VARIIN'A (from the Sanskrit rr'i, surround; hence, literally, "the surrounder," and kindred with the Greek ouranos) is, in the Vedic mythology of the ancient Hindus. ones of the Adityas, or offsprings of Ackti, the deity of space, and among these, one of the most prominent. He, is often invoked together with 11Iitra, sometimes together with _Agni, the god of fire, or with Indra (q.v.), or other elementary deities; but frequently he is also separately praised by the poets of the Vedic hymns. The character of Varuna, as is the case with other Vedic deities, does not appear to have been or remained the same throughout the whole period represented by the Vedic poetry; but, on the contrary, to have varied according as new imaginations were connected with the idea out of which he arose. Originally, Varun'a seems to have been conceived as the sun from the time after its setting to that of its rise; while 311tra probably represented the sun at its rise. The night is therefore said to be Varuna's, and the day Antra's; and the "ever-going Varuna grants a cool place of rest to all moving creatures, on the closing of the eye (of Sal:11).7, the sun)." As a consequence, the sun, as manifest during its daily course, is spoken of as his infant, and he "prepares a path for the sun ;" and the dawn, which is called the golden light of Mitra and Varuna, " goes before Varuna." Out of the mys teriousness with which night is easily endowed, and the qualities which imagination may ascribe to the luminous origin of Varuna, then probably grew the moral attributes given to this deity; for he is extolled as the guardian of immortality; as the cherisher of truth; as armed with many nooses, with which he seizes evil-doers; as the forgiver of sins, and as having unlimited control over mankind. "No one rules for the twinkling of an eye apart from him, and he witnesses man's truth and falsehood. The functions of sovereign authority which are then also attributed to him are probably a consequence of his character as protector of the good, and punisher of the wicked; but his kingly might is, in some hymns, also associated with the power, predicated of him, of "setting free the water of the clouds," or of "ruling over the waters that are in heaven and earth." Whether the connection of Varuna with the element of water arose from the
association of moisture with night, or, which is more likely, from the notion that water (vdri, from the same radical, tr'i, as Varuna) envelops or surrounds the earth, as dark ness does, may be doubtful; but it is worthy of notice that the passages of the R'igveda in which Varuna is spoken of as the cause of rain, or as the lord of rivers or the sea, are few, and perhaps do not belong to the earlier portion of R'igveda poetry. See, for more detail, J. 3luir's " Contributions to a Knowledge of the Vedic Theogony and Mythol ogy," in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society for 1864. Compare also the article VASISIIVH.A.—It is in this latter character alone, however, that Varuna appears in the classical and Puranic mythology; for there he has ceased to impersonate the sun, when invisible, and though, at that period too, he is still mentioned as an Aditya, his real quality is that of the regent of the waters, and more especially of the ocean, personified. As such, he retains, it is true, the Vedic qualities as "lord of punishment," and carries the "noose" to bind the wicked with; these attributes, however, are, then, not the reflex of his solar omniscience and power, but that of his might as the god of water.—Later fiction makes him also the regent of the west, probably in recollection of his Vedic character as the setting sun; and endows him with a wife, Varun'dni, a son, Paslikara, and sometimes also with a daughter,Punjileastkati. It further gives him for a residence the fabulous mountain, Paskpagiri, mountain of flowers," and a marine monster, Ifakara, for his vehicle.