Varuna

According to Hinduism Varuna is one of the supreme deities of the cosmos from the Vedic times and considered responsible for bringing rain, for movement of sun in the sky. Lord Varuna is called as omnipotent and omniscient. He is lord of all water bodies and one of the most prominent deva in Rigveda. In Hindu mythology, Varuna continued to be considered the god of all forms of the water element, particularly the oceans.

According to Hindu mythology, Lord Varuna is the son of sage Kashyapa. He is one of the twelve gods acknowledged as Adityas because of their origin from Aditi. Aditi is the mother of gods. He is among one of the oldest Vedic deities. He is embodiment of the sky and associated with clouds, water, rivers, and ocean. In addition to that he is considered to be the sustainer of live by providing rain and crops. He is also considered the lord of dead like lord Yamaraja and could confer immortality if he so chose.

Lord Varuna is depicted as riding in a chariot drawn by seven swans and holding the lotus, noose, conch and a vessel of gems, with an umbrella held over his head. In some temples he is depicted as riding on a crocodile. He is the sustainer of live by providing rain and crops. In the Indian Puranas, Lord Varuna has thousand eyes and oversees the whole world and Hindus worship him in different forms. All paintings are courtesy of Art of Legend India.