Varuna
The God Varuna on his mount makara, 1675-1700 Painting; Watercolor, Opaque watercolor and gold on paper, Made in: India, Rajasthan, Bundi placed in LACMA museum
Order (ṛta), Law, the Sky and the Ocean
Devanagari	वरुण
Affiliation	Aditya, Asura but later on as a Deva, Guardians of the directions
Abode	Celestial ocean (Rasā)
Mantra	Oṃ Vaṃ Varuṇāya Namaḥ
Weapon	Pasha(Lasso) or Varunastra
Consort	Varuni
Mount	Makara (Hindu mythology)
Planet	Venus
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In Vedic religion, Varuna (Devanagari:वरुण, IAST:varuṇa) is a god of the sky, of rain and of the celestial ocean, as well as a god of law and of the underworld. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, also known as LACMA, is an Art museum in Los Angeles County California. Sanskrit ṛtá (sa ऋत as used in Vedic Sanskrit literally means the "order or course of things" cognate to Avestan Aša Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society The sky is the part of the Atmosphere or of Outer space visible from the surface of any Astronomical object. An ocean (from Greek, ''Okeanos'' (Oceanus) is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the Hydrosphere. In Hinduism, the Ādityas are a group of Devas or celestial gods the sons of Āditi and Kashyapa. In Hinduism In Hinduism, the Asura ( Sanskrit: असुर are a group of power-seeking deities sometimes referred to as Demons or sinful Deva (देव in Devanagari script pronounced as /'d̪evə/ is the Sanskrit word for "god Deity " The Guardians of the Directions ( Sanskrit Dikpāla s / दिक्पाल are the deities who rule the specific directions of space according to Several mythologies have the notion of a celestial ocean or river, enveloping the World both above the heavenly sphere and below the Underworld Rasa ( rásā sa रसा means "moisture humidity" in Vedic Sanskrit, and appears as the name of a western tributary of the Indus in the The Varunastra ( Sanskrit वरुणास्त्र is the water weapon (a storm incepted by God Varuna, master of the oceans rivers and lakes Varuni or Varunani is the female consort of Varuna and the goddess of wine and intoxication in Hindu mythology. to Hindu mythology, Makara, a mythical creature is the Vahana of Ganga and Varuna. The VENUS ( V ictoria E xperimental N etwork U nder the S ea project is a cabled sea floor observatory operated by the University This article discusses the historical religious practices in the Vedic time period see Hinduism and Indian religions for details The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration ( IAST) is a popular Transliteration scheme that allows a lossless Romanization of Indic The sky is the part of the Atmosphere or of Outer space visible from the surface of any Astronomical object. Rain is Liquid precipitation. On Earth it is the condensation of atmospheric Water vapor into drops heavy enough to fall often making it to Several mythologies have the notion of a celestial ocean or river, enveloping the World both above the heavenly sphere and below the Underworld Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society In the study of Mythology and Religion, the underworld (gr κάτω κόσμος) is a generic term approximately equivalent to the lay term Afterlife He is the most prominent Asura in the Rigveda, and chief of the Gods. In Hinduism In Hinduism, the Asura ( Sanskrit: असुर are a group of power-seeking deities sometimes referred to as Demons or sinful The Rigveda ( Sanskrit sa ऋग्वेद ṛgveda, a compound of ṛc "praise verse" and veda "knowledge" In later Hinduism, he continued his dominion over all forms of the water element, particularly the oceans.

Vedic and other roles

As chief of the Adityas, Varuna has aspects of a solar deity. In Hinduism, the Ādityas are a group of Devas or celestial gods the sons of Āditi and Kashyapa. "Sun god" redirects here For the Ramsey Lewis album see Sun Goddess (album. As the most prominent Asura, however, he is more concerned with moral and societal affairs than a deification of nature. In Hinduism In Hinduism, the Asura ( Sanskrit: असुर are a group of power-seeking deities sometimes referred to as Demons or sinful Together with Mitra – originally oath personified — being master of ṛtá, he is the supreme keeper of order and god of the law. This article is about the Vedic deity Mitra. For other divinities with related names see the general article Mitra. An oath (from Anglo-Saxon āð, also called plight) is either a Promise or a Statement of Fact calling Sanskrit ṛtá (sa ऋत as used in Vedic Sanskrit literally means the "order or course of things" cognate to Avestan Aša Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society

