Varuna Hymns
The great upholder of Cosmic and Moral Law (*Ṛtá*), who rules the celestial ocean and punishes sinners with binding fetters.
Showing hymns per page...
Hymn 1.2
Addressed to: Vayu, Indra and Vayu, Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Madhucchandas
Here, worshippers call upon Vayu, the wind god, to enjoy their Soma offerings and hear their pleas. The hymn then expands to invite Indra and Vayu together, before addressing Mitra and Varuna, invoking their cosmic order and wisdom to grant powerful strength.
Hymn 1.17
Addressed to: Indra and Varuna
Rishi: Medhatithi
This hymn is a joint appeal to the mighty duo, Indra and Varuna. The singer calls for their combined help, graciousness, and protection, emphasizing their readiness to aid. The plea is for the two great rulers to bestow generous gifts, ensuring wealth and an overflowing abundance for the worshipper.
Hymn 1.24
Addressed to: Agni, Savitri and Varuna
Rishi: Medhatithi
This hymn opens with a poignant question about which god can restore us to Aditi, naming Agni. It then praises Savitr for gifts, but centers on Varuna. The King is lauded for upholding cosmic laws, then earnestly entreated to release the worshipper from sin and bonds, echoing the tale of Śunaḥśepa.
Hymn 1.25
Addressed to: Varuna
Rishi: Medhatithi
This is a heartfelt appeal to Varuna, acknowledging human failings in upholding divine laws. The speaker confesses daily missteps, fears Varuna's wrath, and seeks his forgiveness and guidance. Varuna is portrayed as the all-seeing, all-knowing maintainer of cosmic order, whom the worshipper earnestly petitions for release from sin.
Hymn 1.136
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Parucchepa
This hymn honors Mitra and Varuna, the twin upholders of cosmic order, along with other deities like Aryaman. It celebrates their unassailable power and calls upon them to grant long life, strength, and protection to their worshippers, ensuring universal well-being.
Hymn 1.137
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Parucchepa
A simple, direct invitation to Mitra and Varuna to come and enjoy the refreshing Soma offerings, carefully prepared with milk and curd. It’s a hospitable call for the two sky-touching kings to draw near and partake in the sacred rite.
Hymn 1.151
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Dirghatamas
This hymn is a vibrant praise to Mitra and Varuna, powerful gods who make the earth tremble. It highlights their role in sustaining creation, proclaiming truth, and swiftly delivering blessings. Worshippers offer hymns and sacrifices, recognizing their immense glory and rich strength, seeking their favor and path.
Hymn 1.152
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Dirghatamas
This hymn delves into the profound, mysterious power of Mitra and Varuna. Clothed in rich robes, they conquer untruth and uphold cosmic order with flawless counsel. It ponders their inscrutable might and the enigmatic ways they sustain existence, like the "footless one" or "unborn essence," ending with a prayer for their favor.
Hymn 1.153
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Dirghatamas
This hymn is a devotional offering to Mitra and Varuna, acknowledging their might and accord. Priests bring ghee and hymns, seeking their favor. It invokes Aditi's nurturing presence, likened to a cow providing for cosmic order, and asks for abundant nourishment from both earthly and heavenly sources.
Hymn 2.28
Addressed to: Varuna
Rishi: Gritsamada Saunahotra
This hymn reveres Varuna, the wise Aditya, seeking his supreme goodness and protection. It implores him to release from sin, uphold cosmic order, and grant a long, prosperous life. Describing him as the one who commands the tireless rivers, the worshipper humbly asks for mercy, safety from enemies, and defense against his divine wrath.
Hymn 4.41
Addressed to: Indra and Varuna
Rishi: Vamadeva Gautama
This hymn fervently calls upon Indra and Varuṇa, seeking their favor, friendship, and powerful aid. The worshipper offers heartfelt praise and Soma, asking them to conquer enemies, bless progeny and land, and bestow abundant wealth. It celebrates their generosity and mighty protection in battle.
Hymn 4.42
Addressed to: Indra and Varuna
Rishi: Vamadeva Gautama
A striking hymn where Varuṇa and Indra powerfully assert their individual and combined cosmic authority. Varuṇa claims universal dominion and established order, while Indra boasts of creating realms, making waters flow, and valor in battle. It highlights their supreme, unassailable power over creation and conflict.
Hymn 5.62
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Atri Bhauma
Addressing Mitra and Varuṇa, this hymn praises their unwavering truth and cosmic rule. It depicts them as creators of earth and sky, givers of rain, nourishment, and protection. Riding golden chariots, they oversee all, from dawn to dusk, upholding order and granting victory to the pious.
Hymn 5.63
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Atri Bhauma
Mitra and Varuṇa are hailed as supreme guardians of cosmic order, ruling from the highest heaven. They bring sweet, thundering rain, harnessing colorful clouds with their magical power. As lords of heaven and earth, they control the sun and command the Maruts and Parjanya to nourish the world.
