Varuna | |
---|---|
God of the Sky,[1] Oceans, and Water | |
Member of Adityas | |
![]() Varuna on his mount Makara | |
Affiliation | Adityas, Deva, Dikpala |
Abode | Ocean |
Mantra | Oṃ jala bimbāya vidmahe nīla puruṣāya dhīmahi tanno varuṇaḥ pracodayāt Oṃ Varunāya Namaḥ |
Weapon | Noose, Varunastra, Gandiva |
Mount | Makara |
Genealogy | |
Parents | |
Spouse | |
Children |
|
Equivalents | |
Greek equivalent | Poseidon |
Roman equivalent | Neptune |
Norse equivalent | Njörðr |
Varuna (/ˈvɜːrʊnə, ˈvɑːrə-/;[5] Sanskrit: वरुण, IAST: Varuṇa) is a Hindu god, associated with the sky,[6] oceans, and water. In the Vedic scriptures, he is paired with the god Mitra and is the lord of Ṛta (justice) and Satya (truth).[7][8] Varuna is also mentioned as an Aditya, the sons of the goddess Aditi.[9]
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.[7][10][8] He has multiple wives and fathered many children, including the Vedic sage Vasishtha.[7]
He is also mentioned in the Tamil grammar work Tolkāppiyam, as Kadalon the god of sea and rain.[11] He is found in Japanese Buddhist mythology as Suiten.[10] He is also found in Jainism.[12][13]