VAruna

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

 

Varuna was an asuric God. By the time of Rg Veda, he lost much of

his prominence. Yet, from the 35(at least, two thirds of them being

along with his " double " , Mitra) or so hymns that are dedicated to

him in RV, his character is understood

 

The anthropomorphism of Varuna's personality is more fully

developed on the side of moral than on the physical side. [1} His face

is Agni and his eye, Sun - something akin to later Siva.

 

His antiquity is understood if you see that he sits on strewn grass

[2} ( RV1.26, 5.72) and Bruce Lincoln, while describing the

elements of the first sacrifice, identifies strewn grass as one of the

main elements. No other god sits on strewn grass.

 

He is called Raja (with the meaning to proceed in a straight line,

Something akin to Rex- this has been discussed earlier here) and more

importantly, king of both god and men. (10.132, 2.27), of the whole

world (5.85) and all that exists (7.87) He is a self dependent ruler

(2.28) Above all, he is called Universal monarch or Samraj.

 

The development of monarchy of Gods is evident in that Varuna, then

Agni and finally Indra were ascribed with this title. By the time

of Puranic times, it is Vishnu who has become reciepient of this title

and in time , King has come to be seen as the embodiment of

Vishnu- in a total reverse of stand mostly taken by Dharma sutras that

King is a servant of his people and he has no power even to legislate

against the Dharma Sutras.

Sovereignty (ksatra) is ascribed to

Varuna more often to than anyone else in RV and perhaps, this is not

ascribed to Indra. Ksatriya, as understood in RV, means Ruler and

it is ascribed to Varuna, always except once.

 

His antiquity is also clear in that he has no myths surviving by the time of RV, as against Indra.

 

In any case, that Varuna is the Supreme Lord ,

equivalent or same as Dyaus. while the scholars like to think of

Varuna has supplanted Dyaus and take Varuna as more younger to Dyaus,

there is no proof for the same in the scriptures.

 

 

Varuna has turned into a rain God much later and then, he became the

over lord of waters. I do not think RV refers to him as a Rain

God, though it says he makes the Sun walk (the half pertaining ot Dark)

and sometimes, obsures it with cloud and rain.

 

The OIT is most strongly supported by Varuna. He is not attested

in Iran, yet he presents himself in Mitanni evidence.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Kishore patnaik

 

 

 

 

 

On 10/8/08, Arnaud Fournet <fournet.arnaud wrote:

 

 

 

 

 

-

" Kishore patnaik " <kishorepatnaik09

>

> Not always. Varuna was the supreme God in Indian pantheon, before

> Indra was.

> Kishore patnaik

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There is no supreme God in Indian Pantheon.

All entities inherited from PIE or autochthonous religions are fused into

one general deity that has different manifestations.

Indra is one of them.

Arnaud

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> Yet Varuna had nothing to do with storm and weather.

> Kishore patnaik

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What about the water-blocking monster ?

This has nothing to do with weather ?

Arnaud

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