Varuna and Mitra are the gods of the oath, often twinned or identified as Mitra-Varuna (a dvandva compound). An oath (from Anglo-Saxon āð, also called plight) is either a Promise or a Statement of Fact calling Mitra and Varuna are two deities ( Asuras frequently referred to in the ancient Indian scripture of the Rigveda. A dvandva or copulative or coordinative compound refers to two or more objects that could be connected in sense by the conjunction 'and' Varuna is also twinned with Indra in the Rigveda, as Indra-Varuna. Indra ( Sanskrit: इन्द्र or इंद्र Indra, Malay: Indera, Thai: พระอินทร์ Phra-Intra

As a sky god, Varuna may either correspond to, or rule over, the dark half of the sky — or celestial ocean (Rasā), hence being also a god of rain — or represent the 'dark' side of the Sun as it travels back from West to East during the night. Several mythologies have the notion of a celestial ocean or river, enveloping the World both above the heavenly sphere and below the Underworld Rasa ( rásā sa रसा means "moisture humidity" in Vedic Sanskrit, and appears as the name of a western tributary of the Indus in the Rain is Liquid precipitation. On Earth it is the condensation of atmospheric Water vapor into drops heavy enough to fall often making it to The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System.

The Atharvaveda^[1] portrays Varuna as omniscient, catching liars in his snares. The Atharvaveda ( Sanskrit: अथर्ववेद atharvaveda, a Tatpurusha compound of {{IAST|atharvan}}, an ancient Rishi The stars are his thousand-eyed spies, watching every movement of men.

In the Rigveda, Indra, chief of the Devas, is about six times more prominent than Varuna, who is mentioned 341 times. The Rigveda ( Sanskrit sa ऋग्वेद ṛgveda, a compound of ṛc "praise verse" and veda "knowledge" Indra ( Sanskrit: इन्द्र or इंद्र Indra, Malay: Indera, Thai: พระอินทร์ Phra-Intra Deva (देव in Devanagari script pronounced as /'d̪evə/ is the Sanskrit word for "god Deity " This may misrepresent the actual importance of Varuna in early Vedic society due to the focus of the Rigveda on fire and Soma ritual, Soma being closely associated with Indra; Varuna with his omniscience and omnipotence in the affairs of men has many aspects of a supreme deity. Worship or deification of Fire (also pyrodulia pyrolatry or pyrolatria is known from various religions Soma ( Sanskrit: सोम) or Haoma ( Avestan) from Proto-Indo-Iranian * sauma-, was a ritual drink of importance

Both Mitra and Varuna are classified as Asuras in the Rigveda (e. In Hinduism In Hinduism, the Asura ( Sanskrit: असुर are a group of power-seeking deities sometimes referred to as Demons or sinful g. RV 5. The fifth Mandala of the Rigveda has 87 hymns Most hymns in this book are attributed to the Atri family 63. 3), although they can already be addressed to as Devas as well (e. Deva (देव in Devanagari script pronounced as /'d̪evə/ is the Sanskrit word for "god Deity " g. RV 7. The seventh Mandala of the Rigveda has 104 hymns Most hymns in this book are attributed to {{IAST|vasiṣṭha maitravaurṇi}}. 60. 12), possibly indicating the beginning of the negative connotations carried by Asura in later times.

Varuna later became the god of oceans and rivers and keeper of the souls of the drowned. An ocean (from Greek, ''Okeanos'' (Oceanus) is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the Hydrosphere. "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there As such, Varuna is also a god of the dead, and can grant immortality. Immortality (or eternal life) is the concept of living in physical or spiritual form for an Infinite length of Time. From the name Varuna comes the name Varun which means wind. He is attended by the nagas. Nāga ( नाग, IAST: nāgá, Indonesian: naga, Javanese: nogo, Khmer: neak) is He is also one of the Guardians of the directions, representing the west. The Guardians of the Directions ( Sanskrit Dikpāla s / दिक्पाल are the deities who rule the specific directions of space according to

Later art depicts Varuna as a lunar deity, as a yellow man wearing golden armor and holding a noose or lasso made from a snake. In Mythology, a lunar deity is a God or Goddess associated with or symbolizing the moon see Moon (mythology. A snake is an elongate Reptile of the suborder Serpentes Like all reptiles snakes are covered in scales. He rides the sea monster Makara.

