Fwd: Varuna - a follow up

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---------- Forwarded message ----------kishore patnaik <kishorepatnaik09

Sat, Oct 11, 2008 at 9:28 PM

Dear all,

Varuna

was one of the oldest of the Vedic deities, Varuna may have been part of

the first triad of gods known in the Vedic period – along with Mitra and

Aryaman [1}A little later, but still

within early Vedic period, they were replaced by Agni, Indra and Surya [1]

Varuna was both an asura and a

deva., leading to the notion that Varuna, ancient lord of Justice (rta) and

truth (satya) had a violent streak. There were accusations in the later myths

that this violence was why Indra took away Varuna's power. [1] However, Varuna is kind hearted

also. [8]

In the early Vedas, Varuna was the king of

the earth and the sky, and the creator. He was also associated with Mitra , the

ruler of night – though in later Vedic hymns, we find him as the chief of the Adityas,

thus an asura, and contrasted to Mitra, a deva and the ruler of the day. [1]

By the time of Puranas, he was reduced to the status of Neptune, with

Indra taking away his ruler ship of heaven and he was left with the ruler ship only on the worlds of waters.

Yet, he was still presented as the father of Brahma, again, which role was

taken over by Vishnu in the later Puranas. [1]

He is in contrast to

Indra. Varuna is described by Mc donnel as " the other

great universal monarch

of the RV., who wields passive and peaceful sway, who uniformly applies thelaws

of nature, who upholds moral order, and whose character displays lofty ethical

features. " [2]

 

It

is certain that two gods tower above the rest as leading deities about equal in

power, Indra as the mighty warrior and Varuna as the supreme moral ruler…

Varuna appears as preeminent only when the supreme laws of the physical and

moral world are contemplated, and can not be called as a popular god. It has

been held by various scholars that Varuna and the Adityas were

the highest gods of an older period, but were later displaced by Indra.[3]

It is Roth who has

developed a theory that Indra has superseded Varuna in the Rgvedic period. The growth

of Prajapati as a supreme deity also has led to the fading of the

characteristics of Varuna as a sovereign god. His decline to the position of

Neptune or god the sea, which was only one of the elements he originally held

is well attested.

The word " Varuna " is traced to Var or to cover (as by sky or by

darkness) [4]

Devotional spirit pervades

the Varuna hymns [5]

 

While Dumezil tries to

find a parallel for Varuna in European mythology, such as in Scandinavia, [6] Dyaus-Zeus-Jupiter

, Father sky, is about the only certain equation of Proto- Aryan mythology. But

in spite of this, he (Dyaus) was of no special moment in Vedic religion and

became important to Greek and Roman only as he became much more than an

ancestor. [7]

 

[1] Handbook of Hindu mythology by George Mason Williams, p 294

[2] p. 19, A VEDIC READER For Students By Arthur Anthony

Macdonell

[3] p

20, Vedic mythology by Arthur Anthony Macdonel

[5] p

27 of Indian myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie

[7]

p 53, Origin and Evolution of

Religion By E. Washburn Hopkins

[8] p. 136, A Study

of Deities of " Rig Veda " By S.S. GuptaHope to hear from you all, Kishore patnaik P.s . Two or three references are missing here. I propose to supply them later