Questions about Yama and Yami

[orlando]

Namaste all.
The following verses are from Rig-Veda,Book 10,hymn 10.
By http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv10010.htm
HYMN X.Yama Yami.
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 Tvastar, 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 Varuna 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 Surya'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.


Now please read Rig-Veda,Book 10,hymn 14.By http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv10014.htm
HYMN XIV. Yama.
1. HONOUR the King with thine oblations, Yama, Vivasvan'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 Angiras' sons, Brhaspati 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 Angirases and Fathers.
Let texts recited by the sages bring thee O King, let this oblation make thee joyful.
5 Come, Yama, with the Angirases the Holy, rejoice thee here with children of Virupa.
To sit on sacred grass at this our worship, I call Vivasvan, too, thy Father hither.
6 Our Fathers are Angirases, Navagvas, Atharvans, Bhrgus 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 Varuna 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, Sarama'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 Rsis of the ancient times, who made this path in days of old.
16 Into the six Expanses flies the Great One in Trkadrukas.
The Gayatri, the Trstup, all metres in Yama are contained.


Now please read Rig-Veda,Book 10,hymn 135
By http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv10135.htm
HYMN CXXXV. Yama.
1. IN the Tree clothed with goodly leaves where Yama drinketh with the Gods,
The Father, Master of the house, tendeth with love our ancient Sires.
2 I looked reluctantly on him who cherishes those men of old,
On him who treads that evil path, and then I yearned for this again.
3 Thou mountest, though thou dost not see, O Child, the new and wheel-less car
Which thou hast fashioned mentally, onepoled but turning every way.
4 The car which thou hast made to roll hitherward from the Sages, Child!
This hath the Saman followed close, hence, laid together on a ship.
5 Who was the father of the child? Who made the chariot roll away?
Who will this day declare to us how the funeral gift was made?
6 When the funeral gift was placed, straightway the point of flame appeared.
A depth extended in the front: a passage out was made behind.
7 Here is the seat where Yama dwells, that which is called the Home of Gods:
Here minstrels blow the flute for him here he is glorified with songs.

[orlando]

I have two questions:
1)Other than Rig-Veda and Maitrayana Samhita,are there other scriptures that talk about Yami,the twin sister of Yama?
2)The Vedas are pure mythology.If someone who consider all the hindu scriptures as historycal facts and he/she would ask me "How did the happy Yama become the judge of the sinners in the Puranas",how should I reply?
Did Lord Vishnu give him (Yama) this job?
Regards,
Orlando.

[sarabhanga]

Namaste Orlando,

I load you two with sacred offerings, repeating an ancient prayer; may the sound (of your approach) reach (the gods) like the path of the worshipper, may all the sons of the immortal (Prajapati) who inhabit the celestial regions hear (the sound). [RV:10.13.1]

When you two came, like twins, busily engaged (in the performance of your own duties of moving and bearing the oblation), then devout worshipper brought you forward; knowing your place there abide and be fair storehouses for our Soma. [RV:10.13.2]

I make the five stages of the sacrifice (i.e. grain, Soma, the kind, the Purodasha cake, and Ghee) ascend; I take four steps by pious observances; with the sacred syllable, I perfect this (adoration); I purify (the Soma) on the navel of the sacrifice. [RV 10:13.3]

Whom has he selected as the slayer of the gods? Whom has he not selected as non-slayer of the human race? (i.e. Yama ordained that gods should not die, and that men should receive immortality.) They have made the Rishi Brihaspati the sacrifice. Yama preserves our loved bodies. [RV:10.13.4]

The seven (metres) offer laudation to the glorious, the adorable parent, (the Soma), his sons (the priests) utter his true (praise); you both are lords of both (men and gods), you both exert yourselves and are the nourishers of both (men and gods). [RV:10.13.5]


Worship with oblations from Yama, king (of the Pitris), son of Vivasvat, the aggregation of mankind, who conducts those who are virtuous over the earth, and opens to many the path (of heaven). [RV:10.14.1]

Yama, the chief (of all), knows our well-being; this pasture no one can take from us; by the road by which our forefathers have gone, all who are born (proceed) along the paths they have made for themselves (i.e. according to their good and evil conduct). [RV 10:14 2]

Matalin (i.e. Indra) prospers with the Kavyas; Yama with the Angirasas; Brihaspati with the Rikvans; they whom the gods augment, and they who augment the gods, these rejoice in Svaha, those in the Svadha. [RV:10.14.3]

Yama, who are associated with the Angirasa Pitris, sit down at this sacrifice; may the prayers recited by the priests bring you here; be exhilarated, Sovereign (Yama), by this oblation. [RV:10.14.4]

Come here, Yama, with the venerable multiform Angirasas, and be exhilarated; I summon Vivasvat, who is your father, to this sacrifice; be seated on the sacred grass (delight the sacrificer). [RV:10.14.5]

The Angirasas, the Atharvas, the Bhrigus, who are entitled to the Soma, are our recent progenitors; may we ever have a place in the favour of these venerable (Pitris); may we be ever held in their auspicious regard. [RV:10.14.6]

Depart, depart, by the former paths by which our forefathers have departed; there shall you behold the two monarchs Yama and the divine Varuna rejoicing in the Svadha. [RV:10.14.7]

Be united with the Pitris, with Yama, and with the fulfillment of your wishes in the highest heaven; discarding iniquity, return to your abode, and unite yourself to a luminous body. [RV:10.14.8]

Depart from hence, be gone, go far off, (evil spirits); the Pitris have assigned this place to him (i.e. the departed worshipper), Yama has given him a place of cremation consecrated by days, streams and nights. [RV:10.14.9]

Pass by a secure path beyond the two spotted four-eyed dogs, the progeny of Sarama, and join the wise Pitris who rejoice joyfully with Yama. [RV:10.14.10]

Entrust him, O king, to your two dogs, which are your protectors, Yama, the four-eyed guardians of the road, renowned by men, and grant him prosperity and health. [RV:10.14.11]

The messengers of Yama, broad-nosed, and of exceeding strength, and satiating themselves with the life (of mortals), hunt mankind; may they allow us this day a prosperous existence here, that we may look upon the sun (or restore to us that fair life to look upon the sun ~ still speaking of the departed worshipper). [RV:10.14.12]

Pour out the Soma for Yama; to Yama offer the oblation, the decorated sacrifice of which Agni is the messenger proceeds to Yama. [RV:10.14.13]

Offer the oblation of clarified butter to Yama, and stand near (to the altar); it is he who among the gods gives us a long life to live. [RV:10.14.14]

Offer to the royal Yama this most sweet oblation; (let) this, our adoration (be addressed) to the ancient sages, the first followers of (virtuous) paths. [RV:10.14.15]

(Yama) acquires the three Trikadruka sacrifices (i.e. Jyotish, Gau and Ayu); the six earths (or substances ~ i.e. heaven, earth, water, plants, the sun, and truth), the one great (moving world); the Trishtubh, Gayatri, all the sacred metres converge in Yama. [RV:10.14.16]