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Varuna

March 11, 2023

For the possible dwarf planet, see 20000 Varuna. For other uses, see Varuna (disambiguation).

Varuna (/ˈvɜːrʊnə, ˈvɑːrə-/;[2] Sanskrit: वरुण, IAST: Váruṇa) is a Hindu god, associated with the sky, oceans and water. In the Vedic scriptures, he is paired with the god Mitra and is the lord of Ṛta (justice) and Satya (truth).[3][4] Varuna is also mentioned as an Aditya, the sons of the goddess Aditi.[5]

Varuna
God of Water, Oceans, and Sky
Member of Adityas
The God Varuna on his mount Makara, 1675–1700
Painted in: India, Rajasthan, Bundi, placed in LACMA museum
AffiliationAdityas, Deva, Dikpala
AbodeOcean
MantraOm Jala bimbhaya
Vidhmahe Nila
Purushaya Dheemahe
Thanno Varuna Prachodayath
and Om Varunaaya Namah
WeaponNoose, Varunastra, Gandiva
MountMakara
Personal information
Parents
ConsortVarunani and Gauri (chief consorts)[a]
ChildrenSushena, Vandi, Dakshasavarni Manu, Vasishtha, Pushkara, Bala, Sura, Andharmaka (sons) and Varuni (daughter)[1]

In the later Hindu texts like the Puranas, Varuna is also a Dikpala or guardian of the western direction. He is depicted as a youthful man, mounted on Makara (crocodile) and holding a Pasha (noose, rope loop) and a pitcher in his hands.[3][6][4] He has multiple wives and fathered many children, including the Vedic sage Vasishtha.[3]

He is also mentioned in the Tamil grammar work Tolkāppiyam, as Kadalon the god of sea and rain.[7] He is found in Japanese Buddhist mythology as Suiten.[6] He is also found in Jainism.[8][9]

Etymology

 
Varuna iconography at the 11th-century Rajarani Hindu temple.[10]

In Hindu tradition, the theonym Váruṇa (Devanagari: वरुण) is described as a derivation from the verbal root vṛ ("to surround, to cover" or "to restrain, bind") by means of a suffixal -uṇa-, for an interpretation of the name as "he who covers or binds", in reference to the cosmological ocean or river encircling the world, but also in reference to the "binding" by universal law or Ṛta.[6]

Georges Dumézil (1934) made a cautious case for the identity of Varuna and the Greek god Ouranos at the earliest Indo-European cultural level.[11][12] The etymological identification of the name Ouranos with the Sanskrit Varuṇa is based in the derivation of both names from the PIE root *ŭer with a sense of "binding" – the Indic king-god Varuṇa binds the wicked, the Greek king-god Ouranos binds the Cyclopes. This derivation of the Greek name is now widely rejected in favour of derivation from the root *wers- "to moisten, drip" (Sanskrit vṛṣ "to rain, pour").[13]

Hindu texts

Vedas

In the earliest layer of the Rigveda, Varuna is the guardian of moral law, one who punishes those who sin without remorse, and who forgives those who err with remorse.[14][15] He is mentioned in many Rigvedic hymns, such as 7.86–88, 1.25, 2.27–30, 8.8, 9.73 and others.[14][6] His relationship with waters, rivers and oceans is mentioned in the Vedas. Rig veda 10.123 says Hiranyapaksha (golden winged bird) as the messenger of Varuna. The golden winged messenger bird of Varuna may not be a mythical one but most probably flamingos because they have colourful wings and the sukta further describes Vulture as the messenger of Yama, the beaks of both these birds have similar morphology and flamingos are seen nearby seashores and marshlands.[16][17]

Varuna and Mitra are the gods of the societal affairs including the oath, and are often twinned Mitra-Varuna.[18][19] Both Mitra and Varuna are classified as Asuras in the Rigveda (e.g. RV 5.63.3), although they are also addressed as Devas as well (e.g. RV 7.60.12).[20] Varuna, being the king of the Asuras, was adopted or made the change to a Deva after the structuring of the primordial cosmos, imposed by Indra after he defeats Vrtra.[21]

 
Varuna with Varunani. Statue carved out of basalt, dates back to 8th century CE, discovered in Karnataka. On display at the Prince of Wales museum, Mumbai.

According to Doris Srinivasan, a professor of Indology focusing on religion, Varuna-Mitra pair is an ambiguous deity just like Rudra-Shiva pair.[22] Both have wrathful-gracious aspects in Indian mythology.[23] Both Varuna and Rudra are synonymous with "all comprehensive sight, knowledge", both were the guardian deity of the north in the Vedic texts (Varuna later gets associated with west), both can be offered "injured, ill offerings", all of which suggest that Varuna may have been conceptually overlapping with Rudra.[22] Further, the Rigvedic hymn 5.70 calls Mitra-Varuna pair as rudra, states Srinivasan.[22] According to Samuel Macey and other scholars, Varuna had been the more ancient Indo-Aryan deity in 2nd millennium BCE, who gave way to Rudra in the Hindu pantheon, and Rudra-Shiva became both "timeless and the god of time".[23][24]

In Vajasaneyi Samhita 21.40 (Yajurveda), Varuna is called the patron deity of physicians, one who has "a hundred, a thousand remedies".[22] His capacity and association with "all comprehensive knowledge" is also found in the Atharvaveda (~1000 BCE).[25] Varuna also finds a mention in the early Upanishads, where his role evolves. In verse 3.9.26 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (~800 BCE), for example, he is stated to be the god of the western quarter, but one who is founded on "water" and dependent ultimately on "the heart" and the fire of soul.[26] In the Katha Upanishad, Aditi is identified to be same as the goddess earth. She is stated in the Vedic texts to be the mother of Varuna and Mitra along with other Vedic gods, and in later Hindu mythology she as mother earth is stated to be mother of all gods.[27][28]