Varuna's role may be compared to that of Poseidon in Greek mythology. In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance

Varuna in the Ramayana

Raja Ravi Varma Painting - 'Rama Conquers Varuna'

Faced with the dilemma of how to cross the ocean to Lanka, where his kidnapped wife Sita is held captive by the demon king Ravana, Rama (an Avatar of Vishnu) performs a penance (tapasya) to Varuna, the Lord of Oceans, fasting and meditating in perfect dhyana for three days and three nights. The Rāmāyaṇa ( Devanāgarī: sa रामायण is an ancient Sanskrit epic attributed to the Hindu sage ( Maharishi) Valmiki Raja Ravi Varma ( April 29, 1848 - October 2, 1906) was an Indian painter who achieved recognition for his depiction of scenes Lanka ( Sanskrit: लंका lankā means "island" is the name given in Hindu mythology to the island fortress capital of the SITA is a multinational Information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the Aviation industry For the South Indian film see Ravana (film. Ravanaa, also transliterated as Raavana, Ravan or Rama ( IAST: rāma Devanāgarī: राम Khmer: Phreah Ream Thai: Phra Ram Lao: Phra Lam Tagalog: Avatar or Avatara (अवतार IAST Avatāra) is often inaccurately translated into English as incarnation For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific Tapas ( tápas) in Sanskrit means "heat" In Vedic religion and Hinduism, it is used figuratively denoting spiritual suffering Dhyāna in Hinduism See also Dhyana in Hinduism In Hinduism dhyana is considered to be an instrument to gain self knowledge separating maya from Varuna does not respond, and Rama arises on the fourth morning, enraged by the God's arrogance. With his bow and arrow, he angrily begins attacking the oceans with celestial weapons - burning up the waters and killing its life and creatures. The Vanaras (Monkeys) are dazzled and fearful at witnessing the enraged Rama demolish the oceans, and his brother, Lakshmana, prays to calm Rama's mind. Lakshmana ( Sanskrit: लक्ष्मण IAST Lakṣmaṇa Malay: Laksmana Thai / Lao: Phra Lak was the brother and close companion Just as Rama invokes the brahmastra, considered the most powerful weapon capable of destroying all creation, Varuna arises out of the oceans. In Hindu scriptures a Brahmastra ( IAST: Brahmāstra Sanskrit: ब्रह्‍मास्‍त्र is a Weapon created by Brahma He bows to Rama, explaining that he himself was at a loss to answer Rama's question. Begging him not to destroy the oceans with the missile, he suggests that Rama re-direct the weapon at a demonic race that lives in the heart of the ocean. Rama's arrows destroys the demons, and establishes a purer, liberated environment there. Varuna promises that he would keep the oceans still for all of Rama's army to pass, and Nala constructs a bridge (Rama's Bridge) across to Lanka. Adam's Bridge ( Tamil: ta ஆதாம் பாலம்) also known as Rama's Bridge or Ram Setu ( Tamil: ta இராமர் Rama justifies his angry assault on the oceans as he followed the correct process of petitioning and worshipping Varuna, but obtaining the result by force for the greater good. ^[2]

In Zoroastrianism

Varuna is not attested in the texts of the Avesta or in the Zoroastrian Pahlavi literature. The Avesta is the primary collection of sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, composed in the Avestan language. Middle Persian literature is Persian literature of the 1st millennium AD, especially of the Sassanid period The nearest homonymn is Varena, the four-cornered fourteenth region of the world (Vendidad 1. 17) and populated by "fiends" and "savage, non-Aryan natives" (Vd 7. 10). In Yasht 15, Haoshyangha begs for a boon that he might smite "two-thirds of the daevas of Mazana and of the fiends of Varena". Daeva ( daēuua, daāua, daēva) is the Avestan language term for a particular sort of supernatural entity with disagreeable characteristics Mazandaran is a Caspian (Yt 15. 2. 6) An individual who does not follow daena "[the good] religion" is an anya-varena. (Yasna 16. 2; Vd 12. 21, 15. 2)

