Mahabharata , dates back to 8th century CE, discovered in Karnataka. On display at the
Prince of Wales museum, Mumbai. In the epic
Mahabharata (c. 400 BCE - 400 CE), Varuna undergoes a notable transformation from his earlier Vedic portrayal. He is no longer depicted as the supreme sky god or an omnipotent sovereign administering cosmic order and morality, though his pairing with
Mitra remains. The epic forgets his earlier associations with
ṛta (cosmic order) and ethical oversight, emphasizing instead his role within a new mythological framework. Varuna is still identified as the son of
Aditi and fifth of the twelve
Adityas, but his status is reduced as one of the
Lokapalas, or guardians of the directions, specifically presiding over the western quarter—a symbolic alignment with the setting sun and perhaps with darkness and night. In this context,
Kashyapa, Varuna's father, installed Varuna as
Salileśvara, the sovereign of all forms of water, including rivers, lakes, and oceans. The
Mahabharata expands Varuna's personal life. His chief-queen is most commonly identified as
Varuni, who is depicted alongside him in his underwater palace. The
Udyoga Parva refers to his beloved-wife as Gauri, while the
Adi Parva names his spouse as Jyeshtha or Devi, the eldest daughter of
Shukra. With Jyeshtha, Varuna is said to have fathered a son, Bala, and a daughter
Sura, the wine goddess. The
Vanaparva further mentions Vandin as another of Varuna’s sons. The
Udyoga Parva adds another son, Pushkara, who married the daughter of the
Moon god. In the
Udyoga Parva, Varuna is also stated to have fathered the
Kalinga king—
Shrutayudha—from the river goddess Parnasha. Varuna also granted Shrutayudha a divine mace in response to prayers by Parnasha. Many sources claim it was
Samudra, the personification of the oceans, who met Rama not the water god Varuna. The
Uttara Kanda also preserves the Vedic pairing of Varuna and
Mitra in a myth recounting the birth of the sages
Agastya and
Vasishtha, though Vasishtha’s role here is framed as a rebirth. After losing his original body, Vasishtha enters the vital essence of Mitra and Varuna. At that time, the celestial nymph
Urvashi arrives in Varuna’s realm, where Mitra holds temporary sway. Varuna desires her, and Urvashi reciprocates but remains bound by her prior promise to Mitra. Respecting this, Varuna releases his seed into a vessel fashioned by Brahma, which sanctifies the act as a symbolic consummation. Later, due to Urvashi’s divided fidelity, Mitra’s seed falls from her womb into the same vessel. From this vessel, containing the combined seed of Mitra and Varuna, Agastya and Vasishtha emerge, restoring the latter's body. Other children of Varuna mentioned in the
Ramayana include the vanara Sushena, who was conceived with the purpose of aiding Rama in future, and the goddess of wine, referred to here as
Varuni instead of Sura; she emerged during the
churning of the ocean and chose the companionship of the
devas, as narrated in the
Bala Kanda.