In Yajurveda it is said: "In fact Varuna is Vishnu and Vishnu is Varuna and hence the auspicious offering is to be made to these deities." || 8.59 ||[29]

Upanishads

Varuna, addressed as Varuni explained Brahman in Taittiriya Upanishad to sage Bhrigu. First six anuvakas of Bhrigu Valli are called Bhargavi Varuni Vidya, which means "the knowledge Bhrigu got from (his father) Varuni". It is in these anuvakas that sage Varuni advises Bhrigu with one of the oft-cited definition of Brahman, as "that from which beings originate, through which they live, and in which they re-enter after death, explore that because that is Brahman".[30] This thematic, all encompassing, eternal nature of reality and existence develops as the basis for Bhrigu's emphasis on introspection, to help peel off the outer husks of knowledge, in order to reach and realize the innermost kernel of spiritual Self-knowledge.[30]

Ramayana

 
Varuna himself arose from the depth of the ocean and begged Rama for forgiveness.

Rama interacts with Varuna in the Hindu epic Ramayana. For example, faced with the dilemma of how to cross the ocean to Lanka, where his abducted wife Sita is held captive by the demon king Ravana, Rama (an Avatar of Vishnu) performs a pravpavesha (prayer, tapasya) to Varuna, the Lord of Oceans, for three days and three nights, states Ramesh Menon.[31] Varuna does not respond, and Rama arises on the fourth morning, enraged. He states to his brother Lakshamana that "even lords of the elements listen only to violence, Varuna does not respect gentleness, and peaceful prayers go unheard".[31]

With his bow and arrow, Rama prepares to attack the oceans to dry up the waters and create a bed of sand for his army of monkeys to cross and thus confront Ravana. Lakshmana appeals to Rama, translates Menon, that he should return to "peaceful paths of our fathers, you can win this war without laying waste the sea".[31] Rama shoots his weapon sending the ocean into flames. As Rama increases the ferocity of his weapons, Varuna arises out of the oceans. He bows to Rama, stating that he himself did not know how to help Rama because the sea is deep, vast and he cannot change the nature of sea. Varuna asked Rama to remember that he is "the soul of peace and love, wrath does not suit him". Varuna promised to Rama that he will not disturb him or his army as they build a bridge and cross over to Lanka. Although, most of the sources claim it was Samudra, the god of the oceans who met Rama not the water god Varuna.[31]

In Tolkappiyam

The Tolkāppiyam, a Tamil grammar work from 3rd century BCE divides the people of ancient Tamilakam into five Sangam landscape divisions: kurinji, mullai, paalai, marutham and neithal.[32] Each landscape is designated with different gods. Neithal is described as a seashore landscape occupied by fishermen and seatraders, with the god of sea and rain, Varunan or Kadalōn.[7][33] "Varuna" means water which denotes the ocean in the Tamil language.[34]

Festivals

Main articles: Cheti Chand and Chalio

Cheti Chand

The Cheti Chand festival in the Hindu month of Chaitra[35] marks the arrival of spring and harvest, but in Sindhi Hindu community, it also marks the mythical birth of Uderolal in the year 1007.[36][37][38] Uderolal morphed into a warrior and old man who preached and reprimanded Mirkhshah that Muslims and Hindus deserve the same religious freedoms. He, as Jhulelal,[38] became the saviour of the Sindhi Hindus, who according to this legend, celebrate the new year as Uderolal's birthday.[38][36]

Chaliya saheb

Chalio or Chaliho, also called Chaliho Sahib, is a forty-day-long festival celebrated by Sindhi Hindus[39][40][41] to express their gratitude to Jhulelal for saving them from their impending conversion to Islam. The festival is observed every year in the months of July to August; dates vary according to Hindu calendar.[39][40] It is a thanksgiving celebration in honor of Varuna Deva for listening to their prayers.[39][40]

Narali Poornima

Main article: Narali Poornima

Nārali Poornima is a ceremonial day observed by Hindu fishing communities in Maharashtra, India particularly around Mumbai and the Konkan coast. It is held on the full-moon day of the Hindu month of Shravan which falls around July or August. On this day offerings such as rice, flowers and coconuts as offered to Lord Varuna, the god of ocean and waters.[42]

Beyond Hinduism and India

Sri Lankan Tamils (Karaiyar caste)

Karaiyar is a Sri Lankan Tamil caste found mainly on the northern and eastern coastal areas of Sri Lanka, and globally among the Tamil diaspora. They are traditionally a seafaring community that is engaged in fishing, shipment and seaborne trade. They fish mostly in deep seas, and employ gillnet and seine fishing methods. The Karaiyars were the major maritime traders and boat owners who among other things, traded with pearls, chanks, tobacco, and shipped goods overseas to countries such as India, Myanmar and Indonesia. The community known for their maritime history, are also reputed as a warrior caste who contributed as army and navy soldiers of Tamil kings. They were noted as the army generals and navy captains of the Aryacakravarti dynasty. The Karaiyars emerged in the 1980s as strong representatives of Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism. The nuclear leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have background in the wealthier enterprising section of the Karaiyars.

