The Religion of the Veda: The Ancient Religion of India (from Rig-Veda to Upanishads) c8.75

c8.75

Truth and lie include, by an easy transition, right and wrong-doing. In a famous hymn¹ Yamī (Eve) invites Yama (Adam) to incestuous intercourse. Mythically speaking this is, of course, unavoidable: they are the first pair, and there are no other human beings whatsoever. But the poet conceives of the situation in the spirit of his own time. When Yamī pretends to justify the act Yama exclaims pithily: "In saying the *ṛta* we shall really say the *anṛta*," which, rendered more broadly, means to say: "When we pretend to justify the act as being *ṛta*, 'right-doing,' we really shall knowingly engage in *anṛta*, 'wrong-doing.'" We may imagine Yama finally saying: "Anyhow, don't let us beat the devil about the stump!"