Puranas with attendants, gouache on paper, c. 1820 By the time of the
Puranas (mostly composed between 300 CE and 1000 CE), ancient Vedic deities such as
Indra and Varuna are often portrayed as having diminished in power and esteem. They are frequently shown as subordinate to other gods, particularly
Vishnu,
Krishna and
Shiva, and are sometimes humiliated by the increasingly dominant and aggressive
Asuras, the term which, unlike in the
Vedas, now only denotes to malevolent beings. In the
Puranas (mostly composed between 300 CE and 1000 CE), the portrayal of Varuna remains broadly consistent with his depiction in the epics, but his divine attributes and roles are further elaborated, sometimes alluding to his Vedic associations. He continues to be described as the regent of the western direction and the guardian of the water element. Despite his decline in stature in later mythology, Varuna retains considerable moral authority in the
Puranas, punishing transgressors and upholding truth and cosmic law. In one narrative, King
Harishchandra, having failed to fulfill a vow to Varuna after receiving a boon for a son, is afflicted with
Mahodara (abdominal swelling) until the debt is resolved through a substitute offering. Similarly, Varuna punishes
Nanda for entering sacred waters at an inauspicious time, but releases him upon Krishna’s intervention, acknowledging Krishna’s superior authority. The
Bhagavata Purana further portrays Varuna as a warrior subordinate to Krishna, participating in divine battles alongside Indra, equipped with nooses and a mace. In one episode, Varuna confronts Krishna after the latter retrieves the
Parijata tree from Indra’s palace, only to retreat when defeated by Krishna’s mount,
Garuda. Elsewhere, in battles against demons like
Kalanemi, Varuna is rendered motionless, likened to a drained ocean, while against Kujambha, he binds the demon’s arms with his noose and subdues him with his mace. He is also credited with binding the asura king
Bali. Iconographically, Varuna is depicted as riding the mythical sea creature
Makara and holding a noose (
pasha) in his hand. He often appears adorned with a white umbrella—said to have emerged during the churning of the ocean—and is described as having a conch-like or crystalline complexion, wearing garlands and bracelets. The
Matsya Purana devotes considerable detail to Varuna’s iconography. His idol is to be worshipped in rites such as
Vastupasamanam before the construction of palaces, and he is invoked in the
Graha Shanti rite through offerings of pearls, lotus flowers, and
kusha grass. He is said to be propitiated with
avabhritha baths and other ceremonial acts. In the
Hayasirsha Pancharatra, Varuna is described as seated on a swan, with two arms—one offering protection and the other holding a serpent-noose—surrounded by aquatic beings. Varuna is revered as a deity responsible for ensuring good and timely rainfall. Varuna's abode is described as being situated in the western direction on the summit of Mount Manasa, near the divine lake of Sukhi (according to the
Vayu Purana) or Sushila (in the
Matsya Purana). This location lies on the Puskara island, beneath which the sun’s chariot rotates around Mount Meru. At midnight in Samyamani, the sun is said to set in Varuna’s city. The
Devi Bhagavata Purana attests his capital city as
Śraddhāvatī. Varuna's celestial garden, Ritumat, is described in the
Puranas as a place of great beauty located on the Trikuta mountain. The garden is adorned with flowering trees and also features a resplendent lake filled with golden lotuses, lilies, and other aquatic flowers. Regarding his family, the
Bhagavata Purana names Charsani as Varuna’s beloved-wife and the mother of the sage
Bhrigu. Other sources continue to name Varunani, Gauri or Jyeshtha as his consorts. Varuna's other children include Sushena, Vandi,
Varuni, Bala, Sura, Adharmaka,
Dakshasavarni (the ninth Manu), Pushkara, and
Valmiki, the latter born from Varuna’s semen on a termite mound. Although much reduced, Varuna's Vedic pairing with
Mitra persists, notably in the vivid depiction of their shared infatuation with the celestial apsara
Urvashi, portraying sages
Agastya and
Vasistha here as their reborn sons, either similar to the Vedic or the
Ramayana version. Varuna’s link to progeny is further emphasized in narratives like
Vaivasvata Manu’s sacrifice invoking Mitra and Varuna for
offspring, and Harishchandra’s prayer to Varuna for a son, which leads to the aforementioned vow and punishment. Varuna’s broader mythological roles encompass divine benefaction and protection. He is associated with hidden treasures and performed a
rajasuya sacrifice, a standard for
Yudhishthira’s own in the
Mahabharata. His gifts include a water-sprinkling white umbrella for King
Prithu’s coronation, a thousand white horses with black ears for Sage Richika to wed Satyavati, Varuni wine for
Balarama, and
nagapasha for Shiva’s marriage to
Parvati, where Varuna appears as a divine dignitary. During the
churning of the ocean, Varuna continues to play a significant role, aligning with his aquatic dominion. The
Bhagavata Purana credits him with protecting Kraumcha-dvipa, beyond Kusha-dvipa, surrounded by an ocean of milk. Its central mountain, Kraumcha, remains unscathed by Kartikeya’s weapons due to Varuna’s guardianship and the washing of its slopes by sacred waters. == Other accounts ==