Editing Varuna (section)

=== Puranas ===
[[File:Varuna_makara.jpg|thumb|Varuna on a [[Makara]] 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 [[Asura|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.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Chaudhuri |first=Dr Usha |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HODWjwEACAAJ |title=Indra And Varuna In Indian Mythology |publisher=Nag Publishers |year=1978 |isbn=978-81-7081-034-6 |pages=195–204 |language=en |chapter=Varuṇa in the Purāṇas}}</ref>

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 (Hinduism)|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 [[Mahabali|Bali]].<ref name=":1" />

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''.<ref name=":2" /> 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.<ref name=":1" />

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, [[Daksa Savarni Manu|Dakshasavarni]] (the ninth Manu), Pushkara, and [[Valmiki]], the latter born from Varuna’s semen on a termite mound.<ref name=":2" /> Although much reduced, Varuna's Vedic pairing with [[Mitra (Hindu god)|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 [[Ila (Hinduism)|offspring]], and Harishchandra’s prayer to Varuna for a son, which leads to the aforementioned vow and punishment.<ref name=":1" />

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 [[Samudra Manthana|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.<ref name=":1" />