The Religion of the Veda: The Ancient Religion of India (from Rig-Veda to Upanishads) c8.103

c8.103

From a later time, yet still a very early time, namely, the Indo-Iranian period, comes the Vedic myth of Yama, the son of Vivasvant. This myth is the clearest and best-preserved common piece of property of the two religions. As to the component ideas of this myth I see no room for doubt. Yama means "twin." He is the male of the obligatory twin pair that is required to people the world in real earnest. The female Yamī, little as is said about her in the earlier parts of the myth, plays Eve to Yama's Adam. She is, however, not Yama’s bone, but his independent, self-poised sister. As a truthful historian I have been compelled to record that Yamī, like Eve, was the prime mover in the nefarious but necessary act of peopling the world.