The word "Karaiyar" is derived from the Tamil language words karai ("coast" or "shore") and yar ("people").[43] The term Kareoi mentioned by 2nd century AD writer Ptolemy, is identified with the Tamil word "Karaiyar".[44] The Portuguese and Dutch sources mentions them under the term Careas, Careaz, or Carias, which are terms denoting "Karaiyar".[7]

Kurukulam, Varunakulam and Arasakulam were historically one of the significant clans of the Karaiyars.[45] Kurukulam, meaning "clan of the Kuru", may be a reference to their origin from Kurumandalam (meaning "realm of Kuru's") of Southern India.[46] They attribute their origin myth from the Kuru Kingdom, mentioned in Hindu epic Mahabharata.[47][48] Some scholars derived Kurukulam from Kuru, the Tamil name for Jupiter.[49] Varunakulam, meaning "clan of Varuna", is a reference to their maritime origin.[50] Varuna is the god of sea and rain, mentioned in Vedic Literature, but also in Sangam literature as the principal deity of the Neithal Sangam landscape (i.e. littoral landscape).[51] Arasakulam means "clan of kings".[45] They used the Makara as emblem, the mount of their clan deity, the sea god Varuna, which was also seen on their flags.

Sindhi Hindus

 
Jhulelal is considered an incarnation of Varuna by Sindhi Hindus.

Jhulelal is believed by Sindhi Hindus to be an incarnation of Varuna.[52] They celebrate the festival of Cheti Chand in his honor. The festival marks the arrival of spring and harvest, but in Sindhi community it also marks the birth of Uderolal in year 1007, after they prayed to Hindu god Varuna to save them from the persecution by tyrannical Muslim ruler named Mirkhshah.[36][37][38] Uderolal morphed into a warrior and old man who preached and reprimanded Mirkhshah that Muslims and Hindus deserve the same religious freedoms. He, as Jhulelal,[38] became the champion of the people in Sindh, from both religions. Among his Sufi Muslim followers, Jhulelal is known as "Khwaja Khizir" or "Sheikh Tahit". The Hindu Sindhi, according to this legend, celebrate the new year as Uderolal's birthday.[38][36]

Buddhism

Theravada

The Pali Canon of the Theravada school recognizes Varuṇa (Sanskrit; Pali: Varuna) as a king of the devas and companion of Sakka, Pajāpati and Isāna. In the battle against the Asuras, the devas of Tāvatiṃsa were asked to look upon the banner of Varuna in order to have all their fears dispelled (S.i.219).

The Tevijja Sutta mentions him among Indra, Soma, Isāna, Pajāpati, Yama and Mahiddhi as gods that are invoked by the brahmins.

The Ātānātiya Sutta lists him among the Yakkha chiefs.

Buddhaghosa states (SA.i.262) that Varuna is equal in age and glory (vanna) with Sakka and takes the third seat in the assembly of devas.[53]

Mahayana

 
Painting of Varuna (Kyoto, Japan)

In East Asian Buddhism, Varuna is a dharmapāla and often classed as one of the Twelve Devas (Japanese: Jūniten, 十二天). He presides over the western direction.[54]

In Japan, he is called "Suiten" (水天 lit. "water deva"). He is included with the other eleven devas, which include Taishakuten (Śakra/Indra), Fūten (Vāyu), Emmaten (Yama), Rasetsuten (Nirṛti/Rākṣasa), Ishanaten (Īśāna), Bishamonten (Vaiśravaṇa/Kubera), Katen (Agni), Bonten (Brahmā), Jiten (Pṛthivī), Nitten (Sūrya/Āditya), and Gatten (Chandra).[55]

Shinto

 
Suitengū (Tokyo) is a Shinto shrine to Varuna.

Varuna is also worshipped in Japan's Shinto religion. One of the Shinto shrines dedicated to him is the Suitengū ("Palace of Suiten") in Tokyo. After the Japanese emperor issued the Shinbutsu bunri, the separation of Shinto and Buddhist practices as part of the Meiji Restoration, Varuna/Suiten was identified with the Japanese supreme God, Amenominakanushi.[56]

See also

 
 
Left: A Balinese Hindu offering prayers to Varuna on Indonesian beach;
Right: Vishnu avatar Parasurama, asking Varuna to create new land known as Parashuram Sristi.

Notes

  1. ^ In the Puranas, Varuna has multiple wives. Other notable consorts include Charshani, Jyeshtha and Bhadra.[1]

