Yama () is a Hindi poetry collection composed by Mahadevi Varma. It compiles poems from her four earlier collections and was first published in 1939. The collection also contains several paintings, and line arts created by the poet herself.

Influenced by devotional and mystical traditions, the collection is characterized by introspective depth, emotional nuance, and a contemplative, philosophical style. For this work, Varma was presented with India's highest literary honor—the Jñānapīṭh Award for 1982—at a ceremony held in 1983. Selected poems from the collection have been set to classical and contemporary music and translated into English and several Indian languages.

Content The title Yāmā is derived from the feminine plural of yām, a term referring to the four divisions of either the daytime or the night. The choice of title is symbolic, reflecting the poetic phases across the poet's four previous works — Nīhār (Mist, 1930), Raśmi (A Ray of Light, 1932), Nīrajā (Blossomed Lotus, 1933), and Sāndhyagīt (Twilight Song, 1936). In the preface to the book, the poet states:

The collection comprises 185 lyric poems in total, drawing 47 from Nīhār, 35 from Raśmi, 58 from Nīrajā, and 45 from Sāndhyagīt. Some early editions of Yāmā also included tipped-in pages featuring illustrations created by the poet herself, reflecting the stylistic influence of the Bengal School of Art. Additionally, the imprints by Kitabistan featured an introductory poem that combined a wash-style painting with Varma's handwritten text; this poem was omitted in later editions and other compilations of her work. The current edition by Lokbharti Prakashan contains only a reduced selection of 63 poems from the complete volume and excludes all artwork.

Themes The collection reflects the central themes of Chhayavad, the literary movement to which Varma is attributed to. It explores motifs such as separation, yearning, existential melancholy, divine beloved, bond with nature, and the pursuit of spiritual transcendence.

The collection traces the evolving stages of the poet's emotional journey and poetic expression, moving from a state of wonder, confusion, and turmoil to one of contemplation, reflection, and ultimately, a serene acceptance of pleasure and sorrow.

Analysis

Literary critic, Acharya Ramchandra Shukla, noted that the sorrow of separation from an unseen beloved evokes a rich spectrum of emotions. He admired the lyrical brilliance of the poetry, highlighting Varma's unmatched ability to craft songs that combined refined language, profound emotional resonance, and a distinctive expressive power. While acknowledging her poetic achievements, Shukla also reflected on whether the deeply personal and seemingly otherworldly emotions in her work arose from lived experience or were the product of poetic imagination.

Nand Dulare Bajpai observes that Varma's poetry draws significantly from the devotional and mystical traditions, particularly the saguṇa-sākāra mode—worship of the absolute with form. He characterizes her style as introspective and emotionally refined. Her poetic strength lies in her ability to express spiritual sorrow subtly, though he also notes that her use of abstract imagery can, at times, lead to obscurity. Drawing comparisons to poets such as Meera and Tagore, Bajpai highlights Varma's restraint, philosophical tone, and meditative quality as distinctive features of her work.

David Rubin, an American author and translator, observed Varma as the most elusive among the Chhayavadi poets and also the most challenging to translate, since the meaning in her work is inseparably bound to its subtle and allusive musicality. In her poetry, music itself becomes a vehicle of meaning, distinguishing her use of themes and images from that of the early Bhakti poets. Her writings, therefore, require from readers not only considerable patience but also an almost ecstatic immersion.

Reception

The Bhāratīya Jñānapīṭh on the occasion of Guru Purnima observed on July 24, 1983, announced Mahadevi Varma as the recipient of the 18th (1982) Jñānapīṭh Award. Shortly after the announcement, in an interview broadcast on Akashvani (AIR) with Agyeya, she expressed:

That year, the criterion for awarding moved away from honoring a single work. Although Yāmā is a single volume, it was recognized more as a representative collection reflecting Mahadevi Varma's literary contribution than as one standalone creation.

The award was presented on November 28, 1983, by the then British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, who recited translated excerpts from Varma's poem Us Pār during the ceremony. The ceremony was also attended by P. V. Narasimha Rao, who was serving as India's Minister of External Affairs at the time and was also the Chairman of the Jñānapīṭh Selection Board. Varma donated the entire prize money of ₹1,50,000 to a fund she had established for the welfare of indigent writers and their families.

Legacy Several poems from Yāmā have been musically interpreted in both light and classical forms. In the 1970s, a selection of some poems was set to music by Jaidev and rendered by Asha Bhosle. The television channel DD Sahyadri aired a series titled Madhurima, one episode of which was devoted to a musical rendition of Varma's poetry. Dhrupad vocalists Ramakant and Umakant Gundecha have also composed and performed select poems from the collection. Additionally, contemporary poet Kumar Vishwas included songs from Yāmā in his musical album Tarpan, a derivative of his biographical series Mahakavi. An overview of such musical settings is given in the following table. Section Poem Album Composer(s) Singer(s) Nīhār Jo tum aa jate ek baar Suranjali, Tarpan Jaidev,Kumar Vishwas Asha Bhosle,Ankisha Srivastava Raśmi Kaise unko paun aali Suranjali,Trikon ka chautha kon Jaidev Asha Bhosle,Chhaya Ganguly Nīrajā Vasant Rajani Tarpan Kumar Vishwas Kumar Vishwas Kaun tum mere hriday mein Madhurima Ravindra Jain Hemlata Been bhi hoon main Tarpan Kumar Vishwas Ankisha Srivastava Madhur madhur mere deepak jal Suranjali Jaidev Asha Bhosle Mukhar pik haule bol Suranjali Jaidev Asha Bhosle Tum so jao main gaun Suranjali Jaidev Asha Bhosle Sāndhyagīt Priya! sandhygagan Madhurima Ravindra Jain Hemlata Shoonya mandir Madhurima Ravindra Jain Kavita Krishnamurthy Main neer bhari Dhrupad album,Tarpan Gundecha Brothers,Kumar Vishwas Gundecha Brothers,Ankisha Srivastava Jaag tujhko door jana Madhurima Ravindra Jain Kumar Sanu

Translations Selections from Yāmā were translated into English by L. S. Sinha and published in 1987 by Writers Workshop Kolkata. Additional English translations by the American writer David Rubin appeared in two notable anthologies: The Return of Sarasvati: Four Hindi Poets (1998) and Of Love and War: A Chhayavad Anthology (2005), both issued by Oxford University Press.

In addition to English translations, several poems from Yāmā have also been translated into Indian languages. A Bangla translation by Ujjal Singha, titled Mahadevi Racanā-Saṃcayan, was published in 2014 by the Sahitya Akademi. This collection includes selections from Yāmā as well as a few of her prose essays and memoirs. A Telugu compilation, Mahadevi Varma Gītalu, rendered by Chaganti Tulasi, was published in 2015 by Chaso Sphurti Publications. In Odia, a translation by Niharika Mallick, Mahādebī Barmāṅka Nirbācita Kabitā, was released in 2022 by Anubad Sahitya Parisad.

See also Symbolism Deepshikha Hindi literature List of Hindi poets Ram Ki Shakti Puja

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