Since the mid-1900s, both Indologists and Iranists have endeavoured to project back the respective pantheons into the Indo-Iranian age. Among these efforts are several that attempt to identify what Vedic Varuna's Indo-Iranian predecessor may have been, and then descend via the other branch and so identify what this Indo-Iranian divinity has evolved into. What use such an intellectual exercise might have has been repeatedly questioned (e. g. Wright BSOAS 40. 3:633), but ignoring these, present-day consensus considers Vedic Varuna to be descended from an Indo-Iranian *vouruna. Indo-Iranian peoples consist of the Indo-Aryan, Iranian, Dardic and Nuristani peoples that is speakers of Indo-Iranian languages What that divinity might have been like, or which divinity he evolved into in Iran remains a matter of debate. It should moreover be stressed that the identification applies to Indo-Iranian *vouruna and not Hinduism's Varuna. Linguistic cognateness does not imply similarity in nature or quality (eg daeva and deva). Daeva ( daēuua, daāua, daēva) is the Avestan language term for a particular sort of supernatural entity with disagreeable characteristics Deva (देव in Devanagari script pronounced as /'d̪evə/ is the Sanskrit word for "god Deity "

Dumezil (Tarpeia 1947:33-113) sees Varuna represented as the Amesha Spenta Asha Vahishta "Best Righteousness", an opinion - with extensions - that Widengren (Die Religionen Irans, 1965:12-13) and Nyberg (Die Religionen des alten Iran, 1938:282ff) also follow. ae Amesha Spenta ( ae Aməša Spənta) is an Avestan language term for a class of divinity/divine concepts in Zoroastrianism, and literally means "Bounteous Asha ( aša) or arta is the Avestan language term for a concept of cardinal importance to Zoroastrian theology and doctrine

Kuiper (IIJ I, 1957) proposes that none less than Ahura Mazda is a development from *vouruna-*mitra. Ahura Mazda ( ae Ahura Mazdā) is the Avestan language name for a divinity exalted by Zoroaster as the one uncreated Creator The basis of Kuiper's proposal is that the equivalent of Avestan mazda "wisdom" is Vedic medhira, described in Rigveda 8. 6. 10 as the "(revealed) insight into the cosmic order" that Varuna grants his devotees. In Kuiper's view, Ahura Mazda is then a compound divinity in which the propitious characteristics of *mitra negate the unfavorable qualities of *vouruna.

It has also been observed that Varuna has the by-name Bhaga, that is - as Baga - attested in the Avesta. Sanskrit bhaga is a term for "lord patron" but also for "wealth prosperity" (eg Zimmer, Münchner Studien 1984:187-215) This would then be a cult epithet, the proper name having been forgotten - a not uncommon occurrence. This may be seen to be reflected in Artaxerxes III's invocation of ahuramazda ura mithra baga "Ahura Mazda, Mithra and the Baga" (Boyce, Acta Iranica 21, 1981:59-73). Artaxerxes III of Persia ( Ca 425 BC &ndash 338 BC ( Old Persian: 𐎠𐎼𐎫𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎠 transliterated as Artaxšaçrā) was the Great

In the Gathas, the hymns considered to have been composed by Zoroaster himself, the poet does not specify which of the divinities (aside from Ahura Mazda) he considers to be ahuras. The word "Gātha" means a "hymn of praise" in the earliest Indo-Iranian poetry Ahura Mazda ( ae Ahura Mazdā) is the Avestan language name for a divinity exalted by Zoroaster as the one uncreated Creator While Ahura Mazda is uniformly "the mightiest Ahura" (eg Yasna 33. 11), in the only two occurrences of the term where the word does not refer to Ahura Mazda, the poet uses the expression mazdasca ahurano (Yasna 30. 9, 31. 4). This phrase, generally understood to mean "the Wise [Mazda] One and the (other) Ahuras", is in "common opinion" (so Boyce 1984:159) recognized as being archaic and in which the other Ahuras are *mitra and *varouna. Boyce (Mithra the King and Varuna the Master, 2001) sees this supported by the younger Avestan dvandvah expression mithra ahura berezanta "Mithra and the High Lord", the latter being unambiguously Apam Napat, the third member of the Ahuric triad. Burz is the Middle Persian name for the Indo-Iranian divinity of waters (Gray, Foundations, 1929:15)

For each of the above identifications there are numerous counter-identifications and it is unlikely that a shared opinion will crystallize in the near future.

Notes

1. ^ Shaunakiya Atharvaveda 4. 16, corresponding to Paippalada 5. 32.
2. ^ R. Menon, The Ramayana, pp. 376-81

See also

• Rigvedic deities
• Mitra (Vedic)
• Adityas
• Guardians of the directions
• The king and Varuna