References

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  2. ^ "Varuna". Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.
  3. ^ a b c George Mason Williams (2003). Handbook of Hindu Mythology. ABC-CLIO. p. 294. ISBN 978-1-57607-106-9.
  4. ^ a b James G. Lochtefeld (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 741. ISBN 978-0-8239-3180-4.
  5. ^ Dalal, Roshen (2010). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. ISBN 9780143414216.
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  7. ^ a b c Journal of Tamil Studies. International Institute of Tamil Studies. 1969. p. 131.
  8. ^ Sehdev Kumar (2001). A Thousand Petalled Lotus: Jain Temples of Rajasthan : Architecture & Iconography. Abhinav Publications. p. 18. ISBN 978-81-7017-348-9.
  9. ^ Kristi L. Wiley (2009). The A to Z of Jainism. Scarecrow. p. 248. ISBN 978-0-8108-6821-2.
  10. ^ George Michell (1977). The Hindu Temple: An Introduction to Its Meaning and Forms. University of Chicago Press. pp. 4, 44–45 with Figure 15. ISBN 978-0-226-53230-1.
  11. ^ Dumézil, Ouranós-Váruna: Étude de mythologie comparée indo-européenne (Paris:Maisonneuve 1932).
  12. ^ Georges Dumézil, Ouranos-Varuna – Essai de mythologie comparée indo-européenne (Paris: G.-P. Maisonneuve, 1934).
  13. ^ Manfred Mayrhofer, Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen, vol. 2, s.v. "Váruṇa" (Heidelberg: Carl Winter, 1996), 515–6. Edgar C. Polomé, "Binder-god", in Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture (London–Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997), 65.
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  23. ^ a b Samuel L. Macey (2010). Patriarchs of Time. University of Georgia Press. pp. 2–3, 165. ISBN 978-0-8203-3797-5.
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  25. ^ Srinivasan, Doris (1978). "The Religious Significance of Divine Multiple Body Parts in the Atharva Veda". Numen. Brill Academic Publishers. 25 (3): 198–200, context: 193–225. doi:10.1163/156852778x00245.
  26. ^ The Early Upanishads: Annotated Text and Translation. Oxford University Press. 1998. pp. 98–101. ISBN 978-0-19-535242-9.
  27. ^ The Early Upanishads: Annotated Text and Translation. Oxford University Press. 1998. p. 478. ISBN 978-0-19-535242-9.
  28. ^ Arthur Anthony Macdonell (1898). Vedic Mythology. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 120–124, 30–34, 45–46. ISBN 978-81-208-1113-3.
  29. ^ Pandey, R. (2020). Yajurveda. Diamond Pocket Books (P) Limited. p. 48. ISBN 978-81-288-2284-1. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
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  32. ^ Bate, Bernard (2010-06-01). Tamil Oratory and the Dravidian Aesthetic: Democratic Practice in South India. Columbia University Press. p. 100. ISBN 978-0-231-51940-3.
  33. ^ Champakalakshmi, Radha (1996). Trade, ideology, and urbanization: South India 300 BC to AD 1300. Oxford University Press. p. 78.
  34. ^ Manickam, Valliappa Subramaniam; Nadu, Academy of Tamil Scholars of Tamil (1968). A glimpse of Tamilology. Academy of Tamil Scholars of Tamil Nadu. p. 174.
  35. ^ "Jhulelal Jayanti 2021 (Cheti Chand) [Hindi]: जानिए झूलेलाल जी को विस्तार से". S A NEWS. 2021-04-09. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  36. ^ a b c d Mark-Anthony Falzon (2004). Cosmopolitan Connections: The Sindhi Diaspora, 1860–2000. BRILL. pp. 58–60. ISBN 90-04-14008-5.
  37. ^ a b P. Pratap Kumar (2014). Contemporary Hinduism. Routledge. pp. 120–124. ISBN 978-1-317-54636-8.
  38. ^ a b c d e f S. Ramey (2008). Hindu, Sufi, or Sikh: Contested Practices and Identifications of Sindhi Hindus in India and Beyond. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 8, 36. ISBN 978-0-230-61622-6.
  39. ^ a b c Chaliho festival September 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  40. ^ a b c Sindhis celebrate Chalio festival
  41. ^ Sindhi Festivals > Chaliho April 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  42. ^ "Narali Purnima 2021: All hail Varuna Dev, the lord of oceans". Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  43. ^ Dravidian Linguistics Association (1990). International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics. Department of Linguistics, University of Kerala. p. 110.
  44. ^ Arunachalam, S. (1952). The History of the Pearl Fishery of the Tamil Coast. Ananamalai University. p. 34.
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  46. ^ Raghavan, M. D. (1971). Tamil culture in Ceylon: a general introduction. Kalai Nilayam. p. 194.
  47. ^ Kemper, Steven E. G. (1973). The Social Order of the Sinhalese Buddhist Sangha. University of Chicago. p. 215.
  48. ^ Nēthrā: A Non-specialist Journal for Lively Minds. International Centre for Ethnic Studies. 2000. p. 47.
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  51. ^ Xavier Thaninayagam (1966). Tamil Culture: Its Past, Its Present and Its Future With Special Reference to Ceylon. Academy of Tamil Culture.
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  54. ^ Twelve Heavenly Deities (Devas) 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Nara National Museum, Japan
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  56. ^ "Tokyo Suitengu monogatari" 1985 Kodansha, ISBN 406202117X

External links

 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Varuna.
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Varuna.
  • Asura Varuna, R. N. Dandekar (1939)
  • Great Vayu and Greater Varuna, Mary Boyce (1993)

