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Varuni () is the name of multiple goddesses associated with the
Hindu god Hindu deities are the gods and goddesses in Hinduism. The terms and epithets for deities within the diverse traditions of Hinduism vary, and include Deva, Devi, Ishvara, Ishvari, Bhagavān and Bhagavati. The deities of Hinduism have evolved ...
Varuna Varuna (; sa, वरुण, , Malay: ''Baruna'') is a Vedic deity associated initially with the sky, later also with the seas as well as Ṛta (justice) and Satya (truth). He is found in the oldest layer of Vedic literature of Hinduism, su ...
— his wife (also known as Varunani), his daughter (the goddess of wine), and the personification of his
shakti In Hinduism, especially Shaktism (a theological tradition of Hinduism), Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; lit. "Energy, ability, strength, effort, power, capability") is the primordial cosmic energy, female in aspect, and r ...
(A
matrika Matrikas (Sanskrit: मातृका (singular), IAST: mātṝkās, lit. "divine mothers") also called Matar or Matri, are a group of mother goddesses who are always depicted together in Hinduism. The Matrikas are often depicted in a group ...
or mother goddess). Sometimes, these goddesses are identified as one deity. In this context, she is the goddess of wine, who emerged during the '' Samudra Manthana'' (churning of the ocean) and chose Varuna as her consort. The term Varuni also refers to an alcoholic drink.


Varuna's wife

The first Varuni is also known as Varunani and Jaldevi. She is one of the two chief consorts of
Varuna Varuna (; sa, वरुण, , Malay: ''Baruna'') is a Vedic deity associated initially with the sky, later also with the seas as well as Ṛta (justice) and Satya (truth). He is found in the oldest layer of Vedic literature of Hinduism, su ...
, the other being goddess Gauri. In some texts, Gauri is just another name for Varunani. She is commonly depicted alongside her husband.


Varuna's daughter

The second goddess with the name Varuni is the daughter of Varuna. She is regarded as the goddess of wine. According to the ''
Puranas Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...
'', when the Devas and Asuras were churning the ocean, Varuni came out of it and had a pot of alcohol in her hands. According to the ''
Bhagavata Purana The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in S ...
'', Varuni was taken by
Asura Asuras (Sanskrit: असुर) are a class of beings in Indic religions. They are described as power-seeking clans related to the more benevolent Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhist context, the word is sometimes translated ...
, but ''
Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later stages ...
'' narrates that Varuni chose to live with the Devas.


Matrika

The third goddess is a
Matrika Matrikas (Sanskrit: मातृका (singular), IAST: mātṝkās, lit. "divine mothers") also called Matar or Matri, are a group of mother goddesses who are always depicted together in Hinduism. The Matrikas are often depicted in a group ...
found in Matsya Purana. She is the manifestation of the first Varuni and the divine energy of Varuna. As per the story, she was created to drink the blood of a demon Andhaka. She is also one of the 64
yogini A yogini ( Sanskrit: योगिनी, IAST: ) is a female master practitioner of tantra and yoga, as well as a formal term of respect for female Hindu or Buddhist spiritual teachers in Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Greater Tibet ...
(s).


References


Encyclopedia for Epics of Ancient India, accessed 13 May 2006


External links


A Wisdom Archive on Varuni
Hindu goddesses Rigvedic deities Deities of wine and beer {{hindu-myth-stub