The God Varuna
Summary
In this essay the author examines theories about the origin of the Vedic deity Varuṇa. Some modern scholars have proposed that Varuṇa derives from an Austro‑Asiatic or Austronesian sea god, citing supposed cognates in Malay (baru, ‘sea’), Mon‑Khmer and Greek (Ouranos). Others derive the name from Sanskrit roots meaning ‘to cover’ or ‘to bind’. The article reviews these etymologies and argues that they are unconvincing. Varuṇa appears in the Ṛg‑veda not as a sea god but as a sovereign guardian of ṛta (cosmic order) who sees everything with a thousand eyes, forgives sinners and presides over the night sky. His association with the sea emerges only later, likely due to analogy between his encompassing rule and the encircling ocean. The author emphasises that Indo‑European comparative philology does not support a foreign origin for Varuṇa. Words like *uer (cover) in Proto‑Indo‑European are closer to the Vedic sense than Austro‑Asiatic terms. Moreover, Greek Ouranos (‘sky’) and Latin verenus are unrelated. The article concludes that Varuṇa is a native Vedic god whose functions evolved over time from a moral sovereign to a water deity through syncretism.
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Conclusion
Speculative attempts to derive Varuṇa from Austro‑Asiatic sea gods are not philologically sound. Vedic texts portray him as the upholder of cosmic law, and his later maritime associations reflect internal developments rather than external borrowing.