March 11, 2023
varuna, possible, dwarf, planet, 20000, other, uses, disambiguation, ɜːr, ɑː, sanskrit, वर, iast, váruṇa, hindu, associated, with, oceans, water, vedic, scriptures, paired, with, mitra, lord, Ṛta, justice, satya, truth, also, mentioned, aditya, sons, goddess, . For the possible dwarf planet see 20000 Varuna For other uses see Varuna disambiguation Varuna ˈ v ɜːr ʊ n e ˈ v ɑː r e 2 Sanskrit वर ण IAST Varuṇa is a Hindu god associated with the sky oceans and water In the Vedic scriptures he is paired with the god Mitra and is the lord of Ṛta justice and Satya truth 3 4 Varuna is also mentioned as an Aditya the sons of the goddess Aditi 5 VarunaGod of Water Oceans and SkyMember of AdityasThe God Varuna on his mount Makara 1675 1700Painted in India Rajasthan Bundi placed in LACMA museumAffiliationAdityas Deva DikpalaAbodeOceanMantraOm Jala bimbhaya Vidhmahe Nila Purushaya Dheemahe Thanno Varuna Prachodayath and Om Varunaaya NamahWeaponNoose Varunastra GandivaMountMakaraPersonal informationParentsKashyapa father Aditi mother ConsortVarunani and Gauri chief consorts a ChildrenSushena Vandi Dakshasavarni Manu Vasishtha Pushkara Bala Sura Andharmaka sons and Varuni daughter 1 In the later Hindu texts like the Puranas Varuna is also a Dikpala or guardian of the western direction He is depicted as a youthful man mounted on Makara crocodile and holding a Pasha noose rope loop and a pitcher in his hands 3 6 4 He has multiple wives and fathered many children including the Vedic sage Vasishtha 3 He is also mentioned in the Tamil grammar work Tolkappiyam as Kadalon the god of sea and rain 7 He is found in Japanese Buddhist mythology as Suiten 6 He is also found in Jainism 8 9 Contents 1 Etymology 2 Hindu texts 2 1 Vedas 2 2 Upanishads 2 3 Ramayana 2 4 In Tolkappiyam 3 Festivals 3 1 Cheti Chand 3 2 Chaliya saheb 3 3 Narali Poornima 4 Beyond Hinduism and India 4 1 Sri Lankan Tamils Karaiyar caste 4 2 Sindhi Hindus 4 3 Buddhism 4 3 1 Theravada 4 3 2 Mahayana 4 4 Shinto 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 External linksEtymology Edit Varuna iconography at the 11th century Rajarani Hindu temple 10 In Hindu tradition the theonym Varuṇa Devanagari वर ण is described as a derivation from the verbal root vṛ to surround to cover or to restrain bind by means of a suffixal uṇa for an interpretation of the name as he who covers or binds in reference to the cosmological ocean or river encircling the world but also in reference to the binding by universal law or Ṛta 6 Georges Dumezil 1934 made a cautious case for the identity of Varuna and the Greek god Ouranos at the earliest Indo European cultural level 11 12 The etymological identification of the name Ouranos with the Sanskrit Varuṇa is based in the derivation of both names from the PIE root ŭer with a sense of binding the Indic king god Varuṇa binds the wicked the Greek king god Ouranos binds the Cyclopes This derivation of the Greek name is now widely rejected in favour of derivation from the root wers to moisten drip Sanskrit vṛṣ to rain pour 13 Hindu texts EditVedas Edit In the earliest layer of the Rigveda Varuna is the guardian of moral law one who punishes those who sin without remorse and who forgives those who err with remorse 14 15 He is mentioned in many Rigvedic hymns such as 7 86 88 1 25 2 27 30 8 8 9 73 and others 14 6 His relationship with waters rivers and oceans is mentioned in the Vedas Rig veda 10 123 says Hiranyapaksha golden winged bird as the messenger of Varuna The golden winged messenger bird of Varuna may not be a mythical one but most probably flamingos because they have colourful wings and the sukta further describes Vulture as the messenger of Yama the beaks of both these birds have similar morphology and flamingos are seen nearby seashores and marshlands 16 17 Varuna and Mitra are the gods of the societal affairs including the oath and are often twinned Mitra Varuna 18 19 Both Mitra and Varuna are classified as Asuras in the Rigveda e g RV 5 63 3 although they are also addressed as Devas as well e g RV 7 60 12 20 Varuna being the king of the Asuras was adopted or made the change to a Deva after the structuring of the primordial cosmos imposed by Indra after he defeats Vrtra 21 Varuna with Varunani Statue carved out of basalt dates back to 8th century CE discovered in Karnataka On display at the Prince of Wales museum Mumbai According to Doris Srinivasan a professor of Indology focusing on religion Varuna Mitra pair is an ambiguous deity just like Rudra Shiva pair 22 Both have wrathful gracious aspects in Indian mythology 23 Both Varuna and Rudra are synonymous with all comprehensive sight knowledge both were the guardian deity of the north in the Vedic texts Varuna later gets associated with west both can be offered injured ill offerings all of which suggest that Varuna may have been conceptually overlapping with Rudra 22 Further the Rigvedic hymn 5 70 calls Mitra Varuna pair as rudra states Srinivasan 22 According to Samuel Macey and other scholars Varuna had been the more ancient Indo Aryan deity in 2nd millennium BCE who gave way to Rudra in the Hindu pantheon and Rudra Shiva became both timeless and the god of time 23 24 In Vajasaneyi Samhita 21 40 Yajurveda Varuna is called the patron deity of physicians one who has a hundred a thousand remedies 22 His capacity and association with all comprehensive knowledge is also found in the Atharvaveda 1000 BCE 25 Varuna also finds a mention in the early Upanishads where