Hymn to Yama
Rigveda X.14 is a sūkta (hymn of praise) from Maṇḍala 10 of the Rigveda, one of the 1,028 hymns organized within the ten books of the oldest Veda. The Rigveda was composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE in Vedic Sanskrit and preserved through oral transmission across millennia.
This is a Good Works Translation produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the Sanskrit of the Śākala recension.
To him who hath gone forth along the mighty slopes, who hath looked upon the path for many— the son of Vivasvant, gatherer of the tribes—to Yama the king be favor shown with offering.
Yama it was who first found the way for us; this broad land of rest is not to be taken away.
Along the path where our fathers of old did pass, those born of later days now walk their own ways.
Mātalī grew strong beside the poets; Yama stood with the Aṅgirases, and Br̥haspati with the singers of verse.
Some are made mighty by the gods, and some make the gods themselves more strong.
These are gladdened by the cry “svāhā”; the fathers rejoice in the whisper “svadhā.”
This grass here scattered—Yama, sit thee upon it, at peace with the Aṅgirases, our fathers of old.
Let the words of the seers bring thee hither; take joy, O king, in the gift we lay before thee.
Come with the Aṅgirases, who are worthy of the rite; rejoice here, Yama, with the Vairūpas.
I call to Vivasvant, thy father—take thy seat at this fire upon this holy grass.
The Aṅgirases, the forefathers, the Navagvas, the Atharvaṇs, the Br̥gus who are meet for the soma— may their favor fall upon us, may their goodwill shelter us as a cloak.
Go thou forth, follow the path of old, trodden by our fathers who have gone before.
There shalt thou behold two kings made glad with “svadhā”: Yama, and Varuṇa, god of the deep.
Join thyself unto the fathers, unto Yama, and to the gifts that have been offered and given.
Put off all blemish; come back to thy house. Be whole again, in thy full shining.
Depart, withdraw, and leave us here. For him alone is this world prepared by the fathers— a house of rest, anointed with water by day and night, which Yama bestoweth upon him.
Outrun the two hounds born of Saramā, four-eyed, dappled, watchers of the road.
Then draw nigh to the fathers who are easy to find, who sit in joy with Yama at the feast.
Thy hounds, O Yama—watchers with fourfold sight, who look upon men as they pass— unto them deliver this soul, O king. Grant him peace, and guard him from ailment.
Broad-nosed are thy messengers, reddish of hue, O Yama, takers of life, followers of men.
Let these two grant us life again, to rise and behold the sun with waking eyes.
For Yama press the soma; for Yama pour the draught.
To Yama let the rite be rightly made, with Agni as the go-between.
For Yama pour the ghee-laden gift, and set it forth aright.
He shall lead us unto the gods, to dwell in length of days.
For Yama the king, pour forth the sweetest offering.
Homage be to the seers of old, the ancient ones who shaped the path.
He rideth with the Trikadrukas; six are wide, yet one alone is high.
The triṣṭubh, the gāyatrī, and the sacred measures—all these are fixed in Yama.
Colophon
This hymn is drawn from the Śākala recension of the Rigveda, composed approximately 1700–1100 BCE. This is a Good Works Translation produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, translated independently from the Sanskrit. Reference translations consulted during original translation are to be documented during audit.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: ṛgveda X.14
Sanskrit source text from the Aufrecht edition (1877) via GRETIL (Van Nooten & Holland input). Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
pareyivāṁsam pravato mahīr anu bahubhyaḥ panthām anupaspaśānam |
vaivasvataṁ saṁgamanaṁ janānāṁ yamaṁ rājānaṁ haviṣā duvasya || 1 ||
yamo no gātum prathamo viveda naiṣā gavyūtir apabhartavā u |
yatrā naḥ pūrve pitaraḥ pareyur enā jajñānāḥ pathyā3 anu svāḥ || 2 ||
mātalī kavyair yamo aṅgirobhir bṛhaspatir ṛkvabhir vāvṛdhānaḥ |
yām̐ś ca devā vāvṛdhur ye ca devān svāhānye svadhayānye madanti || 3 ||
imaṁ yama prastaram ā hi sīdāṅgirobhiḥ pitṛbhiḥ saṁvidānaḥ |
ā tvā mantrāḥ kaviśastā vahantv enā rājan haviṣā mādayasva || 4 ||
aṅgirobhir ā gahi yajñiyebhir yama vairūpair iha mādayasva |
vivasvantaṁ huve yaḥ pitā te 'smin yajñe barhiṣy ā niṣadya || 5 ||
aṅgiraso naḥ pitaro navagvā atharvāṇo bhṛgavaḥ somyāsaḥ |
teṣāṁ vayaṁ sumatau yajñiyānām api bhadre saumanase syāma || 6 ||
prehi prehi pathibhiḥ pūrvyebhir yatrā naḥ pūrve pitaraḥ pareyuḥ |
ubhā rājānā svadhayā madantā yamam paśyāsi varuṇaṁ ca devam || 7 ||
saṁ gacchasva pitṛbhiḥ saṁ yameneṣṭāpūrtena parame vyoman |
hitvāyāvadyam punar astam ehi saṁ gacchasva tanvā suvarcāḥ || 8 ||
apeta vīta vi ca sarpatāto 'smā etam pitaro lokam akran |
ahobhir adbhir aktubhir vyaktaṁ yamo dadāty avasānam asmai || 9 ||
ati drava sārameyau śvānau caturakṣau śabalau sādhunā pathā |
athā pitṝn suvidatrām̐ upehi yamena ye sadhamādam madanti || 10 ||
yau te śvānau yama rakṣitārau caturakṣau pathirakṣī nṛcakṣasau |
tābhyām enam pari dehi rājan svasti cāsmā anamīvaṁ ca dhehi || 11 ||
urūṇasāv asutṛpā udumbalau yamasya dūtau carato janām̐ anu |
tāv asmabhyaṁ dṛśaye sūryāya punar dātām asum adyeha bhadram || 12 ||
yamāya somaṁ sunuta yamāya juhutā haviḥ |
yamaṁ ha yajño gacchaty agnidūto araṁkṛtaḥ || 13 ||
yamāya ghṛtavad dhavir juhota pra ca tiṣṭhata |
sa no deveṣv ā yamad dīrgham āyuḥ pra jīvase || 14 ||
yamāya madhumattamaṁ rājñe havyaṁ juhotana |
idaṁ nama ṛṣibhyaḥ pūrvajebhyaḥ pūrvebhyaḥ pathikṛdbhyaḥ || 15 ||
trikadrukebhiḥ patati ṣaḻ urvīr ekam id bṛhat |
triṣṭub gāyatrī chandāṁsi sarvā tā yama āhitā || 16 ||
Source Colophon
Sanskrit text of the Rigveda, Śākala recension. The standard scholarly edition is the Bombay Oriental (Vishva Bandhu, 5 vols., 1963–66). IAST transliteration available from GRETIL (Göttingen Register of Electronic Texts in Indian Languages) and Vedaweb (University of Cologne). Both sources are open access. IAST transliteration from the Aufrecht edition (1877) via GRETIL (Van Nooten & Holland input, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
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