists of the missionaries of Christianity project the story of  Yama and Yami in a denigrating way to portray our devatas in a humiliating way. That Yama and Yami are the first persons of human existence and using Christian theology they are compares with Adam and Eve. According to them Creation and the act of it are themselves very "sinful". These discussions are projected as a shameless dialogue between Yama and Yami questioning their ethical stability. However, the Vedas have not mentioned that Yama and Yami were the first persons involved in creation of beings. Specifically, the relationship between Adam and Eve mentioned in Christianity, and Yama as the devata in-charge of ancestors (pitrs) are incomparable. In fact the vedic suktas make it very clear that Yama and Yami did not unite.  Yami symbolizes bhoga shakti (power) and Yama symbolizes power of restraint. Apart from giving respectability to the created modern religion, Christianity, it also helped them to claim ownership of our Shastras. Further, the fake manufacturing of history based on the Christian worldview apart from propagating their religion as superior to the ‘pagan’ natives was also to gain control over the economic, territorial, philosophical resources and most importantly our social capital.

Dr. Kirti Mishra (Life and society in the Vedic Age) claims that the prayers, tree branches, trees, water, sky, etc. were there to keep human happy. Therefore, he says that our ancestors were living on trees and were aborigines. he further states that the description of Prajapati’s marriages as in the Aitreya brahmana is an uncivilized way of getting married. According to him, Aryans had incestous marriages, the father would marry daughter and mother would marry son and the brothers and sisters would marry each other. There was no restriction amongst family members to marry with each other.  To prove his point he quotes a reference from Engles (the Origin of the Family, Private property and the State). By claiming that the  marriage of Prajapati is like actually reality, and he is only a historical person and by accepting the marriage as it is the indologist have proved their whole process of understanding history is faulty.  Rawth wilson & Max Muller have defended these theories. According to Max Mueller, Yama is day, Yami is Night, Although Max Muller does not directly say that Yama and Yami were the original people of the Indian culture,  in his book lecture of science (pgs no 510 , 521). To distort the symbolical aspects of our civilisation and misinterpreting its original meaning for colonising us is adharmic and should be termed as cultural genocide. This makes it necessary to understand and present the real meaning

In  essence those who do not see the vedic suktas from a Bharatiya perspective and Bharatiya understanding, they will be surprised and shocked, and it is not a shocking thing.   We can carefully observe the suktas in their original understanding.