his role evolves In verse 3 9 26 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 800 BCE for example he is stated to be the god of the western quarter but one who is founded on water and dependent ultimately on the heart and the fire of soul 26 In the Katha Upanishad Aditi is identified to be same as the goddess earth She is stated in the Vedic texts to be the mother of Varuna and Mitra along with other Vedic gods and in later Hindu mythology she as mother earth is stated to be mother of all gods 27 28 In Yajurveda it is said In fact Varuna is Vishnu and Vishnu is Varuna and hence the auspicious offering is to be made to these deities 8 59 29 Upanishads Edit Varuna addressed as Varuni explained Brahman in Taittiriya Upanishad to sage Bhrigu First six anuvakas of Bhrigu Valli are called Bhargavi Varuni Vidya which means the knowledge Bhrigu got from his father Varuni It is in these anuvakas that sage Varuni advises Bhrigu with one of the oft cited definition of Brahman as that from which beings originate through which they live and in which they re enter after death explore that because that is Brahman 30 This thematic all encompassing eternal nature of reality and existence develops as the basis for Bhrigu s emphasis on introspection to help peel off the outer husks of knowledge in order to reach and realize the innermost kernel of spiritual Self knowledge 30 Ramayana Edit Varuna himself arose from the depth of the ocean and begged Rama for forgiveness Rama interacts with Varuna in the Hindu epic Ramayana For example faced with the dilemma of how to cross the ocean to Lanka where his abducted wife Sita is held captive by the demon king Ravana Rama an Avatar of Vishnu performs a pravpavesha prayer tapasya to Varuna the Lord of Oceans for three days and three nights states Ramesh Menon 31 Varuna does not respond and Rama arises on the fourth morning enraged He states to his brother Lakshamana that even lords of the elements listen only to violence Varuna does not respect gentleness and peaceful prayers go unheard 31 With his bow and arrow Rama prepares to attack the oceans to dry up the waters and create a bed of sand for his army of monkeys to cross and thus confront Ravana Lakshmana appeals to Rama translates Menon that he should return to peaceful paths of our fathers you can win this war without laying waste the sea 31 Rama shoots his weapon sending the ocean into flames As Rama increases the ferocity of his weapons Varuna arises out of the oceans He bows to Rama stating that he himself did not know how to help Rama because the sea is deep vast and he cannot change the nature of sea Varuna asked Rama to remember that he is the soul of peace and love wrath does not suit him Varuna promised to Rama that he will not disturb him or his army as they build a bridge and cross over to Lanka Although most of the sources claim it was Samudra the god of the oceans who met Rama not the water god Varuna 31 In Tolkappiyam Edit The Tolkappiyam a Tamil grammar work from 3rd century BCE divides the people of ancient Tamilakam into five Sangam landscape divisions kurinji mullai paalai marutham and neithal 32 Each landscape is designated with different gods Neithal is described as a seashore landscape occupied by fishermen and seatraders with the god of sea and rain Varunan or Kadalōn 7 33 Varuna means water which denotes the ocean in the Tamil language 34 Festivals EditMain articles Cheti Chand and Chalio Cheti Chand Edit The Cheti Chand festival in the Hindu month of Chaitra 35 marks the arrival of spring and harvest but in Sindhi Hindu community it also marks the mythical birth of Uderolal in the year 1007 36 37 38 Uderolal morphed into a warrior and old man who preached and reprimanded Mirkhshah that Muslims and Hindus deserve the same religious freedoms He as Jhulelal 38 became the saviour of the Sindhi Hindus who according to this legend celebrate the new year as Uderolal s birthday 38 36 Chaliya saheb Edit Chalio or Chaliho also called Chaliho Sahib is a forty day long festival celebrated by Sindhi Hindus 39 40 41 to express their gratitude to Jhulelal for saving them from their impending conversion to Islam The festival is observed every year in the months of July to August dates vary according to Hindu calendar 39 40 It is a thanksgiving celebration in honor of Varuna Deva for listening to their prayers 39 40 Narali Poornima Edit Main article Narali Poornima Narali Poornima is a ceremonial day observed by Hindu fishing communities in Maharashtra India particularly around Mumbai and the Konkan coast It is held on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravan which falls around July or August On this day offerings such as rice flowers and coconuts as offered to Lord Varuna the god of ocean and waters 42 Beyond Hinduism and India EditSri Lankan Tamils Karaiyar caste Edit Karaiyar is a Sri Lankan Tamil caste found mainly on the northern and eastern coastal areas of Sri Lanka and globally among the Tamil diaspora They are traditionally a seafaring community that is engaged in fishing shipment and seaborne trade They fish mostly in deep seas and employ gillnet and seine fishing methods The Karaiyars were the major maritime traders and boat owners who among other things traded with pearls chanks tobacco and shipped goods overseas to countries such as India Myanmar and Indonesia The community known for their maritime history are also reputed as a warrior caste who contributed as army and