Hymn 5.64
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Atri Bhauma
This hymn invokes Mitra and Varuṇa for their benevolent protection and support. Described as embracing friends and destroyers of foes, they are asked to grant safe refuge, abundance, and ample space. The poet seeks their blessings to prosper, arriving swiftly like elephants to the sacred Soma ritual.
Hymn 5.65
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Atri Bhauma
Here, Mitra and Varuṇa are celebrated as renowned kings and upholders of cosmic order. The poet seeks their aid and abundance, praising Mitra’s ability to provide ample space even in distress. The hymn requests their protection, a spacious dwelling, and their guidance for both wealthy patrons and seers.
Hymn 5.66
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Atri Bhauma
Invoking the powerful Mitra and Varuṇa, this hymn emphasizes their firm dominion and role in establishing cosmic and human order. It seeks their blessings for swift advancement and insight, connecting their vast powers to the Rishis' fame. The prayer culminates in a plea for their spacious, well-guarded protection.
Hymn 5.67
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Atri Bhauma
This hymn reveres Mitra, Varuṇa, and Aryaman—the Adityas—as a powerful trinity. They are protectors, destroyers of foes, and bestowers of prosperity, upholding their laws and cosmic order. Sitting in their golden abode, they guide and deliver mortals from distress, meriting constant praise.
Hymn 5.68
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Atri Bhauma
This hymn sings praise to Mitra and Varuṇa, whose vast might and great dominion uphold cosmic order. They are supreme kings, sources of abundance, and grow in strength like rainy skies and flowing waters. The poet implores them for terrestrial and celestial wealth and sustenance.
Hymn 5.69
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Atri Bhauma
Mitra and Varuṇa are celebrated for sustaining three luminous realms, heavens, and firmaments, protecting eternal order. Their nourishing "cows" and sweet-flowing rivers bring abundance. The hymn also invokes Aditi for wealth and well-being for descendants, acknowledging the gods' unalterable vows.
Hymn 5.70
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Atri Bhauma
This hymn calls upon Varuṇa and Mitra for their far-reaching protection and sustaining nourishment. The poet seeks their strength to overcome adversaries, identified as Dasyus. It is a direct prayer for their favor, ensuring self-sufficiency and success through their powerful divine aid.
Hymn 5.71
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Atri Bhauma
This hymn calls upon Varuna and Mitra, the wise rulers of the universe, to attend a beautiful ritual. Worshippers invite the powerful gods to drink Soma, seeking their protective might and boundless wisdom.
Hymn 5.72
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Atri Bhauma
This hymn is a melodic invocation to Mitra and Varuna. It invites the divine pair to be seated on the sacred grass, partake in the Soma, and bless the sacrifice, much like the ancient sage Atri.
Hymn 5.85
Addressed to: Varuna
Rishi: Atri Bhauma
This hymn praises Varuna, the majestic sovereign ruler, who establishes cosmic order and the laws of the universe. It describes him as the architect of creation—spreading earth, placing sustenance, and releasing the life-giving rains. Crucially, it concludes with a heartfelt plea for forgiveness, asking Varuna to loosen sins like fetters.
Hymn 6.67
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Bharadvaja Barhaspatya
This hymn praises Mitra and Varuna, the divine guardians of cosmic order and truth. They are invoked for protection, shelter, and guidance, controlling all with unmatched strength. The worshipper seeks their aid against foes and asks them to sustain dominion and annihilate trouble.
Hymn 6.68
Addressed to: Indra and Varuna
Rishi: Bharadvaja Barhaspatya
Celebrating the mighty dual deity Indra and Varuna, this hymn seeks their favor, prosperity, and protection. They are hailed as the best of gods, Vritra-slayers, surpassing all others in strength and power. Worshippers ask them to bestow wealth, grant victory in battle, and help cross adversities.
Hymn 7.60
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Vasishtha Maitravaruni
This hymn praises the rising Sun, intertwined with Mitra and Varuna, as an all-seeing observer of both truth and falsehood. It seeks the gods' guidance, protection from deceit, and a safe passage through life's challenges, hoping for their favor and purity.
Hymn 7.61
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Vasishtha Maitravaruni
This hymn praises Mitra and Varuna, seeing the rising Sun as their all-seeing eye. It highlights their role in upholding cosmic order, watching over all beings, and rewarding truthful worship while punishing deceit. The poet seeks their divine protection and blessings for success.
Hymn 7.62
Addressed to: Surya, Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Vasishtha Maitravaruni
Observing the Sun's magnificent ascent, this hymn addresses it, imploring it to declare the worshippers blameless before other deities like Mitra, Varuna, and Agni. It's a prayer for wealth, well-being, and divine protection, asking the gods to grant ample space and favorable paths.
Hymn 7.63
Addressed to: Surya, Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Vasishtha Maitravaruni
Witnessing the all-seeing Sun roll back darkness, this hymn celebrates its auspicious rise as the divine eye of Mitra and Varuna. It praises Savitar, who upholds cosmic order and inspires all beings to action. The hymn concludes with a plea for freedom, well-being, and protection from the divine pair.
