Varuna

Vedic sovereign of cosmic order and oaths, later lord of the waters and ocean

Parentage

• parent: Aditi

Domains

• cosmic order
• waters

Powers

• Uphold and police the moral and cosmic order
• Bind wrongdoers and the dropsical with his noose

Epithets

• प्रचेतस् sanskrit · Pracetas · epithetThe wise/attentive oneṚgveda; Mahābhārata (primary)
• जलपति sanskrit · Jalapati · epithetLord of the watersPurāṇic Lokapāla tradition; Mahābhārata (primary)
• पाशी sanskrit · Pāśī · epithetWielder of the noose (pāśa)Ṛgveda (Varuṇa's binding noose); Purāṇic iconography (primary)
• सम्राज् sanskrit · Samrāj · vedaUniversal sovereign; the all-ruling kingṚgveda 1.25.10; 5.85.3 (primary)
• ऋतस्य गोपा sanskrit · Ṛtasya gopā · vedaGuardian of ṛta — keeper of cosmic order and truthṚgveda 1.23.5; 8.41 (primary)
• यादसाम्पति sanskrit · Yādasāṃpati · epicLord of the aquatic creatures; sovereign of the deepMahābhārata; Purāṇic tradition (primary)

Relations

• sibling: IndraViṣṇu Purāṇa 1.15 Āditya birth account; no universal genealogy inferred.Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.15, Wilson translation, Āditya genealogy (primary)

Sources

• existence: Rigveda 1.25; 7.86 (primary)