navy soldiers of Tamil kings They were noted as the army generals and navy captains of the Aryacakravarti dynasty The Karaiyars emerged in the 1980s as strong representatives of Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism The nuclear leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have background in the wealthier enterprising section of the Karaiyars The word Karaiyar is derived from the Tamil language words karai coast or shore and yar people 43 The term Kareoi mentioned by 2nd century AD writer Ptolemy is identified with the Tamil word Karaiyar 44 The Portuguese and Dutch sources mentions them under the term Careas Careaz or Carias which are terms denoting Karaiyar 7 Kurukulam Varunakulam and Arasakulam were historically one of the significant clans of the Karaiyars 45 Kurukulam meaning clan of the Kuru may be a reference to their origin from Kurumandalam meaning realm of Kuru s of Southern India 46 They attribute their origin myth from the Kuru Kingdom mentioned in Hindu epic Mahabharata 47 48 Some scholars derived Kurukulam from Kuru the Tamil name for Jupiter 49 Varunakulam meaning clan of Varuna is a reference to their maritime origin 50 Varuna is the god of sea and rain mentioned in Vedic Literature but also in Sangam literature as the principal deity of the Neithal Sangam landscape i e littoral landscape 51 Arasakulam means clan of kings 45 They used the Makara as emblem the mount of their clan deity the sea god Varuna which was also seen on their flags Sindhi Hindus Edit Jhulelal is considered an incarnation of Varuna by Sindhi Hindus Jhulelal is believed by Sindhi Hindus to be an incarnation of Varuna 52 They celebrate the festival of Cheti Chand in his honor The festival marks the arrival of spring and harvest but in Sindhi community it also marks the birth of Uderolal in year 1007 after they prayed to Hindu god Varuna to save them from the persecution by tyrannical Muslim ruler named Mirkhshah 36 37 38 Uderolal morphed into a warrior and old man who preached and reprimanded Mirkhshah that Muslims and Hindus deserve the same religious freedoms He as Jhulelal 38 became the champion of the people in Sindh from both religions Among his Sufi Muslim followers Jhulelal is known as Khwaja Khizir or Sheikh Tahit The Hindu Sindhi according to this legend celebrate the new year as Uderolal s birthday 38 36 Buddhism Edit Theravada Edit The Pali Canon of the Theravada school recognizes Varuṇa Sanskrit Pali Varuna as a king of the devas and companion of Sakka Pajapati and Isana In the battle against the Asuras the devas of Tavatiṃsa were asked to look upon the banner of Varuna in order to have all their fears dispelled S i 219 The Tevijja Sutta mentions him among Indra Soma Isana Pajapati Yama and Mahiddhi as gods that are invoked by the brahmins The Atanatiya Sutta lists him among the Yakkha chiefs Buddhaghosa states SA i 262 that Varuna is equal in age and glory vanna with Sakka and takes the third seat in the assembly of devas 53 Mahayana Edit Painting of Varuna Kyoto Japan In East Asian Buddhism Varuna is a dharmapala and often classed as one of the Twelve Devas Japanese Juniten 十二天 He presides over the western direction 54 In Japan he is called Suiten 水天 lit water deva He is included with the other eleven devas which include Taishakuten Sakra Indra Futen Vayu Emmaten Yama Rasetsuten Nirṛti Rakṣasa Ishanaten isana Bishamonten Vaisravaṇa Kubera Katen Agni Bonten Brahma Jiten Pṛthivi Nitten Surya Aditya and Gatten Chandra 55 Shinto Edit Suitengu Tokyo is a Shinto shrine to Varuna Varuna is also worshipped in Japan s Shinto religion One of the Shinto shrines dedicated to him is the Suitengu Palace of Suiten in Tokyo After the Japanese emperor issued the Shinbutsu bunri the separation of Shinto and Buddhist practices as part of the Meiji Restoration Varuna Suiten was identified with the Japanese supreme God Amenominakanushi 56 See also Edit Left A Balinese Hindu offering prayers to Varuna on Indonesian beach Right Vishnu avatar Parasurama asking Varuna to create new land known as Parashuram Sristi Adityas Apam Napat Asura Guardians of the directions Hindu deities Mitra Vedic Mitra Varuna Rigvedic deities Shukra The king and the godNotes Edit In the Puranas Varuna has multiple wives Other notable consorts include Charshani Jyeshtha and Bhadra 1 References Edit a b Mani Vettam 1975 Puranic encyclopaedia a comprehensive dictionary with special reference to the epic and Puranic literature Robarts University of Toronto Delhi Motilal Banarsidass Varuna Random House Webster s Unabridged Dictionary a b c George Mason Williams 2003 Handbook of Hindu Mythology ABC CLIO p 294 ISBN 978 1 57607 106 9 a b James G Lochtefeld 2002 The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism N Z The Rosen Publishing Group p 741 ISBN 978 0 8239 3180 4 Dalal Roshen 2010 Hinduism An Alphabetical Guide ISBN 9780143414216 a b c d Adrian Snodgrass 1992 The Symbolism of the Stupa Motilal Banarsidass pp 120 122 with footnotes ISBN 978 81 208 0781 5 a b c Journal of Tamil Studies International Institute of Tamil Studies 1969 p 131 Sehdev Kumar 2001 A Thousand Petalled Lotus Jain Temples of Rajasthan Architecture amp Iconography Abhinav Publications p 18 ISBN 978 81 7017 348 9 Kristi L Wiley 2009 The A to Z of Jainism Scarecrow p 248 ISBN 978 0 8108 6821 2 George Michell 1977 The Hindu Temple An Introduction to Its Meaning and Forms University of Chicago Press pp 4 44 45 with Figure 15 ISBN 978 0 226 53230 1 