Hymn 7.64
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Vasishtha Maitravaruni
This hymn is a fervent invitation to Mitra, Aryaman, and the kingly Varuna, the guardians of cosmic order and lords of rivers. It seeks their acceptance of offerings, imploring them to bestow sustenance and rain, guide on effective paths, and ultimately, protect the worshipper with their blessings.
Hymn 7.65
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Vasishtha Maitravaruni
Addressing Mitra and Varuna, this hymn praises their pure discernment and supreme divine power as guardians of cosmic order. It envisions them as bridges over troubles, while also setting snares for disorder. The worshipper offers oblations, seeking fertile lands, divine nourishment, and ongoing protection for their thoughts.
Hymn 7.82
Addressed to: Indra and Varuna
Rishi: Vasishtha Maitravaruni
Addressing the powerful duo Indra and Varuna, this hymn seeks their protection and victory in battle. It hails them as mighty creators who released the waters and brought the sun, praising their immense wealth and strength. The petitioners implore their divine help and enduring friendship.
Hymn 7.83
Addressed to: Indra and Varuna
Rishi: Vasishtha Maitravaruni
This hymn vividly recounts Indra and Varuna's intervention in a historic battle, where they powerfully aided King Sudas against the Dāsa and an alliance of ten kings. Amidst the clamor and dust of war, the poets urgently implore the divine duo for protection and victory against their foes.
Hymn 7.84
Addressed to: Indra and Varuna
Rishi: Vasishtha Maitravaruni
Offering oblations and praises, this hymn entreats Indra and Varuna, acknowledging their vast dominion. It seeks to avert Varuna's anger and secure Indra's favor, asking for their powerful help. The worshippers desire pleasing sacrifices, divine wealth, and protection for their families and future.
Hymn 7.85
Addressed to: Indra and Varuna
Rishi: Vasishtha Maitravaruni
This hymn offers Soma and a "harmless hymn" to Indra and Varuna, asking for their protection in battle and in life. It describes their power to destroy enemies and sustain order, with a wise priest making offerings. The supplicants seek divine favor and protection for their lineage.
Hymn 7.86
Addressed to: Varuna
Rishi: Vasishtha Maitravaruni
This poignant hymn finds the poet deeply contemplating Varuna's cosmic power, then turns to personal introspection. Anxiously, the speaker seeks forgiveness for unknown transgressions and ancestral sins, pleading with the god for mercy and release from distress, acknowledging human weakness and seeking reconciliation.
Hymn 7.87
Addressed to: Varuna
Rishi: Vasishtha Maitravaruni
This hymn celebrates Varuna's profound role in cosmic order, from guiding the sun and rivers to his spirit as the wind. It speaks of his keen observers watching all worlds and his deep wisdom, even hinting at hidden truths for future generations, while seeking freedom from sin.
Hymn 7.88
Addressed to: Varuna
Rishi: Vasishtha Maitravaruni
This deeply personal hymn sees the sage Vasishtha offering a beloved praise to Varuna. It beautifully recounts a shared journey in a boat, a past friendship, and Varuna's role in making Vasishtha a singer. The sage reflects on their bond, seeking continued favor and release from distress.
Hymn 7.89
Addressed to: Varuna
Rishi: Vasishtha Maitravaruni
This short, poignant hymn is an urgent, repeated plea to King Varuna for mercy. The speaker, fearing death and admitting to straying from divine laws due to weakness and ignorance, desperately asks the powerful ruler to be forgiving and not destroy them for their offenses.
Hymn 8.25
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna and Other Gods
Rishi: Vyasva
A plea for universal protection from Mitra and Varuna, the cosmic guardians, and other deities. It reveres these upholders of Rta (cosmic order) for their wisdom, sovereignty, and blessings of rain and sustenance, seeking their collective, unwavering guardianship in all aspects of life.
Hymn 8.41
Addressed to: Varuna
Rishi: Nabhaka
This hymn celebrates Varuna, the cosmic guardian, who oversees human thoughts, establishes dawns, and supports the worlds with his immense wisdom and power. He is depicted as omnipresent, dispelling illusions, and holding all creation in his firm decree, asserting his absolute supremacy.
Hymn 8.42
Addressed to: Varuna and the Asvins
Rishi: Nabhaka
This hymn extols Varuna as the all-knowing Asura who shaped the cosmos, seeking his triple-layered protection, sharpened intellect, and strength to overcome all troubles. It then shifts to inviting the swift Ashvins for the exhilarating Soma drink and urgent aid.
Hymn 8.59
Addressed to: Indra and Varuna
Addressed to the powerful duo Indra and Varuṇa, this hymn pours out Soma offerings, praising their greatness, truth, and strength. Worshippers seek comprehensive blessings: protection, abundant wealth, children, prosperity, long life, and wisdom from these Lords of splendor.
Hymn 10.132
Addressed to: Mitra and Varuna
Rishi: Others
A comprehensive prayer invoking Sky, Earth, Ashvins, Mitra, and Varuṇa for protection, blessings, and prosperity for the sacrificer. It seeks divine friendship to overcome foes and addresses past transgressions, ultimately asking for cleansing, favor from Aditi, and safeguard from distress.