Varuna

Published on 11th December, 2021, in Economic Times. Rig Veda refers to two types of kingship: that of Indra and that of Varuna. Indra is the warrior-god who loves the energising Soma as he rides into battle to kill demons and retrieve cows. He is the god that the Aryans venerated when they were on the move. Varuna was a different god, more linked with settlements, with relationships and agreements, who drank Sura, or the relaxing alcohol. While Indra is linked to power, Varuna is linked to prosperity. Perhaps that is the reason why the oldest verses of Rig Veda refer to Varuna as Asura, ..

Published on 4th August, 2019, in Mid-day Varuna is known today as the god of the sea and Indra as the god of the rain. Varuna is associated with saltwater, located on the ground, and Indra is associated with freshwater, which comes from the sky. Varuna is the guardian of the western horizon, and Indra, the guardian of the eastern horizon. Thus, we see a tension between the two deities in the Puranas. It is further amplified when we hear that Varuna is Lakshmi's father while Indra's wife, Sachi, is a form of Lakshmi. This tension between Varuna and Indra is an ancient one. In ..

Published on 3rd June, 2018, in Mid-day. For such a vast coastline, Indians do not have much of a sea mythology. Most images of boats in Indian art are related to ponds and rivers, and not the sea, such as images of Ram and Sita crossing the Ganga, or Krishna and Radha on the Yamuna. Images of sea-faring vessels are few and far between as in Bharhut Stupa, Ajanta Caves and Goa's hero memorial stones. Today we refer to Varuna as the sea-god, the father of goddess Lakshmi, but in Vedic scriptures, his role is with 'waters', a rather abstract term and not necessarily the ..