Dumezil Ouranos Varuna Etude de mythologie comparee indo europeenne Paris Maisonneuve 1932 Georges Dumezil Ouranos Varuna Essai de mythologie comparee indo europeenne Paris G P Maisonneuve 1934 Manfred Mayrhofer Etymologisches Worterbuch des Altindoarischen vol 2 s v Varuṇa Heidelberg Carl Winter 1996 515 6 Edgar C Polome Binder god in Encyclopedia of Indo European Culture London Chicago Fitzroy Dearborn 1997 65 a b Mariasusai Dhavamony 1982 Classical Hinduism Gregorian pp 167 168 with footnotes ISBN 978 88 7652 482 0 John Gwyn Griffiths 1991 The Divine Verdict A Study of Divine Judgement in the Ancient Religions BRILL pp 132 133 ISBN 90 04 09231 5 The Hymns of the Rigveda E J Lazarus amp co 1897 Hermann Oldenberg 1988 The Religion of the Veda Motilal Banarsidass p 104 ISBN 978 81 208 0392 3 Hermann Oldenberg 1988 The Religion of the Veda Motilal Banarsidass pp 95 98 ISBN 978 81 208 0392 3 David Leeming 2005 The Oxford Companion to World Mythology Oxford University Press p 200 ISBN 978 0 19 028888 4 Bane Theresa 2012 Encyclopedia of Demons in World Religions and Cultures Jefferson North Carolina McFarland p 323 ISBN 978 0 7864 8894 0 OCLC 774276733 Retrieved 2018 12 06 F B J Kuiper 1975 The Basic Concept of Vedic Religion History of Religions Vol 15 No 2 Nov 1975 pp 107 120 a b c d Doris Srinivasan 1997 Many Heads Arms and Eyes Origin Meaning and Form of Multiplicity in Indian Art BRILL Academic pp 48 49 ISBN 90 04 10758 4 a b Samuel L Macey 2010 Patriarchs of Time University of Georgia Press pp 2 3 165 ISBN 978 0 8203 3797 5 J P Mallory D Q Adams 2006 The Oxford Introduction to Proto Indo European and the Proto Indo European World Oxford University Press pp 430 432 ISBN 978 0 19 928791 8 Srinivasan Doris 1978 The Religious Significance of Divine Multiple Body Parts in the Atharva Veda Numen Brill Academic Publishers 25 3 198 200 context 193 225 doi 10 1163 156852778x00245 The Early Upanishads Annotated Text and Translation Oxford University Press 1998 pp 98 101 ISBN 978 0 19 535242 9 The Early Upanishads Annotated Text and Translation Oxford University Press 1998 p 478 ISBN 978 0 19 535242 9 Arthur Anthony Macdonell 1898 Vedic Mythology Motilal Banarsidass pp 120 124 30 34 45 46 ISBN 978 81 208 1113 3 Pandey R 2020 Yajurveda Diamond Pocket Books P Limited p 48 ISBN 978 81 288 2284 1 Retrieved 6 December 2018 a b Paul Deussen Sixty Upanishads of the Veda Volume 1 Motilal Banarsidass ISBN 978 8120814684 pages 241 246 a b c d Ramesh Menon 2004 The Ramayana A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic Macmillan pp 376 379 ISBN 978 1 4668 2625 0 Bate Bernard 2010 06 01 Tamil Oratory and the Dravidian Aesthetic Democratic Practice in South India Columbia University Press p 100 ISBN 978 0 231 51940 3 Champakalakshmi Radha 1996 Trade ideology and urbanization South India 300 BC to AD 1300 Oxford University Press p 78 Manickam Valliappa Subramaniam Nadu Academy of Tamil Scholars of Tamil 1968 A glimpse of Tamilology Academy of Tamil Scholars of Tamil Nadu p 174 Jhulelal Jayanti 2021 Cheti Chand Hindi ज न ए झ ल ल ल ज क व स त र स S A NEWS 2021 04 09 Retrieved 2021 04 14 a b c d Mark Anthony Falzon 2004 Cosmopolitan Connections The Sindhi Diaspora 1860 2000 BRILL pp 58 60 ISBN 90 04 14008 5 a b P Pratap Kumar 2014 Contemporary Hinduism Routledge pp 120 124 ISBN 978 1 317 54636 8 a b c d e f S Ramey 2008 Hindu Sufi or Sikh Contested Practices and Identifications of Sindhi Hindus in India and Beyond Palgrave Macmillan pp 8 36 ISBN 978 0 230 61622 6 a b c Chaliho festival Archived September 16 2011 at the Wayback Machine a b c Sindhis celebrate Chalio festival Sindhi Festivals gt Chaliho Archived April 25 2012 at the Wayback Machine Narali Purnima 2021 All hail Varuna Dev the lord of oceans Retrieved 2021 08 24 Dravidian Linguistics Association 1990 International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics Department of Linguistics University of Kerala p 110 Arunachalam S 1952 The History of the Pearl Fishery of the Tamil Coast Ananamalai University p 34 a b Raghavan M D 1961 The Karava of Ceylon Society and Culture K V G De Silva pp 5 13 195 Raghavan M D 1971 Tamil culture in Ceylon a general introduction Kalai Nilayam p 194 Kemper Steven E G 1973 The Social Order of the Sinhalese Buddhist Sangha University of Chicago p 215 Nethra A Non specialist Journal for Lively Minds International Centre for Ethnic Studies 2000 p 47 Perinbanayagam R S 1982 The karmic theater self society and astrology in Jaffna University of Massachusetts Press p 30 ISBN 9780870233746 Vriddhagirisan V 1995 Nayaks of Tanjore University of Annamalai p 91 ISBN 9788120609969 Xavier Thaninayagam 1966 Tamil Culture Its Past Its Present and Its Future With Special Reference to Ceylon Academy of Tamil Culture Roshen Dalal 2010 Hinduism An Alphabetical Guide Penguin Books India p 178 ISBN 978 0 14 341421 6 Varuna Wisdom Library June 2008 Retrieved 2019 01 26 Twelve Heavenly Deities Devas Archived 2016 03 04 at the Wayback Machine Nara National Museum Japan juuniten 十二天 JAANUS Retrieved 23 January 2019 Tokyo Suitengu monogatari 1985 Kodansha ISBN 406202117XExternal links Edit Wikiquote has quotations related to Varuna Wikimedia Commons has media related to Varuna Asura Varuna R N Dandekar 1939 Great Vayu and Greater Varuna Mary Boyce 1993 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Varuna amp oldid 1137549345, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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